Solai's True Chettinad kitchen

A link to Nadu veettu kolam

2012-01-14T02:18:00.000-08:00

I always wanted to post these pongal kolams in my blog.But I am not very good in putting kolams.Today when I searched the net for the kolam, I found this very useful blog from visalakshi.I would link this in my blog for the sake of my readers.

http://elvisalakshi.blogspot.com/2011/04/chettinadu-kolam-for-pongal-marriages.html

Thirattu Paal

2011-12-29T01:56:00.000-08:00

This is a must item for the pillayar nombu that the chettiars celebrate.I have already blogged Elai mavu recipe.We usually take elai in elai mavu,but in some families they have the practice of taking elai in thirattu paal.But I guess that all will prepare thirattu paal for the function.If we intend to take elai in thirattu paal we have to make it little thicker to the consistency of paal gova.

Ingredients

Milk -1 litre (thick)

Sugar -1/2 cup (100 gms) If karupatti is alone used for sweetness -3/4 cup

Karuppatti –small piece (optional)

Salt-1 kallu (1/4 teaspoon)

Lemon juice-1 teaspoon (if you don’t have karupatti piece)

Yelakkai powder-1/2 teaspoon (optional)

Procedure

Bring the milk to nice boil.Add the salt piece.if you have karupatti add that.Now you can find the milk curding. Dont use ladle and break it.Allow it to curdle nicely.Keep the stove in medium so that it doesn’t catch at the bottom.Karupatti will help the milk to curdle and also give some flavor.But many now are fond of the white color.So sugar can be used for sweetness.If your milk doesn’t curdle add lemon juice or little bit of salt.After the milk has curdled nicely,you can use the ladle.Keep the stove in medium and make the water in the milk evaporate.If the thirattu paal is going to be used for elai evaporate all the water and bring it to the consistency of paal gova else switch of when there is not much water .The milk will get little thicker once it cools down.So it can be switched off little before.I usually don’t add cardamom but if you like the flavor it can be added.

note; If you are using karuppatti dissolve it in little water and heat it a bit.Then strain it using a metallic strainer if hot to remove impurities.

Thakkali Pulav (Tomato Pulav)

2011-11-18T23:09:00.000-08:00

Many wonder what is the difference between a Tomato pulav and a Tomato rice. If you make a mix separately and mix it with rice we call it that particular rice. Pulav is something that we cook along with rice. Children usually are very finicky when they see something skinny or too much of things to be chewed in the rice. Sometimes even adults don’t want to have tomato skin and seeds in the rice. So this rice is an ideal option for kids.This can be taken as a lunch box item too. This pulav if made in small quantity will hardly take 15 minutes. So bachelors after returning from work can choose this pulav and can have it with potato chips or little curd.i know asking them to make raitha is too much. If you follow the recipe exactly,I am sure you will have a wonderful pulav.My pulav turned out excellent today.
Ingredients
Pulp of Tomato-3 medium sized
Basmati Rice-1 cup
Chili powder-1/2 teaspoon
Big onion-1
Chopped coriander leaves-little
Roasted cashews for decoration
To grind
Ginger-small piece
Garlic-5 pods
Green chili-1
Red chili-1
Fennel seeds-1/2 teaspoon
Clove-2
Cinnamon-1 small piece
Mint leaf –little
To Season
Fennel seeds-1/2 teaspoon
Clove-2
Cinnamon-2 small pieces
Mint leaf –little
Bay leaf-small piece
Curry leaf-little
Ghee-1 table spoon
Cooking oil-1 table spoon
Procedure
Boil the tomatoes closed for 5 minutes in water.Allow it to cool. Peel off its skin.
Allow it to cool.Grind it in the mixie.
Strain it in the strainer so as to remove the skin and any non grinded pieces.
Grind the items to be grinded.
Wash and soak the rice for 8 minutes
Strain it and keep aside.
Keep the small cooker in the stove.
Add the ghee and oil mixed .
season the pulav with the items given for seasoning
Now add the grinded masala and saute for a minute.
Add the onion pieces and saute.
Now add the rice and roast it in medium fire for 3 minutes.
Be careful that the rice don’t get burnt or get stuck to the bottom of the cooker.
Now measure the pulp you have.I got almost ¾ cup pulp.
We have to make it to two cups by adding water.
Add the 2 cup tomato pulp water.
Add ½ teaspoon red chili powder.This is mainly to get color
Add the salt needed too.
Close the cooker.Put the weight when steam comes.
Reduce the flame after 2 minutes
In slow fire cook for 8 more minutes.
Once the pressure goes, open the cooker and mix everything well. This is a must. Many items while cooking will get stuck to the bottom
Mix gently so that you don’t smash the rice.
While serving garnish with roasted cashews and fresh coriander leaves.

Pudalangai Koottu (Snake Gourd Curry)

2011-10-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

Many feel that a tasty and mouth watering dish cannot be prepared out of this vegetable. But this is a very commonly used veg in Chettinad. Chettiar ladies make simple and tasty koottu and poriyal with this. In some parts of Tamilnadu they make poricha koottu with this.
This koottu can be mixed with rice and be given to kids who have started taking rice as it is easily digestible. It is good for those recovering from illness and is an excellent dish for the newly delivered moms.

Please note that excess of dhal will lessen the taste of the vegetable

More medicinal value of the vegetable can be had in this link

http://www.medindia.net/patients/lifestyleandwellness/snake-gourd-glory.htm#ixzz1bKCLYYRg

Ingredients
Snake gourd -1 medium size
Broken green gram (pasi paruppu) -2 to 3 table spoon
Bengal gram (kadalai paruppu)-1 table spoon
Small onion-2 or 3 (1 table spoon of minced big onion)
Green chili-2
Sambar powder-1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
For seasoning
Small jeera-1 teaspoon
Broken urudh dhal-1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little

Procedure
I always prefer cooking green gram in a kadai since I feel that the dhal gets a sticky texture if pressure cooked. Those who are used to cooking the dhal in the cooker please give this a try. Moreover the dhal will get cooked very fast even in a kadai.
In a kadai cook both the dhal together along with the turmeric powder
Once the dhal is cooked well, add the cut snake guard, onion, green chili and sambar powder.
Make sure there is 1 to 1 ½ cups of water in the kadai for the vegetable to get cooked.
In half way stage add the salt needed.
Cook for 10 minutes in medium fire.
Before switching off make sure of the consistency.
If you are going to feed the child with this then the consistency should be little watery else you can have your desired consistency.
This koottu has to be seasoned in the end preferably in ghee. Ghee gives the extra bit of taste and flavor for the curry.

Eral Kathirikkai Murungakkai Kuzhambu (Prawns with Brinjal and Drumstick)

2011-05-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

Since cleaning prawns is a tough job, I always buy prawns from the lady who brings on her head home. I buy from her for the past 20 years. She as a practice cleans the prawns and takes out the kudal i.e., a long black thread like thing from its stomach. If that is not taken out it will lead to stomach pain. After she cleans and goes, I will make sure that she has taken it out from all the prawns. This Sunday as it is holiday time the town looks deserted as many have gone to their native place and she could not sell her prawns fully. She compelled me to buy more and was telling different recipes. I always make the prawn curry which my younger one loves. So I have never thought about an alternate recipe and that too kuzhambu. She said make vadai adding surakkai. I said I don’t use surakkai. Then she said radish and a handful of prawns will make yummy gravy. The smell of radish also will make my younger one run away from the dining table. So I thought I will make kuzhambu using one brinjal and one drumstick with little small onions and garlic. She said that also will be good and managed to sell ½ kg more of prawns.

The taste of the kuzhambu has no words to describe. My husband who always tries to make fun of my cooking somehow couldn’t resist telling that the dish is one of the best that I have cooked. My younger one who is very choosy also fell for its taste and said if I write a blog on this she will be the first to write the comment as she has tasted it. There was not a drop of gravy left over after dinner.

Those who live abroad may find it difficult to get fresh drumstick. They can try with radish or brinjal alone. A handful of prawns are enough. 100 to 200 Gms of cleaned prawns will be enough.

Ingredients

Prawns-100 Gms (cleaned) more can be added if desired

Brinjal-1

Drumstick-1

Small onion-20

Tomato-1

Garlic-20 pods

Curry leaves-little

Sambar powder-2 teaspoons

Coriander powder-2 teaspoons

Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon

Tamarind-gooseberry size

Procedure

In a kadai in 2 teaspoons of gingerly oil or cooking oil season the gravy with a teaspoon of mustard seed and little vendayam and curry leaf. Sauté the chopped onions nicely then the garlic and finally the tomatoes. When they are sautéed well add the sambar powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder and sauté well. Now add the brinjals and sauté in medium fire for 5 minutes. Meanwhile in 2 cups of water mix the tamarind and the salt needed .Once the brinjals are sautéed well add the tamarind salt water. Reduce the flame once the gravy starts boiling. Add the drum stick also. Cook for 10 minutes in low fire. Make sure that the brinjals doesn’t get overcooked. If so reduce the cooking time. Now add the prawns and cook for 5 more minutes. Prawns do not need much time to cook. Let the gravy stay for at least 2 hours before serving for best taste.

The gravy should not be very watery. It should be like puli kuzhambu.

Chicken Biryani in Pressure Cooker

2011-04-27T05:04:00.000-07:00

I don't usually make biryani using cooker but my readers were asking for the recipe using cooker as many don't have the big vessel or arrangement for keeping dum.For a long time I too wanted to make a false proof biryani using cooker. The problem with the cooker is that if we are not sure about the time and water ,there are chances of biryani getting burnt or overcooked. So I wanted to make sure of the cooking time and proportion of water (coconut milk) to rice so that the biryani is the same each time we cook. Even then I think that the proportions may vary for a different quality of rice. I have tried with the usual India Gate Basmathi rice. So for basmathi rice this proportion will be fine I guess.Ingredients

Basmathi rice -2 cups (400 gms)

Chicken - 1/2 kg (500 gms)

Big onion-2

Tomato-2

Coconut milk -1 cup or milk taken out of a small coconut

Ingredients for grinding masala

ginger -3 small pieces

garlic-10 pods

fennel seeds-1 teaspoon

green chili-4

red chili-4

Cinnamon-small piece

Mint leaves-handful (gives the real flavor)

cloves-3

Ingredients For Marinating the Chicken

Curd -1 tablespoon

Chili powder -1 tablespoon

Coriander powder -1 1/2 tablespoon

Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon

Grinded masala- half portion

Items for seasoning

Brinji leaf- 2 small pieces

cinamon-2 pieces

clove-3

Marudani mokku -2

Curry leaf-little

Mint leaf-handful

Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon

Procedure

Marinate the chicken with the items given for marination.

Let the chicken stay marinated for at least 30 minutes.

Mean while wash the rice and soak for 10 minutes.

Drain the rice and roast in a kadai in little butter or ghee (1 tablespoon)

The rice should be roasted in medium fire for 3 or 4 minutes till rice don't stick to the kadai.

Keep the cooker in the stove.

In 2 tablespoons of cooking oil mixed with little ghee season the biryani with the items given for seasoning.

saute the minced onions and tomatoes for 3 minutes.

Add the grinded masala (the remaining half) and saute well.

Now add the marinated chicken and saute well.

Keep the flame in medium and just keep the lid on top of the cooker.

No need to lock the cooker or put weight.

Cook the chicken for 6 minutes or till it gets half cooked.

Make sure that there is not much water in the chicken

Now add 1 cup of coconut milk mixed with 2 cups of water.(1:1 1/2)

Those who want the rice to be well cooked can add 1/2 cup more water.

Add the salt needed and the rice.Mix well.

Close the cooker.

When pressure starts coming put the weight.

Keep the flame low once the whistle comes.

In medium fire cook for exactly 8 minutes.

Once the pressure gets released open the cooker and mix well without smashing.

Your biryani is ready.

Garnish with coriander leaves while serving.

Mutton Biryani (Using Rice Cooker)

2011-04-02T08:07:00.000-07:00

Many of us often feel that our biryani is not the same all the time we cook. Because of this youngsters don’t even attempt to do it often. So I was trying to come out with a false proof biryani recipe which will almost be the same every time we cook. Rice cooker was a good option which will see to it that the biryani never gets burnt and can be kept hot till served. If we know the proper rice water ratio then it will be safe. 1:2 ½ is the ratio in rice cooker for basmati rice.

Ingredients for cooking mutton

Mutton-300 gms

Minced onion-1

Minced tomato-1

Ginger garlic paste-2 teaspoons

Chili powder-2 teaspoons

Coriander powder-2 teaspoons

Green chilli-1

Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon

For seasoning

Bay leaf-1

Cinamon-2

Cardomom-2

Clove-2 Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon

mint leaf-handful (very good in giving taste and aroma)

Ingredients for biryani

Basmati rice-2 cups

Coconut milk-1 cup (milk from half coconut)

Minced onion-1

Minced tomato-1(optional)

Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon

Chili powder-1 ½ teaspoons

procedure

Mutton has to be cooked for some time first since it can’t get cooked along with rice in the rice cooker. So in a pressure pan or small cooker in a teaspoon of oil season the mutton with a teaspoon of fennel seeds, 2 cloves and 2 pieces of cinnamon. Sauté the onion and tomato pieces well. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté. Now add the mutton and sauté for 3 minutes. Add chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder and mix well .pour 1 ½ cups of water and add the salt needed. Close the cooker and cook in medium fire for 7 minutes.

Mean while wash and soak 2 cups of rice that you are using. After 10 minutes strain the water and keep the rice aside Once you are done with cooking the mutton, separate the mutton pieces from the gravy and keep the gravy aside which can be used while cooking in the rice cooker .

Now to make the biryani, keep a kadai or pan in the stove. In 2 table spoons of oil season the biryani with the items given in ‘to season’. Then sauté the onions and tomatoes. Tomato is optional. I rarely use tomato at this stage. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté. Now add the rice and sauté till it looses the water content. 1 : 2 ½ is the ratio of water to rice. Instead of water alone we are going to make use of the mutton gravy we got while cooking the mutton and a cup of coconut milk. Measure both and add water for the remaining to make it 5. Add mutton pieces now and the 5 cups of mix we have. Add chili powder and the salt needed also. Mix well and transfer to the rice cooker. In the earlier stages of cooking stir 2 or 3 times. Once the rice gets cooked avoid mixing often. Can be garnished with coriander leaves if desired while serving.

Aattu Kudal Kuzhambu (Lamb Intestine Gravy )

2011-02-21T07:49:00.000-08:00

Since this is a chettinad food cookery blog and many searches for the traditional chettinad non veg in this blog ,I want to blog almost all traditional non veg items even though we don’t cook them often or never at home. This recipe is one of that sort.
In chettinad there is a practice of group prayer to the ancestors once in a year .This is known as padappu in this region. In some family group there is a practice of offering goat to the ancestors. Then the meat is cooked and served to the members. So they use each and every part of the goat using special recipes for each part.
I come to know that aattu kudal has much medicinal value. But I always have wondered how to clean it. In the mutton shops in our town, I have seen people waiting for the goat to be ready to get the kudal.
Once in Kairali TV, I saw a show called Magic Oven conducted Dr.Lakshmi Nair about this recipe. She interviewed a cook in Nagerkovil about this recipe and showed a demo of this by the cook. From that day I thought of trying out this recipe.
In a small hotel (mess) run by Nagerkovil people in our town we get this curry known as Boati. We used to get that from there and is very good in taste.
I enquired my servant whether she knows to clean it and she said that her grand mom who is 75 year old only know that. I asked her to bring her Grand mom one Sunday and went to the mutton shop .You don’t believe, I saw 6 people waiting there for this. The butcher told me that if I wait for 2 hours I may get a chance to get one. I gave the money in advance and told him that I will come in an hour to get it. Somehow I managed to get it that day. Seeing that I was really worried about how we are going to clean it.
The old lady was pretty sure of cleaning it. Kudal was like a bag. Inside that the tubular structures were there. The butchers will clean the tubes once and put inside that bag (big intestine).
Cleaning lamb intestine
The lady asked me to keep water in a vessel and boil. I boiled the water and she put the whole bag inside that water and closed it for 10 minutes .After 10 minutes she removed it from water and took out the tubular structure and kept aside. She brushed the surface of the outer bag with a brush and the thick small thorn like surface layer peeled off from the bag and it became skin like. She washed it nicely and kept aside. Now she took the tubular structure.
She took each tube and showed under running water till the tubes are completely clean. The water from the tap came through the tubes clearly. She too took nearly 20 minutes to clean the tubes. I don’t think that I will have that much patience.
Next was the cutting part. I knew that I have to make the pieces very small. I tried to cut the bag first. It was very slippery. The lady turned the bag inside out and now it was easy to cut. The tubes also had to be patiently cut into small pieces. After cutting the tubes she washed it again nicely and they became very very clean. Now only I was sure that the whole thing is clean and started my hand in making the gravy.
Ingredients
Kudal (Cleaned and cut 1)
Small onion- 20
Big onion chopped -1
Chili powder -1 table spoon
Coriander powder -1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Thick coconut milk-100 Gms (1/2 cup)
Roasted cumin powdered -2 teaspoons
Curry leaf –little
Procedure
Pressure cook the cut kudal pieces for 10 minutes with 1 ½ cups of water and a teaspoon of turmeric powder. After cooking remove the cooked water. This will help to get rid of the excess non veg smell. If you like the smell you can use that water while making the gravy. I discarded that water.
Keep a kadai in the stove. In two tablespoons of oil season the curry with a teaspoon of cumin seed and curry leaf. Sauté the onions nicely .Add turmeric powder and sauté. Keep the stove in medium flame and add chili powder and coriander powder. Now add the cooked kudal pieces. Mix everything nicely. Add a cup of water and the salt needed. Close the kadai and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes add coconut milk and cook for 2 minutes. Before switching off the stove add the roasted cumin powder. Garnish with coriander leaves if desired.

Some tips of buying and storing lamb meat which I browsed from the net.
Buying & Storing Facts
The quality of lamb should be ensured before buying. You need to make sure that the tender flesh is pink in color, firm and with a fine texture.
The fat surrounding the lamb should be white in color. Don’t purchase it if the fat is crumbling, yellow or tough, as these are the characteristics of old meat.
A younger lamb can be identified with a blue tinge on the knuckle. A pale color, ranging from pink to light red, is also one of the traits of a young lamb.
Some lambs are also available in different grades, like prime, select and choice. The prime and choice grades of lamb are both flavorful and tender; however they possess a higher fat content.
Like most of the other meats, lamb too is highly perishable and needs to be refrigerated as soon as possible, in the original store packaging.
It is preferred to store and use lamb as per the ‘Use by’ date mentioned on the pack, to avoid its unhealthy intake. If dates are not mentioned on the pack, the different parts of the lamb like lamb roasts and chops can be kept for 3 to 5 days in refrigerator, while ground lamb can stay for not more than 2 days.
If you have bought more than one lamb, the best way to save it is by wrapping it tightly with aluminum foil or freezer paper. This will allow storage of ground lamb for 3 to 4 months and roasts and chops for about 6 to 9 months.

Vendakkai Masala ( Ladies finger semi gravy)

2011-02-06T09:03:00.000-08:00

My most favorite recipe out of ladies finger is this masala. The main reason is that ,I can give it as a side dish or a spread or a mix which can be mixed with rice. Ladies finger fry for sure will be tastier but it can serve only a single purpose as a side dish. Now a days we search for recipes of this sort only and so this will be very useful for youngsters especially bachelors. The procedure is more important than ingredients.

Ingredients
Ladies finger (tender ones) -1/4 kg
Chopped onion -1
Chopped tomato -1
Sambar powder- 2 teaspoons
Turmeric powder -1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little
Curd-2 teaspoons
Coriander leaves-little
For seasoning
Mustard seed-1 teaspoon
Broken urudh dhal-1 teaspoon
Small jeera-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little

Procedure
Keep the kadai in the stove.
In 1 table spoon of oil season the curry with items given for seasoning.
Now add the onions and sauté well.
After the onions get sauted, add the tomatoes and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the sambar powder, turmeric powder and the salt needed and mix well.
When there is not much of water content (water from tomato ) add the cut ladies finger pieces.
Mix everything well.
Keep the stove in medium fire.
When you feel that the ladies finger has reduced in qty add the curd and mix well.
Cook for 5 minutes stirring regularly.
Now sprinkle 2 table spoons of water and mix well.
Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Check for the taste now.
If anything is missing, it can be added now
Again add 2 table spoons of water and mix well.
Cook for a minute.
Now you will find that your curry is like a masala.
Keep in mind that the flame should be in medium all the time else the curry will get burnt.
When the curry is in desired consistency, switch off the stove
Garnish with coriander leaves

Muttai Omelet Kuzhambu (Egg Omelet Gravy)

2010-12-30T17:16:00.000-08:00

Muttai Omelet Kuzhambu (Egg Omelet Gravy)
Those who love eggs will be excited to taste different recipes of eggs. I have tried to make gravy with the omelets. I have heard that in some parts of Tamilnadu this gravy is a usual one. I was not able to gather any authentic recipe of the same. So I have made a trial. The gravy turned out good. So you people can certainly give the recipe a try. An easy and handy recipe when we are short of vegetables or time.

Ingredients for the omelets
Eggs -4
Minced onion -1/2 cup
Turmeric powder -1/2 teaspoon
Pepper powder- 1 teaspoon
Chopped green chili -1
Salt to taste

There are different ways of making this omlette. If you have time and patience it can be baked in the oven. As my readers know, I am allergic of using my oven; I made the omelets in my dosa pan. The thing to be noted while making the omelets is that it should be made thick.
Another way is to pour the mix in kuzhi paniyaram moulds and make egg paniyarams.
Easiest is the regular way of making omelets but little thicker. If you make like this or bake then after making cut into small pieces and keep aside
Ingredients for the gravy
Small onion -20 or chopped big onion -2
Garlic -20
Tomato -2

Tamarind –little (as shown) (too much of tamarind will not be good)
Sambar powder-2 teaspoons
Coriander powder- 2 teaspoons
Turmeric powder -1 teaspoon
Curry leaf –little
For seasoning
Mustard-1 teaspoon
Fenugreek-1/2 teaspoon
Fennel seed-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little
Procedure to make the gravy
The gravy is the normal puli kuzhambu that we make. But for the beginners sake I repeat.
Mix the tamarind and the salt needed in two to two and half cups of water.
Drain it and keep aside
Keep the kadai in the stove
Pour 1 table spoon of gingili oil or any other oil you use for cooking
Season the gravy with the items given for seasoning
Add the onion, garlic and tomato pieces one by one and sauté well for 5 minutes in medium fire
Now add the salt tamarind water into the kadai
After one boil add the sambar powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder.
Keep the stove in medium fire
Cook for 10 minutes
When the gravy has turned to half the quantity add the cut omlette pieces.
Cook for 3 more minutes
Remember that the omelet pieces will become little big after boiling
So make the pieces little smaller.
Heat the gravy before serving

Karuppatti Paniyaram and Elai Mavu

2010-12-09T19:57:00.000-08:00

Pillayar Nombu is fast approaching and many of my young readers want the recipe for this and Elai mavu. Elai mavu is karuppatti paniyaram mavu without water. As I go to nagarathar sangam, I don’t usually make this at home. But for the sake of my readers, I learnt it from my mom this week when I went to chettinad to attend a function. So there are no photos attached.
Ingredients
Raw rice -2 cups
Black jaggerry (powdered)-1 ½ cups (karuppatti) if you don’t get karuppatti in you area then try with vellam
Procedure
Soak the rice for 30 minutes. Drain and dry in a paper for 20 minutes and dry grind it in a mixie.Here in India we sieve the flour in a fine siever half and remaining half in medium siever.If you don’t have siever just finely grind and keep. Now powder the karuppatti and add ¼ cup water and keep in the kadai. Once the jaggerry gets melted and gets hot switch off. No need of any string consistency. If the pagu start boiling switch off. Wait for 2 minutes and then add the pagu to the flour and mix in the consistency of chappathi mavu. If there is ecess pagu it can be used for thirattu paal.Dont pour all the pagu atonce. slowly add. Sometimes there will be excess.
This flour can be made in advance and refrigerated. So make it the day before itself.
Karuppatti paniyaram
Take the paniyaram mavu in a bowl and mix it in the consistency in between idly and dosai batter. Keep a small flat kadai in the stove and with a proper ladle pour one ladle into the oil when the oil is hot. Allow some seconds to cook then with the ladle slowly pour little oil in the kadai on top of the paniyaram. Now the paniyaram will get nice border. Turn side and cook for a minute and remove from the kadai draining the excess oil from the paniyaram. After taking out wait for a minute and break one paniyaram and see to check wether it is fried well.If not fry little longer.

Kathirikkai Sadam (Brinjal Rice)

2010-12-03T21:36:00.000-08:00

There are different ways of doing this item. I too used to do it in a laborious way until I tasted a very tasty and easy recipe in Sathya’s house. Sathya my neighbor who may be known to my readers through my blog on sathya aunty’s rasam is good in cooking and provides me with some interesting recipes.
When we are short of much vegetables or time or interest, then this is an excellent choice. The same recipe can be used for capsicum and some other vegetables also. Try out with some more vegetable available in your area. Kopra or dried coconut is best suited for this recipe. Here in India only in Andhra we get this easily. If kopra is not available grated coconut can be used and sauted well.

Ingredients
Cooked rice-2 cups (don’t over cook .cook like you cook for tamarind or lemon rice)
Brinjal -1/4 kg
Tomato-1
Onion-1
Curry leaf –little
Coriander leaf –little
Ingredients for the masal powder
Red chilies -10
Coconut-2 table spoons or kopra
Urudh dhal-2 table spoons
Channa dhal ( kadalai paruppu)-2 table spoons
Dhania (coriander seeds)-1 teaspoon
Cinnamon-a small piece
Clove-2
Fenugreek ( vendayam )-1/2 teaspoon
Procedure to make the powder
In little ghee or oil first roast the chilies and keep apart. Then sauté everything adding one by one in the order in which it is given. No need to fry it till red. Switch off when you feel it is roasted. In a mixie powder it and store it.
Procedure
Keep the kadai in the stove. In a table spoon of oil and ghee mixed, season with a small piece of cinnamon, clove and curry leaf. Add the minced tomato and onion and sauté. Add the brinjal pieces too and sauté in low fire adding salt and turmeric powder. Make sure that brinjal pieces don’t get over cooked. Stay near the stove and sauté. If necessary sprinkle some water. If you close the kadai for a minute, it will get cooked fast. Once you feel that the brinjal pieces are cooked, add the masal powder and mix well. Mean time transfer the rice to a flat bowl. Add little ghee or oil and little salt to the rice and allow it to cool. Once you feel the rice is not very hot add the rice into the kadai or the brinjal into the vessel and mix well in such a way that the rice or brinjal pieces do not get smashed. Garnish with coriander leaves. Heat the rice in a microwave or kadai while serving
You can prepare this powder in lots during weekends and can store .Then making this rice will only be a few minutes job.

Chettinad Kozhi Pattani Masala ( Chettinad Chicken And Green Peas Masala)

2010-11-13T03:35:00.000-08:00

Now days Chicken has become a major item under the non veg category cooked at home. Many of us are on the look out for some different recipe. Children also get bored by the same kind of dish prepared. I too try to find out different recipes to cook chicken. I blog the recipe which impress me. This preparation is a light alteration to one fish masala item shown in a Malayalam channel .I am not sure, but I remember it to be Kairali TV
This recipe though little time consuming tastes very different from the usual ones we prepare. Green peas always tastes good with chicken. This gravy goes well with both rice and Tiffin items.

Ingredients
Chicken boneless – 500 gms
Green peas – 100 gms
Chopped onion -2
Chopped tomato-2
Green chilli-2
Coconut milk -1 cup (1/2 coconut grated and squeezed) or (4 tablespoons tinned coconut milk mixed in ½ cup water)
Coriander leaves –A bunch

Masala Items
Ginger paste-1 teaspoon
Garlic paste-1 teaspoon
Garam masala -1 teaspoon
Chili powder -1 table spoon
Coriander powder- 2 tablespoon
Cumin powder-1 teaspoon
Pepper powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon

For Marinating
Corn flour -1 tablespoon
Egg white -1 egg
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Pepper powder -1 teaspoon
Salt -1 teaspoon
Method
Cut the chicken pieces into small ones. Mix the items given for marinating in egg white and marinate the chicken pieces for 30 minutes. Meantime keep the other items for the gravy ready. After 30 minutes in 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil fry the chicken pieces that are marinated. No need to deep fry. Fry for 5 minutes in medium fire. Fry all the pieces and keep aside.

For the gravy, keep a kadai in the stove.
In the oil used for frying the chicken , pour 2 table spoons and season the gravy with 3 pieces of cinnamon, 2 cardamom and 2 pieces of bay leaf.
Add the chopped onion and green chilies in the oil and fry till they get golden brown.
Now add turmeric powder and then pepper powder. Sauté for a minute.
Add garlic paste and then ginger paste and sauté.
Add the tomatoes and sauté till they get smashed.
Add chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, pepper powder, turmeric powder all one by one keeping the fire in medium.
Now add the green peas also into the kadai and mix well.
Add ½ cup water and the salt needed and cook for 5 minutes so that the peas can get cooked.
Pour the coconut milk into the kadai and when the mixture boils add the fried chicken pieces.
If you feel that the consistency is very thick then little bit more of coconut milk or water can be added.
Check for the taste and if anything is missing, it can be added.
If you find the gravy too hot, a tablespoon of tomato sauce can be added. It depends on ones taste. In our house we all like the tomato sauce taste. So I added a table spoon of it.
Finally add the chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Aattu Ratham Poriyal (lamb blood curry)

2010-11-01T20:49:00.000-07:00

The sight of the goat blood in the meat shop kept like a pudding in bowls used to frighten me. I never imagined making a curry out of it. But during my last visit to chettinad, my periamma whom I have already mentioned to be great cook asked me to try this and blog the recipe. She told me the recipe also. She told me that the curry will not have any smell. This Sunday the lady who comes once or twice a month from the nearby village and helps me in cleaning the house, fish tank, car etc came. I asked her about the goat blood. She said that they people buy and cook it. So I took her to the shop to buy it. There were some 6 or 7 bowls of jelly like red thing in front itself. I asked for one .The man in the shop asked me is it enough? I asked the cost .He told 15 Rs. I was surprised and got one bowl more. The lady who came with me told that they would have added salt in the bowl and should be careful while adding salt to the curry. As per the recipe my periamma gave, I first washed the thing nicely. In a kadai in 4 cups of water boiled the blood till they turned like liver. Allowed it to cool and then cut into small pieces. I prepared it as per the recipe. I never told my daughter what it was. While eating she told me ‘amma the liver is very soft today' The curry did not have any non veg smell and was good.

Ingredients
Goat or lamb blood -2 bowls
Small onion minced -30 or big onion minced -1 or 2
Garlic chopped –little
Curry leaf –little
Grated coconut -2 table spoons
Green chili -8 minced
Procedure
Wash and cook the blood in a kadai in 4 cups of water till it turns like liver. Allow it to cool. Then cut them into small pieces .

In a kadai in one teaspoon of oil season the curry with a teaspoon of fennel seed and little curry leaf. Sauté the minced onion and garlic and chilies for 5 minutes. Now add the cut pieces too and mix well. Check for the salt taste and add the salt needed and cook for 5 to 6 minutes without adding water .There will be little water in the boiled pieces. Finally add the grated coconut and mix well. The fry goes well with both sambar and curd rice.
I have not browsed the medicinal value of this goat blood. If my readers can find time to do so please send it to me .I will add on to the blog.

Nenju Elumbu Soup or Maarkandam soup ( Lamb Rib bone soup)

2010-10-31T00:59:00.000-07:00

When we were young On Sunday’s at 11 in the morning either we will have aattu managai , eeral soup or this nenju elumbu soup. Now all have become calorie conscious and don’t want to go to the mutton shop itself. But the medicinal value of these soups can never be replaced by any other food.
Nenjelumbu soup does not contain much fat and those who access a mutton shop to get this can can surely give this soup a try. The soup is very good when we are suffering from cold or recovering from any illness. The soup alone can be taken in a bowl and be given to kids right from the 18 month old baby.
All at home are suffering from cold due to change of climate. So I thought of making this soup. I always prefer this to chicken soup as I feel that chicken soup if taken in large quantity leads to dry cough . For the bad cold we are having, the soup was really heavenly. After taking the soup there was a great relief. So I immediately thought of sharing the recipe with my readers

Ingredients
Nenju elumbu -200gms (If not available lamb bones can be replaced)
Small onion-10 or big onion (medium size-1 )
Small tomato -1
Rice washed water-2 cups (optional) For grinding
Pepper corns-1 teaspoon
Small jeera -1 teaspoon
Dhania or dry Malli -1 ½ teaspoon
Red chili -1
Procedure
Before cooking the rice for the day, wash it and soak for 5 minutes. Drain the water and keep ready. Put the nenjelumbu, onion ,tomato and very little salt along with a teaspoon of turmeric powder in the cooker. Add the rice washed water also and cook for 10 minutes . Grind the items to be grinded in the small jar. Once the pressure goes open the cooker and add the grinded powder and allow the soup to boil for 5 minutes. There should be 4 cups of soup for this quantity ofnenjuelumbu. Dont add too much or too little water. If soup is less, water can be added and check for the correct hotness and salt. While cooking this checking is very important. If you want the soup to be little more hot, add little more milagu jeeraga powder. I hope all will have this pepper jeera powder stock at home to be used for omelet or rasam. Salt also can be added according to taste. After 5 to 6 minutes switch off the stove. Serve the soup hot. Garnish with coriander leaves while serving.

Poondu Thuvaiyal or Chutney (Side dish with garlic)

2010-10-29T23:07:00.000-07:00

In many parts of Tamilnadu this side dish is very popular and which is not so in chettinad.My neighbors used to tell that they have to make few idly’s more if they have poondu chutney. I always had a feel that the chutney will have excess garlic flavor which will make us embarrassing while we go out due to its odd smell. So I never bothered to try it. But one of my neighbors insisted me to try this at least once. She is very dedicated in cooking that she hand grinds it each time. I told her that I can’t do so. She asked me to grind it at least in the mixi and taste. My next doubt was how much garlic I can peel to have a good amount of chutney. Garlic costs Rs 250 a kg now. Though that is not a matter to be bothered for we people, we always use less of a thing when it is off season.
I should really agree that it was delicious and mouth watering . My younger one loved it and asked me why I never used to do that chutney. I told this recipe to my elder daughter in US and she too loved it. She gets peeled big garlic there and finds it very easy to do this chutney when in a hurry. Bachelors there can buy and store the peeled garlic in the fridge and can use the chutney as a side dish for frozen chapatti as well. Little chutney will be enough for 3 or 4 idly’s. The qty of chutney will be less as the ingredients are less.
Ingredients
Whole garlic -2 or 3
Tomato -2 (medium size)
Red chili -3 or 4 (according to taste)
For seasoning
Oil (gingerly if available) – 1 table spoon
Mustard -1 teaspoon
Broken urudh dhal -1 teaspoon
Curry leaf –little
Procedure
The procedure is very simple. Note that no onions are used. Cut the tomatoes into small pieces. Keep the kadai in the stove. In little oil sauté the chilies first and remove it from the oil. Then sauté the garlic and tomatoes nicely till the garlic gets almost cooked. Finally add the salt needed and allow the mix to cool. Once it cools grind it nicely in the small jar. Even after grinding if there are small pieces of garlic inside don’t bother. It will be tasty as a whole. After removing it from the mixi season the chutney and pour it on top of the chutny and mix well till the oil gets mixed nicely into the whole chutney.

Thenkuzhal Mavu Or Murukku Mavu

2010-10-28T21:02:00.000-07:00

Deepavali is fast approaching and the thought of what to make at home for deepavali will be running in everybody’s mind now. Whatever snack we buy outside can’t compromise the home made thenkuzhal or murukku. Chettinad snacks are very famous especially thenkuzhal, Kai murukku, Cheeppu cheedai, Mavurundai, Managolam etc.
There is difference between thenkuzhal and Kai murukku and their mavu, but for the readers sake I have mentioned as thenkuzhal or murukku as same since many know thenkuzhal as murukku only. Now days we never make Kai murukku at home and no need to bother about that. The specialty of chettinad thenkuzhal is that it won’t turn red but at the same time will be very crispy. Many are doubtful of the exact proportions and I hope the blog will be useful for those who can manage to find a mill to grind the mavu.

Ingredients
Rice -7 uzhakku or 7 cups
Broken urudh dhal -2 cups (whole urudh dhal won’t get roasted fast)

Procedure
Procedure is more important than proportions. No need to wash the rice and dry it under the sun.
Take 2 soft towels. I use eerizhai thundu or Co-optex towel. Wet the towel nicely and squeeze out the water. Take handful rice and clean it nicely with the towel and put it in a paper under the fan. Likewise clean the entire rice. Use different parts of the towel for each handful. Allow the rice to dry nicely. It will dry fast as you have not washed the rice.
The next important thing is how to roast the urudh dhal
Put the frying pan in the stove. Keep the stove in low fire. Add a handful or two of urudh dhal and roast in low fire for 5 minutes. The urudh dhal should be roasted in such a way that it should never get red at the same time be well roasted. Likewise roast the whole urudh dhal. The two cups has to be divided into 5 portions for roasting. Allow the urudh dhal to cool and mix it with the rice and take it to the mill for grinding.
While going to the mill take with you 2 cups of rice also. The thenkuzhal mavu in the mill should be grinded only after grinding rice flour or somebody else’s murukku mavu. So if you don’t see the person in the line not grinding either of these you grind the rice which you have brought. If the Thenkuzhal mavu is grinded after grinding wheat flour or ragi, it will spoil the murukku you are making.
Once the mavu is ready, things are simple .Just add enough water and salt and mix the flour. Put it in the kuzhal or press and make murukku. In chettinad we don’t add anything else to the mavu. If desired little chili powder can be added for kara murukku. No need omam or jeeragam. Those things will make the murukku burst or crack in the oil and cause danger. Enjoy the crispy murukku with family

Poorana Kozhukattai (Vinayaga Chathurthi Special)

2010-09-07T10:16:00.000-07:00

When we were small ,the first thing that will come to our mind about chathurthi is the sweet poorna kuzhakattai and sundal that will be made in all houses and will be distributed among the neighbouring houses on that day. We used to compare the softness of the kozhukattai made in different houses.

Though I love poorna kuzhakattai,I used to make modagam which is more favourite to vinayagar. But this year I wanted to share this recipe with my readers. For the last one week the Tv channels in Tamilnadu are telecasting the kozhukattai preparation as vinayaga chathurthi is this weekend. One recipe given by an experienced old lady (Forgot to note her name) in podigai Tv samayal sandegangal was really impressive. I tried the recipe today and it came out perfect. I think it is very easy and can never go wrong. The kozhukattai turned out very soft

Ingredients

Raw rice -200 gms (1 uzhakku) (Here we get mavu pacharisi)

Powdered jaggery-1/2 cup

grated coconut-1/2 cup

Cardomom-2

Ghee -2 teaspoon

Gingelly oil-1 tablespoon

Method

Soak the rice for an hour.Grind it well in a mixie.The batter can be watery. After grinding add 1/4 teaspoon salt and a teaspoon gingelly oil into the batter.The batter can be like dosa batter.

Keep a kadai in the stove. Boil 3/4 cup water and pour the grounded batter into the water and stir nicely.The batter will turn like a ball in a minute or two. Switch off the stove. Divide the batter into three portions and knead it into a smooth ball.make it into a single ball and cover it with a wet tissue or cloth.

Now for the coconut poornam , Keep the kadai in the stove.pour 1/4 cup water. Add the jaggerry into the water. Once the jaggerry dissolves, strain the jaggerry using a filter to remove impurities. wash the kadai and pour back the jaggerry and boil till it turns sticky. In medium fire it can be boiled for 3 to 4 minutes. Now add the coconut,ghee and the powdered cardamom and stir well till there is not much water content. Don't keep the coconut for a long tome in the stove. Switch off with in two minutes else the coconut will get roasted. Now the poornam is ready.

Now we have to make the kozhukattai and keep the poornam inside. In tamilnadu lot of ready made achu is available. But if you dont have achu also no problem. The batter will listen to your needs. Make small balls.spread it into flat thin circles as shown or make small kinnams as shown. little bit gingelly oil can also be used for spreading. Youngsters today will do a better work of making different shapes than us. Keep the poornam inside and cover nicely.If you make the first type stick the ends nicely.

Steam the kozhukattai in idly pot or stand. Remember you have to put a cloth or tissue on the idly plate before steaming else the steam from below will change the colour of the kozhukattai.

Chettinattu Kozhi Kuzhambu ( chettinad chicken gravy(without cocunut) )

2010-09-05T22:13:00.000-07:00

Chicken gravy is one item which can be used as a side dish for many food items like chapati, roti, nan, idly or dosa.It will be excellent for rice also. But many of us now don't want to use coconut to make gravy since we grow calorie conscious day by day. Moreover the food items using coconut will not stay good for long. and cannot be stored for a longer period. chettinad dishes usually dont contain too much of coconut.They make tasty gravy without using much coconut.
This recipe of chicken gravy will give you the gravy needed without the use of coconut.Before leaving US I wanted to freeze some food . I did not want to use coconut for freezing. I followed this recipe and the gravy turned out awesome. I come to know that every time they thaw the frozen gravy, It is fresh and good.
For chicken gravy it is always better to use fresh chicken and not the frozen one that people in US get from the stores. When I was there my son-in-law used to get chicken from local Halal shop which was good like the one we get in India. Those who stay abroad can try getting fresh chicken like this if there is a chance to do so.

Ingredients
chicken -2 pounds or 750 gms
small onion-20 or chopped big onion-1
tomato-1 medium size
Garlic-10 pods
Mint leaf-little (if you have stock)
curry leaf-little
Tamarind paste -1 teaspoon
Coriander leaves- a bunch (for garnishing)
For marination
Kuzhambu milagai thool-1 tablespoon or chili powder-2 teaspoon
Coriander powder-1 table spoon
Thick curd-1 tablespoon
turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
ginger garlic paste-2 teaspoons
salt-1 table spoon (as needed)
Masal for grinding
Big onion-2 (US onion-2 Indian-4)
Tomato-2 (Us tomato-2 Indian-4)
green chili-2
Cashews-8
Kas kas- 1 teaspoon or pottukadalai-1 tablespoon
Cinnamon-1 small piece
clove-2
fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
For seasoning
fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
mint leaf,curry leaf -little (if you have stock)
Cinnamon-small piece
bay leaf-small piece
clove-2
Cinnamon- a small piece

Method
cut the chicken into small pieces,wash well and marinate with the item given in for marination and keep aside for an hour. If you cant wait no problem you can start cooking within 20 minutes.
Keep a kadai in the stove. In one teaspoon of oil saute the items for the masal.First add the chili,then cashews, fennel seeds and kas kas , and wait till they turn little red. Now add the onion and then tomato pieces and saute well for 5 to 6 minutes. Allow it to cool and then grind it to a smooth paste in a mixi.
Keep the cooker in the stove.In one table spoon of oil season the chicken gravy with the items given in'to season'. saute the small onion or the chopped big onion and tomato. Add the marinated chicken pieces also and saute well for 5 minutes. Add 3 cups of water . Mix everything well and cook in medium fire for 7 to 10 minutes (cooking time depends on the chicken quality and the fitness of the cooker you use). however don't cook for more than 10 minutes. open the cooker once the pressure goes and add the grinded masal along with the tamarind paste and allow the gravy to boil for 5 minutes. check for the taste.I f anything is missing you can add now.The cashews and the kas kas or pottukadalai in the masal will make the gravy thicker as it boils. Switch off the stove and garnish with coriander leaves (don't add coriander leaves if you intend to freeze the gravy).Coriander leaves will add much taste to the gravy. Those who don't want the gravy to have any sourness,tamarind can be avoided.But tamarind will help the gravy to stay fresh for a longer time. little bit tamarind is enough.

Vazhakkai kola urundai (vegetarian version of kheema balls with plantain)

2010-09-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

I am back to my sweet home after a 5 month stay in US. Definitely missing my grandson 24/7. I need 3 or 4 separate blogs to share my experiences abroad.I was really astonished to see the interest of our guys there in cooking.
After coming home I attended few weddings and collected some rare recipes from the famous chettinad cooks being engaged for the wedding.I will slowly share them with my readers.
The first in the list is the vazhakkai kola urundai,this is a real substitute of the mutton kheema balls for the vegetarians.Those who drool over the kheema balls can have an alternate vegetarian item.
Ingredients
Vazhakkai (medium size) -1
small onion-5
garlic-5
kas kas-1 teaspoon
fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
pottukadalai -3 tablespoons ( should be increased according to the size of the vazhakkai)
cashews -8
green chilli-2
red chilli-2
grated cocunut-2 tablespoons
ginger- 1 inch piece
clove-2
cinamon-a small piece

Procedure
cut the vazhakkai into round pieces as shown and cook well. once it cools remove the skin and smash the pieces nicely using hand.
Keep the kadai in the stove. Pour 1 teaspoon oil.Add cinamon and clove first. Then add onion,garlic,chilli,red chilli,ginger and saute. Now add pottukadalai,kas kas and cashews and roast them in low fire. Once pottukadalai and cashews become pink add the grated cocunut and saute till that too become little red.allow everything to cool. Then grind them to a smooth paste in the mixi. Dont add too much water. If by any chance it turns watery add a hand full of pottukadai and grind. Transfer the grinded items into a bowl. Add the smashed vazhakkai and the salt needed and mix well. Check for the taste. If salt or hotness is missing add chilli powder or salt.
Now the dough is ready for frying. Keep a small kadai in the stove. Add the oil required for frying. Make the dough into small balls and fry in medium fire till they turn golden brown. Dont touch the balls till they get cooked . once they seem to be cooked you can turn sides else there is a chance of balls getting broken.
Your veg version of kheema balls are ready. Serve hot along with tomato sauce and get all the name and fame from your loved ones

Godumbai Rava Uppuma (Wheat Rava Uppuma )

2010-06-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

I am back to blogging after the short break as we are somewhat to a schedule.Still grinding idly batter on a regular basis is difficult. As I regularly have idly batter,I never make any uppuma. But now a days atleast twice in a week we have to make this. I never make bombay rava (white) uppuma (kitchadi) though I love to have it as it is difficult to digest. So the only option was wheat rava and to my surprise,I found that everybody loved it.My daughter wanted me to blog the recipe so that she can make it after I leave. This recipe will be very useful for the bachelors who cannot have idly batter all the time. Those who want to avoid rice and want to have wheat can also go for this. This is an excellent food for diabetic patients.

Ingredients

Broken wheat rava (nicely broken) 2 cups

onion minced - 1 cup

green chillies-6

Frozen vegetables or fresh carrot,beans and peas - 1/2 cup (optional)

grated cocunut-1 table spoon (optional)

For seasoning

Mustard seeds-1 teaspoon

channa dhal-1 table spoon

curry leaf-little

Procedure

keep the pressure cooker in the stove.In two table spoons of oil season the uppuma with the items given in 'to season'.Saute the onions and green chillies for 2 minutes.Now add the rava also and saute for a minute in medium fire.Add 4 cups of water.1:2 is the ratio of water to rava.Immediately add the salt needed. Remember that after cooking it will be like 2 cups of rice cooked.So add the salt necessary for that quantity. Close the cooker.make sure that the stove is in low fire. Switch off the stove after 10 minutes.Wait for the pressure to be released.if you are sure that the bottom is not burnt ,add the frozen vegetable (cooked for 3 minutes in water) or the fresh vegetables cooked well now. Mix everything nicely. If you feel that the bottom is burnt mix in such a way that you don't reach the burnt part. Add the grated coconut also along with the vegetables.If the fire is low the bottom will never get burnt.Vegetables and coconut is optional.The uppuma will be very tasty without these also.

I Used this brand of Wheat Rava.I think that all other brands will be equally good.

Short And Sweet Break

2010-05-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

Our much awaited bundle of joy has arrived.Yes,my daughter gave birth to a baby boy Siddarth on May 11th.Since he is keeping his grandmom busy round the clock,I think I have to take a short break to blogging.But I will soon be back with the recipes of food items which is good for the new mom.For more details of the little star please have a look at the innovative poster made by his dad and mom.

Pachai Kondakadalai Pirattal (Fresh Chick Peas Curry)

2010-05-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

Another vegetable which made me curious in US is the fresh Chick peas ,right from the garden inside the pod. I found this in one of the big korean store called Lotte Plaza. I broke one pod and tasted the pea. It was tender and tasted like fresh peanut in the shell. I thought there will be at least 2 chick pea in each pod but in almost every pod there was only just one pea.

chick pea curries are always very tasty and will go well with roti, chappathi, curd rice etc.I decided to make the traditional chettinad pirattal with the chettinad masala. The curry turned out very tasty. Those who don't want the masala can make the curry adding a teaspoon of sambar powder alone
Ingredients
Chick peas-200gms(shelled out)
Big onion-1
Tomato-1

Ingredients for the Masala (optional)
coconut grated-2 table spoon
Red chili-4
Small jeera-1 teaspoon
Fennel seed-1 teaspoon
Ingredients for seasoning
Mustard seed-1 teaspoon
Fennel seed-1 teaspoon
curry leaf-little
Procedure
Take out the chick pea when you have time and store it in the fridge. Mince the onion. In the mixie or blender smash the tomato little so that it will get cooked fast. Keep the kadai in the stove.In a table spoon of cooking oil season the curry with the items given in 'To season'. Saute the onion and the smashed tomato.If you choose not to grind coconut paste, add 1 teaspoon of sambar powder( kuzhambu milagai thool)to the sauted mixture.When the sauted mixture boils add the chick peas and close the kadai. Check in between that there is enough water for the chick pea to get cooked. It will get cooked within 10 minutes.Once the chick pea is cooked soft , add the salt needed and the grinded masala.Cook in medium fire till the masala gets cooked and oil starts separating

Vegetable Soup with Asparagus

2010-05-01T03:17:00.000-07:00

I loved the soup made with Asparagus by one of my daughter's friend Amudha's mom in DC. Her mother Mrs Vasantha Achi is a permanent resident of Singapore. She makes lovely soups and some other items right from the scrap. I was really impressed by the soup. Since it does not require any white sauce or such other things, it is very easy to make and at the same time good for kids. So with her permission to blog the recipe, I made it at home. Those who don't get Asparagus need not worry. They can substitute it with beetroot or any other veg. Beetroot will give better colour for the soup. She uses vegetable stock cube bought from the stores like Wegmans.We can substitute it with the real stock made at home like chicken or mutton stock. I had mutton stock which I saved while cooking mutton for podimas.

Ingredients (For 4 to 5 cups)

carrot-1

Big onion-1

Asparagus-Half bunch

Tomato-1

Green chili-1

pepper powder-1 teaspoon

Vegetable stock cube -1 (Bouillon without msg).Any brand that you get can be used.

Procedure

Cut off the bottom and top portion of Asparagus and cut into 1 inch pieces. Cut the onion,tomato and the carrot also. Keep a small cooker in the stove. In a teaspoon of butter saute the onion,tomato,carrot,chilli and asparagus. You can add any other vegetable that you like also. Add a pinch of salt and a cup of water. Close the cooker and cook for just 1 whistle(5 minutes). Once the pressure is released allow the vegetable to cool and grind the strained vegetables in the mixie till you don't find any fiber in the asparagus. Usually this will get grounded in a minute if your asparagus is good. Now keep the kadai in the stove and pour the grounded soup into it along with the water strained. Mix the vegetable stock cube in a cup of water and add to the soup. If you have some other chicken or mutton stock that can be substituted in the place of this stock cube. Add water to the consistency you like. Add the salt and pepper to your taste. Allow the soup to boil for 5 minutes.

Kalaikkose Pirattal (Brussels sprouts curry )

2010-04-19T12:27:00.000-07:00

I was really excited when I saw this vegetable in the H mart,since this is one of the rare vegetable found only in big towns like Trichi, Chennai ,Coimbatore, Madurai etc in Tamil Nadu.The people who conduct big functions like weddings manage to get these from the nearest big city like Trichi. The chettinad cooks make tasty dishes out of kalakkose like pirattal,Kuruma etc.

In my first visit to the hmart itself I got this vegetable. I first made kuruma out of this and I was not very much impressed. I think I overcooked the veg. Next I tried the traditional pirattal and it turned out very tasty. My daughter who hates the smell of cabbage was happy that she can taste something similar to cabbage without the smell of cabbage which many dont like.

This dish can be mixed with rice and can be packed for lunch for those who are not big fans of curd rice. This will go very well with curd rice as a side dish.

Ingredients

Kalakkose-10 to 15

Big onion minced-1

Tomato-1 minced

To grind

Grated cocunut-1 table spoon

Small jeera(cumin seed0-1 teaspoon0

Big jeera or sombu(fennel seed)-1 teaspoon

Pottukadalai-1 table spoon or cashews-6

Red chili-3 to 4

To season

Those who dont want it spicy can season with a teaspoon of small jeera and big jeera.

cinamon-1 small piece

Clove-2

Cardomom-2

For parties you can make the dish spicy else season it simply.

Procedure

Cut the brussel sprouts into 4 pieces. Mince onion and tomatoes.Grind the items given in to grind to a smooth paste adding water. Microwave the veg for 2 minutes in a microwavable vessel for 2 minutes. Now add little salt for the veg and again microwave for a minute. Those who dont use microwave can cook the veg in a kadai with water till the vegetable is three fourth cooked.

Keep the kadai in the stove. Add a table spoon of cooking oil.This curry tastes good with little extra oil.Season the curry. Add onions and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle some salt to the onions which will help the onions to get sauted fast. Now add the tomatoes.If you feel that the tomatoes you are using is not very ripe and tender grind it for a second in the mixie. Saute the tomatoes till they are really smashed. While sauting you can smash it with a laddle to help it get smashed fast. Once the onion and tomatoes are smashed like a gravy add the grinded masala into the kadai and cook in low fire stirring continously for 2 minutes. Add little turmeric powder and the salt neede for the masala also. Now add the cooked kalakkose along with the little water in the microwaved bowl. Cook in low fire till the masala gets coated in the veg. You can switch off in the consistency you like.Make sure that the veg gets enough time to get cooked in the masala.

Asparagus Pachai poriyal (Asparagus stir Fry)

2010-04-09T12:39:00.000-07:00

Many of my readers will be wondering how I managed to get Asparagus in India. Yes,this is a new veg for me,which I saw in a Korean store H mart in DC. I am in US now eagerly waiting for the arrival of my first grandchild. Till the bundle of joy arrives, I thought of experimenting some from the variety of new vegetables available here.I tried quite a few. The most easiest and tastiest was this Asparagus fry. Many will be thinking why I call this pachai poriyal. We usually call a fry Pachai, if no chili powder is used and is cooked little less. Some of the facts that I found from the net about this vegetable is

Asparagus is a nutrient-dense food which in high in Folic Acid and is a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin.
Asparagus has No Fat, contains No Cholesterol and is low in Sodium.

Ingredients

Asparagus-2 bunches

Big onion-1(minced)

pepper powder-1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon

lemon juice-1 teaspoon

Procedure

Take off the bottom and top 1 inch portion from the asparagus. Cut it as shown in the picture. Mix the lemon juice, pepper powder, turmeric powder and the salt needed and keep aside for 10 minutes. Keep the kadai in the stove. Season the fry with a teaspoon of cumin seed and saute the onion for few minutes. Now add the asparagus and mix well. Don't add any water. Cook just for 5 minutes (till the water in the fry is gone).

Brain fry (Moollai poriyal)

2010-02-20T05:51:00.000-08:00

Very easy to cook item. Children will love this. Similar to egg. So cooked along with egg to increase the quantity. Little bit sweet in taste. So those who want it to be hot can add chili powder to the recipe. This is made just like scrambled egg.

Ingredients
Goat brain-1
Chopped onions-handful
Green chili -3 or chili powder-1 teaspoon
Eggs-2
Pepper powder-1 teaspoon
Procedure
Chop the onions and the chili. Break the eggs and beat it a little. Add the brain into the egg and mix it well. I always use my hand to smash the brain and mix it nicely into the egg so that it gets mixed well. Add the pepper powder also into this. In a kadai in one teaspoon of oil sauté the onions and the chili and once it is sauted, add the egg brain mix and stir continuously. The whole thing will turn like egg scramble. Those who want the fry to be hot can add little bit chili powder into the egg brain mix. Brain will get cooked fast. So the cooking time will just be 5 to 6 minutes in low fire.

Chettinad Liver Pepper Fry

2010-02-09T06:49:00.000-08:00

Like any other non-veg item, this too is a very delicious item in chettinad cuisine. Liver though little bit high in fat content, is a good source of iron. It is very good for young children, pregnant ladies and for lactating young moms.
One thing to be taken note of while preparing any pepper fry or curry is that all the hotness needed for the curry should never be made up from the pepper. Too much of pepper will make the body hot and sometimes will produce a heart burn. So use half the quantity chili powder and in the end add pepper powder for the flavor, hotness and taste.

Ingredients
Liver-200 Gms (cut into very small pieces)
Chopped onion (big)-1 or small onions-20
Chopped tomato-1
Chopped garlic-10
Ginger paste-1/4 teaspoon (very little qty)
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Chili powder or kuzhambu milagai thool -1 teaspoon

corriander powder-1 teaspoon
Freshly ground pepper-1 teaspoon
For seasoning
Cinamon-2 small pieces
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little

Bay leaf-little
Procedure
In one table spoon of oil season the fry with the items given for seasoning. Add onions sauté for a while then tomatoes, ginger, garlic one by one and sauté nicely. Now add the small liver pieces and sauté till they turn white. Now add turmeric powder and a cup of water. Keep the flame in medium. Cook for 5 minutes closing the kadai with a lid. Now open the kadai. Add the chili powder ,corriander powder and the salt needed. Check there is water to cook for 5 more minutes. If found less add ¼ cup of water. Now cook with the lid open. When the curry turns to your desired consistency add the pepper powder. Mix well. Cook for 2 more minutes. If you find the curry very thick, you can add little water. Usually we cook till the oil separates. But the curry will taste good in any consistency. Before switching off the stove make sure that the curry has enough salt and hot taste. If found less you can add and cook for 2 minutes. Finally garnish with coriander leaves if you have stock.

Chettinad Thalakkari Kuzhambu (Chettinad lamb head curry)

2010-01-23T07:34:00.000-08:00

Yet another chettinad special .This is very famous dish in the ever mushrooming chettinad restaurants in the city. I always wanted to try this and blog the recipe. Since I was not sure of the exact chettinad recipe, I had to wait till I attend the Pothu padappu (family group prayer) where they sacrifice a goat. The meat is cooked with pepper instead of chili powder and offered to the family deity along with other dishes. They call it as milagu Kari kuzhambu. Though watery, it will have a taste of its own.
Thalakkari is cooked for next day’s breakfast and served as a side dish for idly. They serve one head curry for 50 people with no compromise in taste. This time I found out the recipe from the old ladies at home .I tried it today and it was almost perfect
Ingredients
Lamb head-1 cleaned and cut into medium sized pieces (brain should be separated)
Brinjal-2
Potato-1
Small onion-20
Tomato-1
Kuzhambu milagai thool-2 table spoons
Coriander powder- 2 table spoon
Ginger garlic paste-2 teaspoons
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Lemon-1
For Grinding
Grated coconut-4 table spoons
Kas kas- 1 teaspoon or Cashews-6
Chili powder-1 teaspoon
Fennel seed-1 teaspoon
Pottu kadalai-1 table spoon
Procedure
Pressure cook the head pieces adding a cup of water, a teaspoon of turmeric and little salt for 10 to 12 minutes in medium fire. Meantime grind the items to be grinded. Mince the onions and tomato. Cut the brinjal and potato into small square pieces. This is added to give thickness to the gravy.
Once the mutton gets cooked, open the cooker and separate the gravy part. Keep the kadai in the stove. In one table spoon of oil season the curry with a small piece of cinnamon, 2 cardamoms, small brinji leaf and a teaspoon of fennel seed along with little curry leaf. Add the minced onion and tomatoes one by one and sauté for a while. Add the ginger garlic paste now and sauté nicely without gap as the paste will stick to the kadai if left without care. Now add the brinjal and tomato pieces. Sauté this also for some time. Add 1 cup of mutton stock which we have separated before into the kadai.Add little salt and cook till the potato pieces get cooked. Add the head pieces now into the kadai along with the remaining stock. Add the kuzhambu milagai thool and coriander powder and the salt needed .Remember you have added little salt before too. Close the kadai and let the gravy boil for 5 minutes. Now add the grinded masala mixed in a cup of water to this gravy and cook till you get the desired consistency. As we have added cashews and roasted gram, the gravy will get thick fast. If it gets thick add the water required and bring it to a boil. Check for the taste and add if anything is missing .Once the gravy cools, the gravy will thicken further. So switch off the stove, when the gravy is little watery itself. After switching off the stove add the lemon juice.

Chakkarai pongal or Sarkkarai pongal (sweet Rice)

2010-01-12T22:56:00.000-08:00

This Rice is the queen of pongal.The idea of making this pongal on the first day of Thai month, was to make a sweet first out of the newly harvested rice. Now time has changed. Agriculture is no more the main occupation of many. But we continue to celebrate the function with some raw rice we get in the store.To our future generations we should try to explain the importance of this function to the farmer and the agriculturists
In those days pongal was kept outside the house in the open for sun God. Now in our system of living we can’t do that and we have ended up in making pongal in the pressure cooker in our kitchen. Till today, I have managed to make pongal on the pongal day in the pongal panai in the dining room keeping the gas stove down .But in this method there is a risk of pongal getting burnt if we are not careful. So I advice the younger generation to make it in the cooker itself which is a safe and sure method
Ingredients
Raw rice-1 cup
Grated jaggerry-1 cup
Broken green gram-handful (pasiparuppu)
Ghee 3 table spoons
Cashews-10
Raisins-handful
Powdered cardamom-1 teaspoon
Procedure
Wash the rice and pasiparuppu and cook in the pressure cooker with 3 cups of water in medium fire for 10 minutes. Meantime dissolve the jaggerry in a cup of water in the stove. Strain it using a stainless steel strainer .Keep it back in the stove and bring the mixture to a boil for 2 minutes. After the pressure goes open the cooker. Smash the rice nicely with a flat ladle. Slowly pour the jaggerry water into the cooker mixing well .Switch on the stove now and in low fire mix everything nicely. Switch off the stove in 2 minutes. Remember the pongal will solidify once it cools. If you want you can add little milk also instead of water while cooking rice.
In a small frying pan, in a tablespoon of ghee fry the cashews after breaking it into small pieces in low fire. Add this also into the cooker. Fry the raisins also and along with that ghee add everything into the pongal. Add the cardamom powder and a tablespoon of ghee and mix well. Your pongal is ready .While serving you can use the remaining 1 tablespoon of ghee

Modagam

2010-01-05T00:31:00.000-08:00

Modagam
This is the favorite sweet of Lord Ganesha or Pillayar as we call in Tamil. So this is commonly made in all houses in Tamilnadu during Vinayaga Chathurthi. This is different from Poorna Kuzhakkattai which is a sweet stuffed one. Modagam is made with broken rice like Rava and Jaggerry.One of my readers is urgently in need of this recipe, so no more time for stories

Ingredients
Rice (broken like Rava)-2 cups
Jaggerry-2 cups
Water-6 cups (3 cups of water for 1 cup rice)
Grated coconut-1/4 cup
Ghee-3 tablespoons
Broken Green gram-1/4 cup (pasiparuppu)

Cardomom-4 (powder it along with a teaspoon of sugar in the mixie)
Procedure
Wash the rice. Spread it under the fan for an hour in newspaper till the rice gets dried. Those who can’t dry can keep it in microwave for a minute. Put it in the mixi and powder it like rava.
For making the modagam first roast the rava in a tablespoon of ghee for 2 minutes. In a kadai pour 6 cups of water. Add the jaggerry. When the jaggerry water boils strain it using a steel strainer to remove the impurities. After straining pour back the jaggerry water into the kadai and when the water starts boiling add the broken rice and the green gram. Mix well. Add a table spoon of ghee. Keep the flame very low. Close the kadai. The rice will get cooked in 10 minutes. Open the kadai now and then and mix. Once the rice appears to be cooked, add the grated coconut,powdered cardomom and one more table spoon of ghee. Switch of the stove. Allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Make small balls and steam it in idly pan for 8 minutes.

Chicken Cutlet

2009-11-15T06:12:00.000-08:00

This is one of the non-veg specialties that I am good at preparing. I have a recipe of my own, which is very easy and very sure of turning perfect. So even the new ones can give the recipe a try. I myself is a big fan of my cutlet and my daughter always will tell that she finds the cutlet at home the best. Because of this I have never tried an alternate recipe though I know that many would have different and better recipes. Almost every time I buy chicken my daughter will be pestering me to keep some pieces apart for the cutlet. In your purchase of chicken , separate little bone less pieces. There is no exact quantity of chicken required. If it is little less or more, the taste will not change much.

Ingredients I
Boneless chicken pieces-200gms
Potato-3 (medium size)
Ingredients II
Big onion-1 chopped
Green chilli-chopped 3
Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder-1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Red Chili powder-1 teaspoon
Ingredients III
Powdered rusk – handful
Egg white- 1 Egg
Oil-4 Table spoons
Procedure
Pressure cook the potatoes without cutting for 10 minutes
Cut the chicken into small pieces
Cook the chicken pieces in a kadai for 7 minutes
Remove the chicken pieces from the kadai
After it cools mince it in a mincer or mixie (make sure there is no water)
Peele off the skin of the potatoes and smash it after it cools
In a kadai in a teaspoon of oil sauté the items given in Ingredients II.Add the powders after switching off the stove, else they will get burnt
Now add this into the potato mix.
Add the minced chicken also into this
Add the required quantity of salt
Mix everything well
Check for the taste
If hotness or salt is missing add chili powder or salt
Spread the rusk powder in a paper
1 egg white is enough for the whole thing
Keep the egg white in a soup bowl so that you can dip the cutlet and take out
Make the cutlets in the shape you like
Dip into the egg white and roll over the rusk powder and keep aside
After making 5 or 6 cutlets , Keep oil in a very small frying pan and fry the cutlets in medium fire
The fire in no stage should be high

After one side gets fried slowly change side
There is no chance of this cutlet breaking
If it breaks it means it is watery
There is no chance of water in this recipe as we boil the potatoes as a whole
By somehow if it gets watery , add little rusk powder or bread into the mix and make it thick
Fry the cutlets one by one or 2 at a time as we have kept only little oil
Those who don’t want even this oil can fry it in a tawa which I am not good at
Your chicken cutlet is ready
Serve it with tomato sauce
It tastes Yummy with the sauce
I am sure many of my loving readers give a try at this recipe when they buy chicken next time and leave me a comment

Chundakkai Pachadi or Sundakkai pachadi (Turkey Berry hot and sour gravy)

2009-10-29T02:13:00.000-07:00

Anybody from chettinad, who were blessed to live there for sometime (many from chettinad now are in a category as very rare visitors during functions) would have tasted this curry prepared with atmost care by their grand mother or mother. I had my childhood days in kerala and I have seen this plant on the road side grown as a wild shrub because of its rapid spread as a weed in disturbed lands,I don’t think there was any taker for this wonder vegetable there. The tamilians there would have used it. But this was a very special vegetable in chettinad and the cooks at home used to make tasty pachadi out of it when we visited chettinad during the holidays.
More than the taste of this curry, It has got wonderful medicinal value. I have to mention one thing here, coming to home remedies whenever I tell my mom that somebody is having cough at home she will tell fry chunda vathal powder it and mix it with hot rice and give.If I tell some body is having stomach problem, the same remedy. If I tell her any of us is aneamic again she will tell take lot of chundakkai.I used to think Oh God Amma has only this answer for all ill. But as we are used to listening to our parents without much question on these home remedies, I too used follow what she told.

But when I started browsing I understood that she is correct and that it is used in many Ayurvedic treatments as a medicine.It is used in the treatment of cough and as a tonic of liver.It is very good in controlling blood pressure .In Tamil Nadu, the fruit is consumed directly or as cooked food like Sundakkai Sambar, Sundakkai Poriyal, Sundakkai pachadi. We all have seen sundakkai vathal used in vatha kuzhambu.After soaking this veg in curd and drying, the final product is fried in oil as Sundakkai vattral.

I am not sure whether this vegetable is available in the market in all places. But it is very simple to grow this in our kitchen garden if you manage to get the seeds of this plant or a small plant itself.
Morethan for its medicinal value, all in my home love its taste.It should be cooked with much care and dedication to bring the full taste. Tender sundakkai is to be used for pachadi.The tough ones can be used for making sambar.
Ingredients
Sundakkai-1 cup(tender ones)
Small onion chopped-20
Tomato-1
Sambar powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Tamarind paste-1 teaspoon
Cooked Thoor dhal-1/4 cup
To season
Musrad seed-1 teaspoon
Small jeera-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little
Corriander leaves to season
Procedure
Select tender sundakkai while cutting. Split into 4 and put into water. Mince onion and tomatoes. Cook thoor dhal one whistle less than you cook for sambar. Keep the kadai in the stove. Season the pachadi with the items given in to season in 1 table spoon of oil.Add the onion and tomatoes and saute for 3 minutes. Now add the cut sundakkai and saute in medium fire for 5 minutes.If sauted nicely,there will be no bitter taste in the curry. After sauting add the water that is there on top of the cooked dhal.(If there is not much water in your cooked dhal, add a cup of water into it, mix it lightly and take out that water.).Add turmeric powder. Half close the kadai and cook for 6 to 7 minutes in medium fire till the Sundakkai cooks soft. Now add little more dhal water and sambar powder.cook for 3 minutes. Add the salt needed and the tamarind paste now. When the curry boils add the cooked thoor dhal left and cook for 5 more minutes. You should not cook long after adding dhal as the curry will turn very thick. Garnish with coriander leaves. This gravy will be semi solid .This can be mixed with rice as well as used as a side dish for curd rice.

Spicy Chettinad Mutton Biryani

2009-10-11T23:27:00.000-07:00

The very thought of this recipe will tickle the taste buds of the non-veg lovers .If you are trying for a mutton biryani similar to the one you have in the ever mushrooming chettinad restaurants in the city, here is the recipe. If you follow the exact recipe you will get even better quality .

One thing to be realized while cooking by the new one’s is that only after repeated trials that we become perfect in making a dish. Even the simplest dish rasam is no exception to this. So never loose your heart. One day you people also will turn to be great cooks and win the hearts of your loved ones.

These days you people are lucky to get millions of recipes online and try out different versions. Think of our days. We had to rely on the personal collection of recipes which our mom used to give.
Once you become an expert in making this biryani, I suggest make it at home, give a grand dinner to all at home and get all the money you are going to spend in the restaurant

Ingredients for cooking the mutton
Mutton-300 gms
Chili powder-2 teaspoons
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Crushed ginger-a small piece (Or ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon)
Curry leaf-little
To Grind
Red chilli-2
Green chilli-2
Small onion-10
Garlic-10
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Clove-2
Cardomom-2
Cinnamon-2 small pieces
Ginger-2 small pieces
Mint leaf-handful
For sauting
Minced onion-2
Minced tomato-2
Mint leaf-handful
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Clove-2
Cardomom-2
Cinnamon-2 small pieces
Bay leaf-small piece
Curry leaf-little

Jeeraga samba rice-1 ½ cups (300 gms).Wash the rice. Soak for 10 minutes. Drain the water. Keep the kadai in the stove. In a teaspoon of butter or ghee fry the rice in medium fire for 3 minutes i.e., till the rice does not catch the bottom of the kadai. Frying the rice is to make sure that the biryani doesn’t get over cooked.

Procedure
First keep a small cooker in the stove.
In a teaspoon of oil add the crushed ginger kept for cooking mutton.
Saute for a minute. Add the mutton pieces and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
Now add the chili powder and turmeric powder. Mix well.
Add a pinch of salt. Pour 1 ½ cups of water. Close the cooker and cook for 8 minutes.
While cooking the mutton, grind the items given in to grind. Keep the rice ready (As given).
Mince the onion and the tomatoes.
Once the mutton is cooked, After the pressure gets released, open the cooker
Strain the mutton stalk (gravy in the mutton) and keep aside. This has to be used instead of water
Keep ready 2 table spoons of thick curd
Now we have to make the Biryani
Keep a big cooker in the stove. In 2 table spoons of oil season the byriani with the items given in to season.
Saute the onions till oil oozes. Add the grinded masala now and sauté for 2 minutes.
Now add the tomato pieces and sauté till they become soft.
Add the mutton pieces and mix well.
Now add 2 table spoons of yogurt and mix.
1:2 is the ratio of water to rice including yogurt
Measure the mutton stalk you have
For 1 ½ cups of rice you have to pour 3 cups of water including yogurt.
IF you have 2 cups of stalk the add 1 more cup of water
When this mixture boils, add the salt needed
Add the rice kept ready. Mix everything well.
Close the cooker. When pressure comes put the weight
Keep the stove in low medium fire.
Cook exactly for 10 minutes (Don’t wait for any whistle) .switch off the stove in the tenth minute
Open the cooker after the pressure goes
Mostly the first impression you will have is that there is excess water.
Don’t worry, after all the steam goes it will be perfect.

If you want the biryani little sticky then reduce water next time.But first time follow the recipe
Mix gently. Garnish with coriander leaves . You Biryani is ready.Have a go at it and leave a comment for me.

Meal Maker Kuzhambu (Meal Maker Gravy)

2009-09-28T01:25:00.000-07:00

Meal Maker is made out of Soya beans which is a source of high protein and fibrous food. Meal maker can very well substitute chicken or mutton during the months in which Hindu’s refrain from taking non-veg .It is used for preparing delicious foods resembling Non vegetarian diets. Soya bean has 50% vegetable protein and is a good fiber food enabling easy digestion and bowl movement. It is a soft fibrous vegetable matter resembling soft meat in texture. When soaked and boiled for a couple of minutes it assumes a good volume. In chettinad, meal maker kuzhambu is made out of the traditional chettinad masala and will taste like chicken kuzhambu.
Ingredients
Meal maker-100gms
Small onion-20
Garlic-15
Tomato-1
Ginger-small piece (crushed)
Coriander powder-1.5 table spoon
Chili powder-1 table spoon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Lime juice-2 teaspoons
For seasoning
Cardomom-2
Cinnamon-2 small pieces
Clove-2
Birinji leaf-small piece
Star anise-a small piece
Curry leaf- little
Fennel seed-1 teaspoon

To grind
Coconut grated-3 to 4 table spoons
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Small jeera-1 teaspoon
Cashews-10 ( or pottukadalai 1 table spoon)
Method
Boil 4 cups of water and soak the meal maker balls in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain the water. Wash in cold water. Squeeze out the extra water and cut to 4 pieces. I always like to pressure cook the pieces as it will cook soft. If you also like it keep the small cooker or pressure pan in the stove. In one table spoon of oil season the gravy with the items given in “to season’. Sauté the chopped onion, garlic and tomato pieces for 3 minutes. In low fire add the coriander, chili and turmeric powder also and sauté for a minute. If the fire is high these powders will get burnt. So be careful. Add the meal maker pieces also and mix well .Add 3 cups of water and the salt required. Close the cooker and cook for 6 to 7 minutes in medium fire. Meantime grind the items given in' to grind' to a smooth paste. Open the cooker, after the pressure goes and add the grinded masala. The gravy will turn thick once the curry boils. If you find it too thick add a cup of water. Check for the salt and hotness. Usually it will be short of salt as the meal maker balls would have taken most of the salt. If anything is missing it can be corrected now. If it is too watery even after boiling for 7 minutes, add a teaspoon of coriander powder. Switch off the stove when you get the desired consistency and add the lemon juice

Rasam (Sathya Aunty's Special Rasam)

2009-09-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

This rasam recipe is the favorite of my younger daughter .This is not a chettinad recipe. We call this sathya aunty’s Rasam. One of my neighbors a kannada Brahmin called Sathya makes this mouth watering rasam and my daughter has grown with this rasam of hers. In her younger days sathya will feed her with this rice every afternoon which she loves .I take this oppurtunity to thank her for giving me this wonderful recipe which I love to share with my readers.I am used to making this rasam powder of hers and follow the recipe given by her which is little bit different from the rasam we make. But I bet that you don’t need sambar or any other gravy when you have this rasam. Once you get this rasam powder ready then it is an easy job. The biggest advantage of this rasam is that there will not be a bit of residue left in the rasam in the end. If you are cooking dhal for sambar or any other curry, you can use little bit of dhal for this rasam. It is not a must item

Ingredients
Tomatoes-2
Tamarind paste-1 teaspoon
Rasam powder-1 table spoon (As per the recipe I have given if possible or any other standard one)
Dhal water-1 cup (not a must)
Jaggery-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Method
Put the tomatoes in boiling water and switch off the stove. Close the vessel. Open it after 5 to 10 minutes. Peel off the skin. Smash the tomatoes in a 1 1/2 cups of water. Add the tamarind paste and the salt needed and the rasam powder to this water. Keep the kadai in the stove. Add this mixture and let it boil for 5 minutes. Now add the dhal water if you have or else 2 cups of plain water and let the rasam boil for 5 minutes till the entire house is filled with the rasam smell. Add the jaggerry and switch of the stove in another 2 minutes. Finally season the rasam with a teaspoon of mustard,small jeera and curry leaf Fresh coriander leaves will change the taste of the rasam.So if desired try without adding coriander one day and otherwise another day.

Rasam Powder

2009-09-23T03:49:00.000-07:00

This recipe is the one given by one of my neighbors called Sathya. My children just love the rasam made by her. So I follow this recipe and make rasam as per her recipe. Once you get addicted to the taste of this rasam, you don’t need any other gravy for lunch. This week I will blog the rasam recipe .Any cup of your choice can be used for measurement

Ingredients

Chillies-3 cups

Coriander seeds-4 cups
Pepper-1 cup
Cumin seeds-1 cup
Fenugreek seeds-1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds-1 teaspoon
Urudh dhal- 1 teaspoon
Thoor dhal- ½ table spoon
Bengal gram -½ table spoon
Asafetida-little

Procedure
Dry the chilies and coriander in the sun if possible.
Dry roast the coriander in low fire 2 cups at a time for 5 minutes or till you get the nice flavor of the coriander seeds.
Roast the chilies in little oil.
Roast all the dhal in ½ teaspoon ghee.
Separately roast the fenugreek and mustard.
When cold grind all to a smooth powder and store in an air tight container.
The day you are grinding this powder the entire house will be filled with the rasam powder flavour.

Murungakkai Kara Kuzhambu (Drum Stick Hot and Sour gravy )

2009-08-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

Many a times we get bored of the regular sambar and want something else for a change. Any thing prepared out of drum stick will tickle the taste buds of vegetarians. This dish is a good substitute for the regular sambar.Children generally dislike sambar.So if you pack lunch with this kara kuzhambu,it will be a welcome change for them. Another advantage of this gravy is that packed rice will not turn thick and hard like sambar rice by noon. Today afternoon my husband was telling me during lunch that kuzhambu tastes different and good. He couldn’t make out that it is not sambar.My daughter also was telling after coming from school ‘lunch was too good today amma’.So you people have a try at this recipe
Though the name is Kara kuzhambu, don’t add too much karam (chili powder) or puli (tamarind).Now a days we add tomatoes, so very little tamarind is enough.Cocunut also should be used less. If you add little soaked and cooked Mochai to this gravy while cooking, it will be excellent.Thatta payaru also can be added.Brinjal can be substituted for drum stick. As I didn’t plan the previous day, I didn’t have mochai or thattai payaru ready
Ingredients
Drum stick-15 pieces
Small onion-15
Garlic-10 pods
Tomato-1
Curry leaf-little
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Tamarind-Very small piece (little less than the qty used for sambar)
To grind
Coconut grated-2 table spoons
Sambar powder-2 teaspoons
Coriander powder-1 table spoon
Fennel seed-1 teaspoon
Procedure
Cut the drum stick into pieces as shown in the snap. Mince the onion, garlic and tomato. Place the kadai in the stove. In a table spoon of oil season the gravy with a teaspoon of mustard, urudh dhal, and fennel seed and curry leaf. Sauté the onion, garlic and tomato pieces one by one. Add the drum stick pieces. Cook the drum stick in a cup of water in medium fire for 6 to 7 minutes. Mean time grind the items in ‘to grind’ Soak the tamarind and salt needed in two cups of water and add once the drum stick pieces are almost cooked. if you add tamarind and salt in the beginning, the vegetable will not get cooked fast. Allow the gravy to cook for 5 more minutes and then add the grinded masala mixed in half cup of water to the gravy. Mix every thing well and allow the gravy to cook for further 5 minutes or till the gravy turns to the consistency of sambar.

Chettinad Chicken Kuzhambu (Authentic Chettinad Chicken Gravy)

2009-08-16T04:55:00.000-07:00

However much variety of chicken we cook, nothing can take the place of the traditional kuzhambu being made form the time old days. It is compatible with anything we have at home i.e., rice, dosa, idly, roti, chappathi or parotta.If you want the chicken recipe from a grand old lady of chettinad she will be well aware of this recipe only. This is the most favorite chicken item that I cook for all in my home. I too is very happy to cook this as I can escape without cooking anything else for the night and next day’s breakfast side dish. Moreover this is very easy to prepare also. So the younger people can have a go at this recipe. I am sure it won’t turn bad whatever mistake you make.
I have already mentioned in my previous blogs on chicken that chicken was never marinated in chettinad before. It was because they used the regular chicken which took much time to cook and the there was time for the masala to get into the chicken pieces. Now we use broiler chicken which gets cooked very fast and if we do not marinate, the pieces will be blunt without any salt or hot taste. So we have to marinate the chicken for any kind of preparation. This Kuzhambu is very easy and tasty if prepared in the pressure cooker. So cooker can be used. Chicken will be cooked soft and the children and the old people will love it
Ingredients
Chicken-1/2 kg
Small onion-30 or big onion-2
Tomatoes-2 (small size)
Garlic-20 pods
Ginger garlic paste- 2 teaspoons (I have shown ginger and the garlic needed)
Chili powder-1 table spoon
Coriander powder-2 to 3 table spoons (depends on the qty of gravy you need)

lemon juice-2 teaspoons
For Marination
Curd-2 table spoons (if there is no curd a teaspoon of lemon juice can be used)
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Chili powder-2 teaspoons
Salt-2 teaspoons
Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon
For seasoning
Cardomom-2
Cinnamon-2 small pieces
Clove-2
Birinji leaf-small piece
Star anise-a small piece
Mint leaf-little
Curry leaf little
Fennel seed-1 teaspoon
For grinding (Too much of coconut will spoil the taste and will make the gravy look like kurma)
Cocunut-2 table spoons
Cashewnut-5 (Kas Kas was used traditionally, since it is difficult to grind cashews are substituted)
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Method
Wash the chicken pieces nicely
Marinate with the items given in ‘To marinate’
Let it stay for 1 hour
Mince the onion, garlic and tomatoes
Grind the items in “to grind to a smooth paste
Keep the cooker in the stove
In 1 table spoon of oil season the kuzhambu with the items in ‘To season’
Sauté the onion, garlic, ginger garlic paste and tomatoes one by one nicely
Add the marinated chicken and sauté nicely for 3 minutes
Add the chili and coriander powder
Add 2 to 3 cups of water (if gravy is thick water can be added latter also)
Put the salt needed (Remember 2 teaspoons of salt was added while marinating)
Mix everything well
Close the cooker and put the weight
Once the steam starts coming reduce the flame to medium
Cook for 8 to 10 minutes
Wait for the pressure to get released
Open the cooker and add the grinded paste
Let the gravy boil for 5 minutes
Now if the gravy is very thick than the consistency you need, water can be added
Check for the salt and hot taste and if any correction has to be made it can be done now
If you find the gravy too watery even after 5 to 8 minutes of boiling little coriander powder can be added

Once everything is well mixed and the gravy looks perffect
Switch off the stove

Add the lemon juice and mix well (Note that lemon juice should be added after switching off the stove else the gravy will turn little bitter)
Your chettinad chicken gravy is ready
Garnish with coriander leaves while serving

Ma Vilakku or Mavu Vilakku (Rice flour Deepam)

2009-08-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

In Tamilnadu (I am not sure about other states) there is a practice of making Rice dough with jaggery and lighting a deepam for our favorite God or Goddesses on auspicious days like AAdi Velli , Purattasi Sani etc.In olden days sweet was a very rare item at home and children used to wait for this hand grinded dough(iditha maavu).Now those days have gone and making rice flour has become a difficult task. So even the old people who used to keep maa vilakku are in two minds. For the sake of youngsters who have seen their parents keeping maa vilakku regularly and want to continue it, I will try to help you out though I am not an expert. Today is Aadi velli and Aadi Kiruthigai.So I thought of making this. I was not sure of the measurements, so did not think of writing a blog. But to my surprise it came out wonderful and all who tasted it started asking me how I made it. If I don’t write and keep the measurements today, I myself will forget next time.So here is the recipe
Ingredients
Raw Rice (medium quality) – 200 gms (1 azhakku)
Jaggery-200 gms (powdered 1 cup) while buying go for little bit white colored jiggery
Cardomom-3
Ghee-2 table spoons
Procedure
Wash the rice nicely and soak for just 10 minutes. Now strain it and spread it on a newspaper under the fan. Let this dry for just 10 minutes (If it is dried more, you can’t make the flour. Now put all the rice in the big jar of the mixie and grind at a stretch for 2 minutes. Sieve the rice with the help of a medium holed sieve. Grind again till everything is done. Powder the jiggery nicely with a stone or slice it with the help of a knife.
The next part is making the dough. Powder the cardamom along with a teaspoon of sugar in the small jar and take the powder alone. Add it to the rice flour. Slowly add the jiggery to the flour kept in a flat vessel and mix it with your hand. Initially you will feel Oh how am I going to make the dough. Don’t worry. Surely dough will turn perfect. If you find it difficult, keep aside the vessel closed for 5 minutes. Now the dough will be little loose. Add a teaspoon of Ghee and mix again till your dough is perfect. Excess jiggery will make the dough watery. In that case extra flour has to be added. I am sure you will not be short of jiggery if this measurement is followed. Don’t transfer it into the vessel in which you light deepam. Put it in a Zip lock bag and keep it in the vessel in which you want to light the deepam and take to the temple. Just before lighting transfer it into the vessel. Make the dough a round ball and keep inside the vessel. Press the centre of the dough with your thumb. Inside that hole pour half spoon ghee and light the lamp keeping the thread in the middle, Press one end of the thread inside the dough nicely so that the thread stands erect. Now light the lamp.

Chettinad Mutton Kola Urundai or Kari Kola Urundai (Chettinad Mutton Balls)

2009-08-02T02:55:00.000-07:00

I am sure that my blog on chettinad cookery will never be complete without this recipe. I know the name of this itself will make the people who know its taste mouthwatering. Due to its high fat content, I was little hesitant in making these balls. But for the sake of my readers, I bought mutton today and made the balls and the kola urundai Kuzhambu
Though in different names people of all states make this wonderful dish, as usual chettinad preparation is special in using the correct amount of ingredients. Though this recipe seems to be simple, ingredients has to be in correct quantity else the balls will break in the oil.

Ingredients
Boneless Mutton-150 Gms (minced)
Green chilli-2
Red chilli-3
Pottukadalai-1 table spoon
Cashewnut-4
Fennel seed-1 teaspoon
Grated coconut-2 tablespoons
Small onion-5
Garlic-6 pods
Ginger-a small piece
Cardamom-1
Clove-1
Cinnamon-1 small piece
Curry leaf-little
Egg-1
Procedure
Place the kadai in the stove. Pour one teaspoon of oil. Add the cinnamon, clove and cardamom. Add the curry leaves, ginger, garlic, onion, green chilies one by one and sauté. When there is not much water content add the pottukadalai, cashews and grated coconut and fry till the coconut turns slightly red.
In chettinad they don’t sauté the minced meat. Those who don’t get minced meat can mince it in an onion mincer making the mutton pieces small(I did like this today).But I always prefer to sauté the meat as I feel that mutton cant get cooked well during frying. So either way you can try.
The next is the grinding part. First grind all the sauted items except the mutton. Don’t add water. Once you add the mutton the water will be enough. If you find it difficult to grind without water sprinkle some water. Grind it without lumps to a smooth paste. If you want to store some portion, take that out and store it in the freezer. In the remaining portion, add a broken egg and mix well. Make small balls. Keep a small kadai in the stove. In three to four tablespoons of oil fry these balls in medium fire till the balls turn golden brown (at least five minutes of frying needed).If the flame is high the balls will turn brown immediately, but the mutton wont get cooked well. So fry in low or medium fire. Serve it along with little tomato sauce and get all the good name from your family members or from your better half

Kathirikkai Murungakkai Masala (Brinjal Drumstick Masala)

2009-07-25T04:45:00.000-07:00

The brinjals that we get in Chettinad have no match elsewhere. In the Rottukadai (those belonging to chettinad will surely understand what I mean by Rottukadai ) in all the villages this garden fresh organic brinjals will be sold early in the morning.
The main road in which bus goes and stops will be the place where some shops of the village will be found. It is called as the Rottukadai. Early in the morning itself the teashops will open and the men of the village will have tea here. The women who work in the nearby fields will grow brinjals, sundakkai, plantain, vendakkai etc in the small piece of land that they have around their hut with the water available around and the water used for washing vessels, clothes etc. The manure for these vegetables will be the cow dung available and ashes from the logs burnt while cooking. These women will bring the vegetables available in their garden for selling early in the morning. The taste of this much spoken about organic vegetable available in chettinad from the very old days cannot be explained in words. People coming here sometime during weddings or functions will make sure that they collect some of this vegetable early in the morning itself, so that they can take it to their homes. By seven in the morning these vegetables will be sold out. The spinach they bring also is very famous

Last week when my mom came home she brought me a kilo of this tender, fresh, green brinjals. Everyday, I was making one one dish out of it. Most of the items I have already written. Yesterday I could pluck some drumstick from my garden .So I thought of making this wonderful Kathirikkai Murungakkai masala. Many will be thinking how we can make a masal out of murungakkai, which is little difficult to eat. I also used to think like that until one day I tasted this in one of my friend’s house. The masal was very tasty with curd rice.
Children will find it little difficult to eat, so I will mix the rice with this curry and make rice out of it, adding little extra salt to the rice. Take out the murungakkai pieces after nicely smashing it with the rice. Send this rice to school. They will love the smell and taste of the rice. The older people will have the patience to eat the drum stick along with the masal.
Ingredients
Drum stick -5
Brinjal-3
Small onion-20(big onion-10
Tomato-1
Garlic-10
Sambar powder-1 table spoon
Turmeric powder- ½ teaspoon
Procedure
Keep the kadai in the stove. In 2 teaspoons of cooking oil season the masal with a teaspoon of mustard and fennel seeds. Saute the minced onion, garlic and tomato pieces one after the other. Add the length wise cut brinjal pieces and sauté well. Now add the drumstick pieces. Add 2 cups of water along with the turmeric powder. Close the kadai and cook for 10 minutes in medium fire till the drum stick pieces are cooked soft. Now add the sambar powder and the salt needed along with little water if there is no water left in the kadai. Cook till everything gets mixed well ( at least 5 minutes).Don’t make it very dry. Garnish with coriander leaves. Brinjal, drumstick and coriander smell will make the dish altogether taste divine.

Kavuni Arisi (A special Chettinad Sweet)

2009-07-12T00:49:00.000-07:00

This is my 100th blog. Many of my readers wanted this recipe for a long time. But I reserved this special chettinad sweet for posting as the century item.
This is a chettinad sweet delicacy which I think can be had only here. I understand what is going in everybody’s mind now. What is it special? Why it can be had mainly in chettinad only? The answer to these questions are, Mainly this sweet is made out of a special kind of rice grown in this region ,which after grinding will be red in color and will be needle like. Don’t confuse this rice with the red (kaikuthal Arisi) available in Kerala. I come to know that a very fine quality of this rice is available in Singapore. Once you have this rice, preparation is very simple. This rice after cooking will be sticky. That is the quality that makes it ideal for a sweet. In chettinad we get this rice hand grinded also.

Ingredients
Kavuni Arisi-1 cup
Sugar-1/2 cup (according to taste)
Ghee-1 table spoon
Grated coconut-2 tablespoon
Cardomom-4 or 5
Procedure
This rice is little difficult to get cooked. So soak the rice for 3 to 4 hours before preparing. Pressure cook the rice adding 3 cups of water in medium fire for 10 to 12 minutes. The rice should be cooked very soft till the white pulp in the red outer shell of the rice comes out. After opening the cooker if you find it not properly cooked, Cook for some more time. Try to smash the rice with a ladle when the heat is there. If there is excess water, strain it. After smashing, add the sugar checking for the taste in between. Powder the cardamom with a teaspoon of sugar. Add that along with the ghee and mix well. The sweet is ready. If you find the rice you are using needs more water to cook, add more next time and vice versa

Chettinad Vegetable Kuruma or Navarathna Kuruma (Mixed Vegetable Curry)

2009-07-04T00:22:00.000-07:00

Like in any other cuisine, mixed vegetable curry or Kuruma has a significant place in chettinad cuisine too. In every house this will be a sure item cooked though different recipes followed.The chettinad masala add to the taste of the curry and makes it a special item.
The important thing to be noted while making Kuruma of this type is
1. Too much of masala items should not be used while grinding the masal or while seasoning
2. Too much of vegetables should also not be used (little of all types is enough)
3. If beetroot is added, it will change the color of the kurma
4. While switching off make sure that the kurma is not very thick (it will thicken once it cools)
5. If cauliflower is going to be added, to make sure it doesn’t get too much cooked, boil it for 5 minutes and keep aside. Add it little before you finish cooking the dish
6. The masala items to be grinded has to be roasted in oil before grinding to increase the taste (Do not roast too much)

Ingredients
Carrot-1
Potato (very small size)-1
Beans-6
Peas-handful
Cauliflower (5 or 6 florets)
Capsicum-1(small)
Any other vegetable which you like to add except brinjal, ladies finger etc
Make sure all these cut vegetables does not amount to more than 1 ½ cups
Onion-1
Tomato-1

Ingredients for the masala
The main taste of the kuruma depends on this masala
Coconut grated-4 to 5 table spoons or half coconut
Cashews-6
Pottukadalai-1 tablespoon
Kas kas-1 teaspoon (optional)
Garlic-6 pods
Ginger-a small piece
Cinnamon-1 small piece
Clove-1
Cardamom-1
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Green chilli-6(according to taste),Chilli powder-1 teaspoon
Keep the kadai in the stove. In a teaspoon of oil add the cinnamon, cardamom, clove and fennel seeds. Then add all other items one by one and coconut at the end. Fry in medium fire for 3 minutes. Grind it to a smooth paste.

Procedure
Put a pressure pan or small cooker or kadai in the stove. In a teaspoon of ghee and oil mixed, season the kuruma with a small piece of cinnamon, cardamom, clove and fennel seed. Add the onion tomato pieces. Sauté well now add all the vegetables except cauliflower and sauté. If the pea going to be used is cooked, then that also can be added later. Add little water and salt and the chilli powder.Close the cooker(if cooker is used) and cook for five minutes in medium fire(don’t worry about the whistle and timing, just cook for that time after closing the cooker).If kadai is used, close the kadai and cook till the vegetables get cooked. Open the cooker after the pressure goes. Make sure the vegetables are cooked well. Mix the grinded masala in a cup of water and add to the vegetables. Now add the cauliflower and cooked peas. Add the salt needed and cook for 5 minutes. Due to the cashews, pottukadalai and kas kas the curry will get thickened. Make sure it is not very thick. If so add little more water and cook. Switch off the stove and if want little sour taste a teaspoon of lemon juice can be added. Garnish with coriander leaves if desired

Pavakkai Puli Kuzhambu Chettinad style (Bitter gaurd Hot and Sour Gravy)

2009-06-29T23:03:00.000-07:00

In my blog on pavakkai masala itself,I have mentioned about the importance of this wonder vegetable of the diabetic people.As I mentioned in that blog,the taste of this vegetable if well cooked is mouth watering.Though many of us don't even go near this vegetable in the market,will one day be forced to cook this for some guest or relative.If you make this gravy exactly as given in this blog ,I am sure you will be for a great appreciation.

For the curry to be less bitter or not bitter at all make sure that while cooking pavakkai the cut vegetable has to be sauted in oil nicely till it is almost cooked(5 to 6 minutes in medium fire).

Another thing to be noted while making puli kuzhambu is that it should be cooked till at least 3 cups of the curry should get reduced to 1 cup .Coriander powder should be added to make the gravy thick.Too much of tamarind should not be used.The tamarind used for sambar itself will be enough

Ingredients

Bitter guard-1(medium size) Buy little less green and less thorn shaped for less bitterness

Small onions-10

garlic-10

Tomato-1

Sambar powder-11/2 teaspoon

Coriander powder-1 table spoon

Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon

curry leaf -little

Tamarind -little(as shown in the picture) or 2 teaspoons paste

jaggery-1 small piece

For seasoning

Mustard seed-1 teaspoon

Fennel seed-1 teaspoon

Fenugreek seed-1/2 teaspoon

Gingelly oil-2 table spoons

Procedure

As I told earlier the taste of the curry depends on how you cook the gravy.

Keep the kadai in the stove.Season the gravy.Saute onions,garlic and tomatoes for a minute.Add the bitter gaurd pieces.Reduce the flame to medium and saute for 5 to 6 minutes.Meantime in 3 to 4 cups of water mix the tamarind,the salt needed,sambar powder,coriander powder and turmeric powder and add after the pieces are sauted well.Let the gravy cook for 5 minutes in medium fire.Then reduce the fire and cook till the gravy becomes thick and get reduced to 1/3 quantity.If the gravy is going to be served for non diabetic people, add a small piece of jaggery and cook for 2 more minutes.Adding jaggery will give an excellent taste to the curry

Murungakkai Soup (Drum stick soup)

2009-06-20T00:26:00.000-07:00

Murungakkai Soup (Drum stick soup)
Many of us could never have thought that soups can be made out of murungakkai. All of us love the taste and smell of this. Murungakkai sambar will turn out well even for beginners who don’t know to cook, as the taste and smell of the vegetable will make it tasty however we cook. Nutritional value of this veg is also very high. There are many jokes relating to this veg which many of us know. Give little soup to the small kids at home. They will love it

This time when I went to chettinad, I happened to taste this soup in one house. Usually in chettinad clear soups are made. Tomato soup and cauliflower soup is the most common. Chundakkai soup and karugappilai soup will also be made at home (not during functions).It was first time that I was tasting this soup. It was very tasty .I asked for the recipe immediately and tried it soon after coming home and took the snaps also to blog the recipe

Now a days I am little lazy in writing blogs.Though I can give many reasons for this, loosing interest is the main reason behind. I know, it happens to all of us sometime at some stage. But due to the continuous interest and support shown by my loving readers, I try to rejuvenate the interest and keep on writing to help the younger ones in cooking (the main purpose of my blog).

Ingredients
Thoor dhal-A handful
Drum stick-2(10 to 12 pieces)
Tomato-1
Green chillies-3
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaf –little
Coriander leaf-little
Big onion-1
Pepper powder-1 teaspoon
To season
Cinamon-2 small pieces
Cardamom-1
Clove-2
Birinji leaf-a small one
Curry leaf-little
Fennel seed-1 teaspoon pepper corns-1 teaspoon
Cumin seed-1 teaspoon
Procedure
Cook the drum stick pieces in 4 cups of water in a vessel. Once the drum stick pieces are cooked well, take out the pieces and keep the water aside to be used later(The water in in which it is cooked will have all the flavour of the drumstick). Once the drum stick pieces are cold, break it open and with the help of a spoon take the pulp out. Cook the thoor dhal also well in the cooker. Chop the onion and tomato pieces nicely. Split the green chili

Keep the kadai in the stove. In little ghee or oil season the soup with the items given in to season. Now add the onion, tomato and chili and sauté well .Mix the dhal with the water in which drum stick is cooked. Add this water to the kadai. Once this boils add the pulp taken from the drum stick pieces and the salt needed also. Let the soup boil for 5 to 6 minutes. Meantime check for consistency and taste. If any taste is missing you can add this at this stage. Before switching off the stove add pepper powder if you want the soup hot. Garnish with coriander leaves

Vendakkai Pachadi (ladies finger or okra gravy)

2009-06-17T02:54:00.000-07:00

Ladies finger, as we all know is very good for memory power. I have often heard people telling that they will take ladies finger on the day of the math exam. I am not sure of any scientific reason behind that .But as a habit we have come to believe it and try to give it to our children. Many tasty dishes can be made out of this common vegetable. Ladies finger sambar and fry always tops the list.

In chettinad we make tasty vendakkai pachadi out of this which can be used as an all in one curry when we don’t have time to cook. This can be mixed with rice like sambar or rasam and can be taken as a side dish also for curd rice.

The main thing to be noted by the beginners while cooking ladies finger is that it should be sauted in oil in medium fire nicely so that the sticky thing in the veg gets off. If water is added without sauting nicely the curry will become sticky like a paste. While cutting also we should be very careful that it does not have any water content. After washing the veg it should be wiped dry with a towel or paper napkin

Ingredients
Ladies finger-250 gms(15 medium sized ones)
Small onion-15 or big onion-1
Green chilli-2
Tomato-1
Sambar powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Thoor dhal-2 to 3 table spoons (1 hand full)
Coriander leaves-little
Curry leaf-little
Procedure
Cut the ladies finger into small pieces like in the picture. Chop the onion and tomatoes also.Split the chilli in the centre lengthwise Cook the thoor dhal 1 whistle less than you cook for sambar(switch off the stove 5 minutes after the first whistle in medium fire).Once the dhal is cooked open the cooker and take the water on top of the dhal (if there is not much water add a cup of water to the dhal and take out that water and keep aside.)

Keep the kadai in the stove. In 1 table spoon of oil season the pachadi with a teaspoon of mustard seed, cumin seed, broken urudh dhal and little curry leaf. First add the onion pieces then the tomatoes and green chili and sauté for a while. When there is not much water content add the ladies finger pieces and sauté in medium fire for 5 to 6 minutes without it getting burnt. If you find it difficult to sauté add few drops of oil. Once the pieces are sauted well add the water from the dhal kept aside. Add turmeric powder, sambar powder and the salt needed also. Cook for 10 minutes in medium fire. If water is less add little more. Once the pieces are cooked fine add the dhal also (don’t overcook the dhal).Cook for 5 minutes more. Let the consistency be semi solid. Garnish with coriander leaves. Coriander leaves will add to the taste. So if you have stock, be little liberal in adding coriander leaves

Idly Milagai Podi

2009-05-29T05:14:00.000-07:00

For the last two months I was in chettinad in my mothers house to take care of it since my parents were abroad on a vacation (The house is converted into a heritage home. if you want to have a look at my house ref http://www.chettinadumansion.com/ ).For many years I have never stayed there so long as we also will be touring during the vacations. The houses in chettinad as many know will be very huge (It will extend to one full street).The house will be common for all the brothers of a generation and their children that follow. Each family will have a separate kitchen in the fourth courtyard. There are four such kitchens in my mom’s house too. My periyamma (Dad’s brother’s wife) who cooks deliciously (the best so far I know) was also there this time. She usually stays abroad with her son. I had the golden opportunity of getting the rarest recipes from her this time. I prepared many and will share with you in my future blogs. I always feel that the idly milagai podi recipe that I follow is short of something. So I asked her for the recipe. At the age of 76 she was right behind me till I grinded the podi. It was awesome.
Ingredients
Red chilies (long one)-3 cups (any cup)
Garlic-7 pods (those who dont like this flavour can avoid this)
Asafetida-A small piece (1 teaspoon powder)
Curry leaves-handful
Urudh dhal-1 cup
Thoor dhal-1/2 cup
Salt-1 table spoon (Check for taste)
Procedure
Keep the kadai in the stove. Add 2 teaspoons gingili oil. Fry the garlic pieces in medium fire till they turn golden brown. If asafetida piece is used fry that also in the same oil after garlic. Take them out from the oil. If oil is less add a teaspoon more oil. Now roast the urudh dhal along with curry leaves till the dhal gets little red .After this the same way roast the thoor dhal also. Fry the chili also in little oil in medium fire till it gets roasted.If you have microwave then you can get away with the difficulty of frying it in the kadai.Immediately after putting it in the oil in the kadai,transfer it to a microwavable plate and microwave for 2 minutes.If crystal salt is used put that also in the kadai for a minute without oil. After all these cool first grind the chilies then add garlic then asafetida then urudh dhal and curry leaves and finally thoor dhal and salt .Grind to the consistency you like. Store it in an air tight container. For a small family this measurement will be enough for a month or two.

Kudamilagai Mavadu Inji Pachadi (Capsicum Mango Ginger gravy)

2009-05-06T21:49:00.000-07:00

Capsicum which is a popular and nutritious vegetable very common in western countries has found its way into chettinad too. Chettinad cooks are making mouth watering curries out of it. The one I liked the most was this. Mavadu Inji which has a wonderful mango flavor goes well with capsicum. Only a very small piece has to be used. The curry made without Mavadu Inji also will be tasty.

The information I found out from the net about Mango ginger is this

mango-ginger are used for preparing pickles, chutney, preserve, candy, sauce and salad and in meat and other culinary preparations. The rhizome has excellent medicinal properties and finds extensive use in the indigenous system of medicine. It is, appetizer, antipyretic, aphrodisiac and laxative. It is useful in biliousness, itching, skin diseases, bronchitis, asthma, hiccough and inflammation due to injuries.

Ingredients
Capsicum-2
Tomato-1
Small onion-10 or big onion chopped
Mavadu Inji-2 Inch piece
Thoor dhal- A handful (If cooked little less than we cook for sambar will be fine)
Sambar powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Coriander leaves-little Procedure
Cut the onion, Capsicum and tomato pieces as in the picture. Cook thoor dhal for little less time than for sambar. Keep the kadai in the stove. In a teaspoon of oil season the gravy with little cumin seed, broken urudh dhal and curry leaf. Sauté the onion and tomato pieces for a while .Now add the nicely chopped mavadu inji pieces. Add ½ cup of water and cook ( mavadu inji needs more time to cook than capsicum).Once the pieces are soft add the capsicum pieces along with the dhal, sambar powder and turmeric powder. Make sure that that at any stage the curry does not become too thick by adding water. Add the salt needed .Once the capsicum pieces are cooked switch off the stove. Garnish with coriander leaves. Mavadu inji along with coriander leaves gives a wonderful flavor for the gravy. Those who can’t get mavadu inji try without it. But make sure that you use at least coriander leaves

The simple Chettinad Sambar or Kuzhambu

2009-04-07T03:06:00.000-07:00

In chettinad we usually call the sambar prepared for lunch as kuzhambu.I don’t think there is any specialty in the preparation here. It is very simple and tasty. I guess it is similar to the sambar prepared by any other south Indian. That is why I never gave priority to this recipe. But one girl new to the kitchen told me that the most important recipe one needs while learning cooking is the sambar.I too rightly agree with her. In most houses 3 out of 5 times it is sambar for the afternoon. I prepare sambar in a very simple way. I mostly cook the vegetable except a few like drum stick, ladies finger and brinjal for the sambar in the microwave while I am cooking the dhal in the cooker. So my sambar will be done in 15 minutes.
The main thing to be noted while making sambar is that too much of dhal will spoil the taste of sambar.Like that excess of tamarind also will make it very sour which now a days we don’t like. So don’t be very lavish in using these two items to get a good sambar.Always make it little watery. Most of the sambar will become little thick as time goes by. One will become an expert in keeping sambar by making small adjustments each time with in 3 months
Certain vegetables have to be sauted before cooking .Such vegetables cannot be microwaved for sambar.Ladies finger and brinjal are like that. Though drum stick need not be sauted, I will advice to cook it in a kadai since the water in which it is cooked will get the nice flavor of the drum stick and the sambar will smell very good.
Ingredients
Any vegetable-100 gms
Small onion-10
Small tomato-1

Garlic-5 pods (optional)
Thoor dhal-1/2 cup (1 ½ handful)
Kuzhambu milagai thool-1 table spoon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Asafetida-a pinch
Curry leaf-little
Coriander leaves-little Tamarind paste-1 1/2teaspoon( kozhikundu size)
To season
Mustard seeds-1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Fenugreek-1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little

Procedure
Pressure cook the dhal for 10 minutes. Mean time cut the vegetable, onion and tomatoes and microwave them by spraying water for 5 to 7 minutes. if you don’t use a microwave then you can proceede making the kuzhambu right away. Keep the kadai in the stove and season the kuzhambu with the items given in ‘to season’. Now add the onion and tomato pieces. Sauté for a while. Then add the vegetable. Sauté for a minute if the veg is of a kind not needed to be sauted else sauté for 3 minutes (brinjal, ladies finger).Add 1 cup of water. Close the kadai and cook for 5 minutes or till the vegetable gets cooked. Now add kuzhambu milagai Thool and turmeric powder. Mean time soak the tamarind and the salt needed in half cup of water. Strain it and add that also into the kadai.Once the kuzhambu starts boiling add the dhal and cook. Make sure of the consistency. If found thick add little water and cook for 5 minutes
Those using microwave can keep the kadai in the stove. Season the gravy. Add the cooked vegetables, sambar powder and turmeric powder and cook for 5 minutes. Now add Tamarind salt dissolved water. Cook for 3 minutes. Then add the dhal and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
For ladies finger, Brinjal and drum stick the first procedure only is to be followed (cooking the vegetable in the kadai)
Many season the kuzhambu in the end. I usually do in the beginning itself due to practical easiness.
For Radish sambar I usually add 1 teaspoon of a powder made out of( 2 teaspoon of coriander, 1 spoon Bengal gram,2 red chilies and ¼ teaspoon of fenugreek dry roasted and powdered ).This will do away the smell of radish which many don’t like
Today for my readers (new ones to the kitchen)convenience I have not added that powder. I just don’t want to confuse. Once you become an expert in sambar you can try all these
Garnish with coriander leaves. This will add 50% extra taste to the kuzhambu

Chettinad Mutton Chukka (chettinad mutton dry)

2009-03-29T02:52:00.000-07:00

Another chettinad non veg delicacy.Who will not love a plate of mutton chukka and curd rice.Today afternoon my younger daughter was telling 'Amma I should thank only the readers of your blog for getting these mouth watering curries'.I very rarely buy mutton and even if I buy I will go for mutton with bones and make gravy like with that fearing the high fat content in that.Since I am running out of good chettinad non veg items to blog,I thought of making this today.An awsome lunch we had today. If you people are able to get good fresh mutton in your area surely give a try.You are sure to get an appreciation.Here we get good mutton so it was well cooked with in 12 minutes in the cooker.Cooking time of mutton depends on the quality and freshness of mutton.

Ingredients

Mutton-350 gms

Minced onion-Big(2) Small -30

Tomato-1

Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon

Corriander powder-3 teaspoon

Kuzhambu milagai Thool-3 teaspoons

Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon

Garlic Chopped-5 pods

To grind

Grated cocunut-2 tablespoons(As little as you can grind in a mixie)

Kas kas or cashews- 1 teaspoon or 5

fennel seeds-1 teaspoon

To season

Cinamon-2 small pieces

Clove-2

Bay leaf-a small piece

Curry leaf-little

Fennel seed-1 teaspoon

Procedure

Wash and cut the mutton into uniform pieces.Keep a pressure pan or small cooker in the stove.In one teaspoon of oil add 1 tablespoon onion,little garlic(qty shown in the plate with mutton) and saute.Add the mutton pieces and saute for 2 minutes.Add the coriander powder and 1 spoon kuzhambu milagai thool or chilli powder.Put 1/2 the qty of salt needed(1 teaspoon).Pour 1 cup of water.Mix everything well.If you think your mutton is not good and will take time to cook add 1/2 cup more water.Close the cooker.Once the pressure starts coming Sim the stove and switch off after 12 minutes.Meantime grind the items given in'to grind'.

Keep a sauce pan or kadai in the stove and in 2 table spoons of oil season the chukka with the items given in 'to season' and saute the ginger garlic paste, onion,tomatoes shown in the small plate.Now add the grounded masala and saute nicely.Open the cooker separate the mutton pieces.Add the gravy left into the kadai along with the remaining kuzhambu milagai thool and salt and go on stirring It will very fast become thick.Now add the mutton pieces and go on stirring till you get the desired consistency.(if you stop stirring,the masal will get burnt).So be careful.It will take only 5 to 10 minutes.Garnish with fresh coriander leaves

True Achi's Kuzhambu Milagai Thool

2009-03-25T22:49:00.000-07:00

I always think that much of the taste of chettinad dishes is mainly due to the all in one kuzhambu milagai thool that is used there.At this point I want to bring to your notice that in chettinad cooking they use just this milagai thool for all dishes even for the non-veg.But now-a days as a slight modification we have started using coriander powder and chili powder.When I got married my parents were in Kerala and myself in Tamilnadu.Sometimes I used to run out of stock of the all in one kuzhambu milagai thool.at that time I still remember My mom telling me the measurement easily which I still follow.She used to tell me take 2 qty milagai in a container which can hold 4 cups of rice if you don't have a padi .For that add 1 qty Coriander seeds.1/3 qty pepper,cumin,fennel seeds 1 hand full thoor dhal and fenu greek.For the sake of the new ones to the kitchen I clearly give the measurements here

Coriander seeds-1 kg (3 padi)

Red chillies-1/2 kg(6 padi)

Small jeera(cumin seeds)-200gms (1 tumbler)

Fennel seeds - 200gms (1 tumbler)

Pepper corns(milagu)- 200gms (1 tumbler)

Fenugreek seeds-1/4 tumbler(50 gms)

Thoor dhal-100 gms(1/2 cup) non-vegetarians can avoid this

Usually turmeric powder and raw rice 1/2 cup each is added but I don't use it as I find the powder getting spoiled fast

Dry all the items in bright sun for a day or two and get it grounded to a smooth powder from a grinding mill

Those who don't have a grinding mill near by can take a very small cup and use the above measurement ratio and try grinding in a mixie.Those who cant dry it in the sun can keep in the microwave for a minute.

Many of my readers wanted this recipe since a long time and sorry for the delay

Vendakkai More Kuzhambu(Ladies Finger Or Okra Curd Curry)

2009-03-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

This curry which is most compatible with rice will be popular among all in south India.Chettinad is also no exception.I dont think there will be much difference in preparation too.Those who dont like curd rice also will like this curry.For those who cannot take curd can also have this without any problem.Usually people use sour curd for the curry.But I always preffer the normal one without much sourness.More Kuzhambu can be made with many vegetables.The best suited will be Vendakkai or Okra and poosanikkai.

Ingredients

Ladies finger-8

Onion-little

Curd-2 cups

To grind

Corriander seeds-1 table spoon

cumin seeds-1 teaspoon

Channa dhal(kadalai paruppu)-1 table spoon

Red chillies-2

green chillies-2

Ginger-a very small piece

Grated cocunut-2 table spoons

To Season

Cocunut oil1 teaspoon

Red chillies-2

mustard seed-1 teaspoon

Curry leaf-little

Procedure

Soak the items given in to grind for 20 minutes.Then grind it to a smooth paste.Beat the curd in a mixie with little salt and turmeric powder.Add 1 more cup of water with it and keep aside.Cut the ladies finger into small pieces(1/2 inch).In a kadai in little oil saute the onion cut length wise and the ladies finger pieces nicely for 5 minutes.Add 1/2 cup water and cook the pieces till done.Once the pieces are cooked add the ground masala mixed in half cup of water with the salt needed.Let the mixture come to boil.Now add the curd and switch off within 2 minutes.Many have a complaint that the curd curdles.The safest way is to switch off the stove immediately after adding the curd.There is no need for the curd to get cooked.Now in a seperate kadai season the curry in cocunut oil with the items given in To season and pour on top of the curry and leave it like that till you use it(dont mix the seasoning immediately)

Karunaikkizhangu Masiyal (Yam smash)

2009-03-13T01:10:00.000-07:00

This is yet another chettinad delicacy. No chettinad cookery index will be complete without this recipe. This dish is supposed to be very good and safe for health. This was very famous in chettinad those days mainly because it wont get spoiled even if not refrigerated (if properly cooked) and its taste increases the next day. The problem again in cooking this is the patience to be there with the dish for half an hour in the kitchen. But once you taste this you will realize that its taste is worth all the strain. So on a day you are free and relaxed try your hand on this. Rasam alone will be enough along with this to have a good meal. This will be yummy with curd rice also
Ingredients
Karunaikizhangu-5
Minced onion-1 cup
Green chillies-6
Lemon juice-1 lemon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil -2 table spoons
Procedure
Pressure cook the kizhangu for 10 minutes. Peel off the skin when cold. Smash it nicely without lumps. Add the lemon juice, salt and turmeric powder and mix well. In olden days tamarind pulp was used instead of lemon. But due to the bad effects of too much of tamarind, now a days it has been substituted with lemon juice. Some kizhangu will be scratchy and it will be itching for the tongue. Lemon juice or tamarind will remove that. Keep the kadai in the stove. In two table spoons of cooking oil season the curry with a teaspoon of mustard and broken urudh dhal and little curry leaf. Add the minced onion and splitted green chili and sauté for a while. Now add the smashed kizhangu and sauté for 5 minutes. After that add ½ cup of water and mix nicely without lumps. Reduce the flame and cook stirring in between .After sometime it will start catching the bottom of the kadai. From now on you have to be very careful and have to go on stirring. If it is catching too much add ½ spoon of oil and cook. A stage will come when the whole curry just floats in the kadai like halwa. It will be good if you can cook 5 more minutes even after that. The whole dish will turn little browny. Make sure that the fire is not too much and it does not get burnt. From my explanations don’t get scared. For the experts in the kitchen this preparation will be no matter. Whenever I write a recipe, I will take the cooking experience of my daughter only in my mind and will be giving too much of ideas and instructions. The more time and more thicker you cook the dish the more tasty the dish will be.

Kathirikkai Masal (Brinjal Masal)

2009-03-10T00:23:00.000-07:00

Those who relish the taste of brinjal can’t resist this recipe. Brinjal is known to be a good cure for acidity (Gas trouble) as well. The cooking and the ingredients are simple. Only thing that we need, to cook it deliciously is the patience to be in the kitchen till the dish is done. I always make sure that I stay in the kitchen till my cooking is done. I have seen people doing hundred other works while cooking. May be that they are so efficient that they can manage so many things at a time. But I always feel that cooking will be perfect if it is done with care. Chettiar ladies are very particular in this. There will be only one lady in the house and nothing will be compromised. There will be a curry, Koottu and poriyal for lunch. The quantity of each item cooked will make us wonder and the vessel in which it is kept will be like the ones with which the kids play (choppu saman).I have heard my mom telling that my grandma will make cabbage koottu with the two outer layers of cabbage and beans poriyal out of 10 beans, if she alone is to have lunch. This it self is an example of the patience with which they cook. They used to have lot of time also. So they will spend an hour cooking sitting near the stove. But now days things are different. We can’t sit near the stove for hours. But we have very fast methods of cooking and we can make a feast within 2 hours. To be honest if we are in the kitchen for an hour in the morning we can finish the day’s cooking and forget about it for the whole day. So my kind advice to the youngsters is that don’t leave the kitchen with something in the stove. If you have only 10 minutes go for a menu and recipe which will get done within that time like rasam and potato. Choose the menu according to the time you have. Don’t pressurize yourself by attempting to cook something with in a very short time.
Coming to the brinjal fry, Select the brinjal which are tender (don’t have seed).many have a doubt of how to pick them from the market. The cap of the brinjal should be fat, green and thick .if you press the brinjal and see it should not be hard. We can make it out from the sight itself whether they are fresh or not. Make sure they are fresh too.
Ingredients
Brinjal-1/4 kg
Onion (big)-1
Garlic-10 pods
Tomato-1
Sambar powder-1 table spoon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Fresh coriander leaves-little
Curry leaf-little
Salt-to taste
Oil-1 table spoon (be little liberal in using oil for this fry)
Procedure
Cthe brinjals as shown in the picture. Mince onion, garlic and tomatoes. Keep the kadai in the stove.s4eason the fry with a teaspoon of mustard, fennel seed and curry leaves. Add the onion and garlic pieces first and sauté for a while. Then add the tomatoes and sauté for a minute .Now add the brinjal and sauté nicely in medium fire for 5 minutes. Now it will be half done .In this stage add the turmeric powder, sambar powder and the salt. Mix everything well. Pour half a cup of water into the kadai now so that the brinjal pieces get cooked softly. Reduce the fire, close the kadai and cook for 5 more minutes or till the water gets absorbed and oil separates .Make sure that the brinjal pieces are softly cooked and get blended with the masal else add little more water and cook for a while. Garnish with coriander leaves. Corriander leaves along with brinjal will be excellent

Chenai Kizhangu Meen Masala Varuval (Yam fish masala fry)

2009-02-25T01:06:00.000-08:00

Those who love fish fry will surely enjoy this though nothing can really substitute the real taste of fish. This fry is a good choice when we are not able to get any non veg but feel like having something spicy and tasty during weekends. My children love this and I will make this often. Moreover Yam is said to be very good for people suffering from piles and all Ayurvedic doctors recommend this as a cure for bleeding piles. I know there are many varieties of Yam available in the market. So to make it clear I have taken the picture of the Yam and shown (I have to wait for a week to get the full yam)

Ingredients

Yam-1/4 kg (Cut like finger chips pieces)
Oil-2 table spoons
Ingredients for the masal
Garlic-7 to 8 pods
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Pepper-1 teaspoon
Chili powder- 1 table spoon
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Salt-1 table spoon
Procedure
Cook the Yam pieces in a kadai for 5 to 6 minutes (till they are 3/4th cooked) Drain the water and keep it to cool. Mean time grind the ingredients given for masal in the small jar with just enough water. Marinate the yam pieces with the masal for 5 minutes. Keep the kadai in the stove and in 2 tablespoons of oil season the fry with a teaspoon of mustard seed and fennel seed and little curry leaf. Add the yam pieces and fry nicely without stirring much. Too much of stirring will make the pieces break. (Be sure that the pieces are not cooked too much in the beginning).When the pieces get roasted oil will separate Remove the pieces alone and discard the excess oil. This fry will be yummy with Rasam rice as well as curd rice

Chettinad Chicken Dum Biryani

2009-02-22T03:41:00.000-08:00

I always wanted to find some method to keep dum and make biryani and find the difference in taste. I was experimenting different methods to keep dum as we don’t get burning charcoal from the traditional wooden stove. That was why I did not try to give the recipe though many of my loving readers wanted it. Now I have found out a sure and easy method. I have heard many complaining that their biryani won’t turn out the same every day. This is a sure method. It won’t get burnt or overcooked. But you should have a good kadai and a dosa pan to make dum biryani.If you don’t have it then try the same recipe using pressure cooker sauce pan without lid or any big vessel. Mint leaf is a must item in the ingredients which makes much difference to the taste
Ingredients
Chicken medium size pieces (1/2 kg)
Big onion chopped-2
Tomato-1
Green chillies-2
Biryani rice or jeeraga samba rice-2 cups
Coconut milk-2 cups (milk taken out of ½ coconut (medium size)) +2 cups water
For marination
Red chili powder-1 table spoon
Coriander powder-1 ½ table spoon
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon
Salt-1 table spoon
Thick curd-1/4 cup (50 ml)
For seasoning
Mint leaf-2 handfuls
Clove-2
Cardamom-2
Cinnamon-2 pieces
Bay leaf-2 small pieces
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Method
The main things to be done
1. Marinate the chicken pieces
2. Get the coconut milk ready
3. Soak the rice for 10 minutes and fry it

Cut the chicken pieces to the required size. Wash well, drain out the water and marinate with the items given in’ for marination’. Let it get marinated for 30 minutes. Mean time keep the coconut milk ready. Wash and soak the rice for 10 minutes. Then drain the water completely. In a kadai in a teaspoon of butter or ghee fry the rice till it does not stick to the kadai in medium fire.
Now keep the kadai or the vessel in which you cook the biryani in the stove. Pour 1 table spoon ghee and 1 table spoon cooking oil and season with the items given in ‘to season’. Now add the onion, chilies and tomato pieces. Sauté for a while and then add the marinated chicken pieces. Sauté everything well in medium fire for 2 minutes. Now reduce the flame and close the vessel with a lid (If using cooker vessel, close it with a plate) and let the chicken get cooked for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes open the kadai and check whether there is excess water, if so increase the flame and stir for a minute. Now add the 2 cups of coconut milk along with two cups of water. Let the mixture come to a boil. Now add the salt needed for the rice along with the rice kept ready. Mix everything well. In this stage reduce the flame, close the kadai and cook for 7 to 8 minutes(cook till all the water gets absorbed)checking in between so that it doesn’t get burnt. In the next stove heat the dosa pan in medium fire. Open the lid after 7 minutes and mix everything well. Let the fire be very low now. Now close the kadai with the hot dosa tawa so that the top portion gets cooked by the heat of the tawa.The heat of the tawa will be there for 5 minutes. If you have another tawa, that can be used next heating side by side. If you don’t have one don’t worry, Heat this tawa itself and put on top one more time. By the second time the biryani will be rightly cooked. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve along with raitha.
Thos who don’t have the tawa to put on top can keep the vessel on top of the tawa in low flame in that stage.If you cant do that even then add 1/2 cup more water in the beginning and cook.After the water gets absorbed cook for 5 minutes more in low fire stirring in between

Palakkai Pirattal (Baby Jack Fruit Masala)

2008-12-18T04:29:00.000-08:00

This is yet another chettinad delicacy made out of baby jack fruit which will go very well with curd rice, Rasam Rice, Chappathi or Paratha.This is also a common item in a grand chettinad vegetarian lunch.

Ingredients
Baby jack fruit (cut as shown in the picture)
Potato-1
Big onion-1
Tomato-1

To Grind
Coconut grated-3 table spoons
Red chilli-5
Pottukadalai-1 table spoon
Cashwes-4(optional)
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon

To season
Cinamon-2 small pieces
Cloves-2
Cardomom-2
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon

Procedure
Peel off the skin from the baby jack fruit and cut as shown. Cut the potato also in the same size. Chop the onion and tomatoes also. In a small cooker or pressure pan cook the cut jack fruit and potatoes for 1 whistle in high flame. This will get cooked fast and will get smashed if over cooked. So if you are not sure when to switch off then cook it in microwave or in a kadai in such a way that the pieces are just correctly cooked. Grind the items given in ‘To grind’ to a smooth paste.
Now keep the kadai in the stove.In two tablespoons of oil season the curry with the items given in’ To season’. Add the onions and tomatoes and sauté nicely till oil separates. Now add the grinded masal and salt needed also and sauté till it gets cooked well and oil separates in medium fire. Add ¼ cup of water to this and put the cooked baby jack fruit and potato pieces. Mix everything nicely in such a way that you don’t smash the pieces and cook in medium fire for 5 to 7 minutes till oil separates.

Palakkai Koottu (Baby Jackfruit Curry)

2008-12-16T02:04:00.000-08:00

Palakkai Koottu (Baby Jackfruit Curry)
This is a well known dish for the people hailing from Chettinad.Achi’s are very crazy of this veg and just because of that a small baby jackfruit will cost 30 or 35 Rs in that area. If anyone in chettinad manages to get one baby jack they will surely share half of it with their friends or close relatives since it is a rare find tasty veg. But I am lucky to have a jack fruit tree in my garden and I cook this often in season. This is a sure item to be cooked on pongal day and so however costly it is at that time, people will buy one and share atleat a small piece. During all functions the first item in the lunch menu list will be this curry if they could somehow manage to get this. I know all will be wondering what is special in this that the achis are so crazy about it.The answer you can get once you taste it and I am sure that all from chettinad would have for sure tasted the curry and will agree with me. Now a days with the pressure cooker, cooking the curry is also very easy. Only difficulty is the cutting part. Once you are experienced, it is a 10 minute job. Half baby jackfruit will be enough for this curry. In the next half we can make Pilakkai pirattal,another famous item made out of this veg

Ingredients
Baby jackfruit (half)-Skin removed and cut into small pieces
Big onion-1
Tomato-1
Sambar powder-2 teaspoons
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Thoor Dhal-2 hand fulls
To season
Mustard seed-1 teaspoon
Cumin seed-1 teaspoon
Urudh Dhal-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf little
Corriander leaves to garnish
Procedure
Length wise cut the baby jack fruit into two halves. Soak a small tissue in oil and wipe of the milk coming out from the jack fruit. Peel off 1cm skin from the veg and cut into small pieces as shown in the picture. Chop the onions and tomatoes. Now in a pressure pan or small cooker put the cut jack fruit, onion and tomato pieces. Add the thoor dhal,sambar powder and turmeric powder also. Add water till the whole thing is just inside water. Add the salt needed also. Mix everything well and keep the cooker in the stove. Wait for the first whistle. After that reduce the flame and cook for just 5 minutes. After the pressure goes open the cooker. In a kadai in one table spoon of oil season the curry with the items given in ‘to season’ and pour the curry from the cooker into the kadai. Check for the exact taste and if anything is missing add that and bring the curry to a boil and switch off. Garnish with coriander leaves. The consistency is semi solid

Chettinad Uppu Kari (Chettinad Salted Mutton Curry)

2008-11-16T09:56:00.000-08:00

This is yet another Chettinad delicacy which I suppose is unique in this area alone.The speciality of this lamb curry is that the real taste of mutton is fully brought out with out using any masala.No ginger garlic paste or coriander powder or chili powder used.The hot taste needed is brought out from red chillies used as such.One has to taste this curry to be aware of the real taste of lamb curry which is supposed to be the king of all other meat.The smell which came out from my kitchen today while I was cooking this afternoon was so wonderful that it attracted my neighbours even and they started asking me whether they can come home for lunch.

As the prices of this meat has skyrocketed nowadays, that we want to increase the gravy with less meat using masalas.Moreover now a days all of us have become calorie conscious and we don't want to have just the meat alone which is highly fatty.But those who are young and can afford to have little fat content now and then should really try to taste this.For bachelors this preparation is very easy as no grounded masala is needed.

Ingredients

Lamb meat(bone less) -300 gms

Pearl onion-20

garlic-20 pods

crushed ginger-small piece

Red chili-10

Tomato-1

To season

Oil-3 table spoons

Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon

Curry leaf-little

Procedure

Cut the meat into small pieces,wash and keep aside.In a pressure pan or small cooker season the curry with the items given in 'to season'. Now break the chillies into halves and add to the oil.saute for a minute Now add the crushed ginger,onion and garlic pieces.Saute them well.Add the tomato pieces also and saute.Finally add the meat along with turmeric powder and saute well for 6 to 7 minutes in low fire.Once the meat pieces have changed colour and oil comes on top add the salt needed and mix well.Add 3/4 cup of water,mix well and close the cooker.Cook for 10 minutes.After the pressure releases,open the cooker and transfer the contents into a kadai and cook till the water content if any in the curry gets dried up.You can always switch off when you get the consistency you desire.Usually this curry is made little dry so that it go well with rasam or curd rice

Vazhai Poo Kola, Beetroot Kola(Banana flower curry)

2008-11-05T05:33:00.000-08:00

Achi’s are known for making good use of banana flower which is a rather cheap item available by making mouth watering dishes out of this. Moreover banana flower is known to be very good for health. One of the tastier items made using this according to me is vazhai poo vadai and vazhai poo kola. As many are afraid of deep fried items kola is a good choice. Any item made out of this is little laborious and time consuming since taking the thick ball like nerve out of each flower itself is a big job. Then the flower has to be minced or cut to very small pieces. If you are patient enough to do all these, then a good dish is on the cards.
The same kola can be prepared using grated beetroot instead of banana flower. So those who don’t want all the strain can try using beetroot. I always find that easy

Ingredients
1 banana flower withy petals cleaned and nicely minced
1 big onion minced
Grated coconut-1 table spoon
Curry leaf-little
For grinding
Thoor dhal-1 small cup
Red chilli-5
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
(Soak these items for 15 minutes and coarsely grind in the small jar without much water)
Procedure
Take the grinded dhal and add the minced banana flower, onion, turmeric powder, coconut and the salt needed. Mix well. If you have a microwave, cook it inside that for five minutes. Remove it from the oven mix well and again cook for 5 minutes. Now everything will be well cooked. Those who don’t have a microwave can steam the mix in an idly pot. After cooking like this, keep the kadai in the stove .In 2 to 3 table spoons of cooking oil season the curry with a teaspoon of fennel seed and curry leaf. Add the cooked mix and cook in low fire stirring frequently. The mix should turn like puttu without water content. The mix if left without stirring will get burnt and catch at the bottom of the kadai. If necessary little more oil can be added. This will take 10 to 12 minutes to get done in medium fire. But for sure all this pain will get you a great name from your loved ones for serving them something delicious.

Chettinad Milagu Kozhi Varuval (Authentic Chettinad Pepper chicken)

2008-10-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

This is yet another chettinad delicacy which is known world wide for the spicy chettinad masala taste blended well with the tender chicken. In this type of chicken curry, pepper plays a major role in providing the hot taste needed. I have seen so many recipes of pepper chicken in the net and in most cases they use just pepper for the hot taste. But in the authentic chettinad preparation, half the quantity of chili powder used normally is used and for the remaining part pepper is used. It should be remembered that the crushed pepper should be added at the end to retain its wonderful flavor.
Chicken is well known for curing cold and the role of pepper during cold need no mention. So this curry will be a blessing in disguise for those suffering from cold. In chettinad preparations chicken is never marinated. I guess this was because nattu kozhi which was used those days will take time to cook and the masala gets enough time to get absorbed in the chicken. Now we use broiler chicken and this gets cooked within 10 minutes.

Ingredients
Chicken-1/2 kg ,Big onion (nicely chopped)-2
Tomatoes (chopped)-2
Ginger garlic paste-2 teaspoons
Chili powder-1 table spoon
Coriander powder-1 table spoon
Crushed pepper corns-2 table spoons
Lemon juice-1 table spoon
For seasoning
Cinnamon-3 sticks
Cardamom-3
Clove-3
Bay leaf-little
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little
Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes with 1 table spoon chili powder mentioned in the ingredients, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder and half the ginger garlic paste. Add half the quantity of salt required also during marinating.

Procedure
It is always better to cook this curry in a kadai than in pressure cooker as the ingredients are added in different stages of cooking.
Pour 2 table spoon of cooking oil and add the items given in ‘for seasoning’ one by one in the order given. First add the nicely minced onion and sauté till oil separates. Then add the ginger garlic paste and turmeric powder. Stir well so that the pastes don’t get burnt. Now add the tomato pieces and try to smash it using the ladle. The smaller the pieces easier it will be to get smashed fast. Now add the coriander powder and mix well. Add ¼ cup of water into the masala. Reduce the flame to medium. Close the kadai and let the masal get cooked for 5 minutes. Now you can see cooked masala with oil on top. In this stage add the marinated chicken pieces. Sauté nicely till the moisture in the chicken comes out. Now there will be enough water in the chicken to get cooked. Add the remaining salt needed also. Close the kadai now and in medium flame cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Check that the chicken pieces are cooked well, if not cook for some more time. Once the pieces are cooked add the crushed pepper corns on top and mix well. Add the lemon juice after switching off the stove. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Thatta Payaru Mavathal Kuzhambu (Cow peas mango gravy)

2008-10-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

Sun dried veg and non veg are sure find items in a chettinad store room. The chettinad ladies stock these items when they are cheap in the market.Kathiri vathal,mavathal,Kothavarai vathal are some vegetables sun dried. They have by experience found out the best combination of these vathals with some pulses. Now days many are away from the chettinad homes and due to the scarcity of time and space these items have become a rare find in many chettiar homes.
Half ripe mookku mangai will be a best choice for making vathal.In my garden I have only a small mango variety and I stock little of that mango vathal during season.
The mangai vathal along with thatta payar will make an all purpose gravy when we are short of time or interest to cook. Fresh mangoes also will be good along with this payar.The gravy can be had with rice.Some papad will be a best side dish.For the curd rice the peas will be good.So if you make one gravy,then a good meal is on the cards

Ingredients
Thatta payar-1 cup
Mangai vathal-6 to 7 (soaked for 20 minutes in hot water) or fresh mango pieces-6
Small onion-10 or big onion chopped-1
Tomato-1
Sambar powder-2 teaspoon
Garlic smashed-6
Tamarind-1very little(1/4 teaspoon) (depend on the sourness of the mango used)
For seasoning
Mustard-1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Procedure
In a kadai dry roast the the thatta payar in slow fire for 3 minutes .Pour 3 cups of water and pressure cook for 5 minutes or cook in the kadai itself till the peas get cooked well. Once the peas get cooked add the mango pieces, onion, tomatoes and sambar powder. Cook for 5 more minutes. Now add the tamarind extract and the salt needed and cook for further 5 minutes. Make sure that the curry is little watery. The curry should be a little bit extra salty and hot, then only it will be good with rice and the peas will be tasty. When everything is cooked add the smashed garlic pieces before switching off the stove. Season the gravy with the items given in ‘to season’ in a separate kadai and pour into the gravy.

Pakkoda Kuzhambu Or Pakkoda Kuruma

2008-09-29T00:05:00.000-07:00

Since long time this recipe is due from me as some of my readers insisted me to post this chettinad special curry. I took such a long time because I couldn’t find out the exact chettinad recipe and also after finding out, it took three or four times trial for me to make it perfect. Each time I made one one small mistake and finally has come out with the proper one.

Ingredients for the pakkoda
Channa dhal (kadalai paruppu) -1/4 cup or 5 to 6 table spoons

(Only small amount of pakkoda can be used for the gravy)
Red chilli-3 Fennel seed-1 teaspoon
Salt-very little
Soak the above items for 20 minutes and coarsely grind it in the mixie with little water.
Items to grind
Cocunut-2 table spoons
Kas kas-1 teaspoon
Cashews-5
Pottukadalai-1 table spoon
In the snap I have not shown coconut but coconut is needed to make the gravy thick and so I corrected in the next attempt

Ingredients for the gravy
Big onion (chopped)-1
Tomato (nicely chopped)-1
Garlic-5 pods
Coriander powder-1 table spoon
Sambar powder-1 table spoon
To season
Cinamon-3 pieces
Clove-2
Cardamom-2
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little
Procedure
Keep the grinded pakkoda mix ready. Keep little oil in the kadai for frying the pakkoda. Once the oil is moderately hot just drop the mix shapeless into the oil and fry. No need to make round ones. We call (ennayil uthuthu vidanum in Tamil).Fry all the mix and set aside.
Now we have to make the gravy to add the pakkoda. This gravy will always be spicy .So spices should be added while seasoning
Keep the kadai in the stove. In one table spoon of oil season the gravy with the items in ‘to season’. Sauté the onion, tomato and garlic pieces. Add the sambar powder and coriander powder. Sauté this too nicely. Now add 4 to 5 cups of water. Add little turmeric powder and the salt needed. Close the kadai and cook for 5 minutes. Now add the grinded coconut mix into the gravy and cook for 5 more minutes. Remember that the gravy should be watery while adding the pakkoda. Pakkodas will drink the gravy as times goes by and no gravy will be left at the end. So be sure the gravy is enough watery. Add the pakkodas in such a way that all the pieces are inside the gravy. Do not stir the gravy with a spoon after adding the pakkodas till they get soaked. After adding all the pakkodas allow the gravy to boil once and switch off the stove. Garnish with coriander leaves while serving

Saiva Eeral Poriyal (Vegetarian liver fry)

2008-09-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

This is yet another recipe found out by the famous chettinad cooks. This curry, I swear will exactly look like the original liver fry. Unlike the vegetarian fish curry, this is not very difficult to prepare also. I am afraid the chettinad cooks are going to file a case against me for bringing their cooking secrets out. However I love to share the little secrets I found out with my readers. The whole green gram dhal is used to make the liver pieces. For big functions the powder is got grinded from the flour mill. But small quantities can be grinded in the mixie at home
Green gram (pachai pasi payaru) -1 cup

Ingredients for the masal
Onion (small)-20
Tomato-2
Chili powder-2teaspoons
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon

Green gram powdered and grinded with a teaspoon of fennel seed and a teaspoon of salt in the consistency of idly batter-1 cup

Coconut paste
Coconut-3 table spoons
Cashewnut-7
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Ginger-1 small piece
Garlic-4 pods
Procedure
Mince the onion and tomatoes. Grind the coconut paste. Keep the idly pan in the stove and make idlies with the grinded green gram dough. Once the idlies are cold cut them in the shape of small liver pieces using a knife. Keep the kadai in the stove. In two tablespoons of oil season the fry with a small piece of cinnamon, 2 cardamoms and a teaspoon of fennel seed. Add the onion and tomato pieces and sauté nicely. Add the coconut paste along with the chili powder and little salt mixed in ¼ cup of water. Once the mixture turns little thick add the liver pieces and cook for few minutes and switch off the stove.

Chettinad Viral Meen mangai Kuzhambu (Chettinad Butterfish (murrel) Mango gravy)

2008-09-07T23:44:00.000-07:00

In my last blog, I really disappointed the non-veg lovers by showing a vegetarian fish. That was the case for the people at home too. So when Yesterday when I heard a voice ”Uyir Viral Meen Venumamma”, I ran to open the door and I saw a lady with a big shopper bag in her hand. Seeing her, I thought that I have misheard and asked her again what she was having. She replied that it was the live viral fish. Though I know that live viral fish is available in this part of tamilnadu during this month, I have never seen them live. Sometimes I have heard my husband after returning from the fish market telling that he got live fish. As he brings home the cleaned fish, it was the first time, I am seeing this live. Though it was Saturday and we don’t cook non-veg that day, I was eager to see and get the live ones. I asked for the price and she told that it is 160 Rs per kg. I had no idea of the price and simply told her “Oh, why this much costly”. Hearing me she suddenly got angry and told me,” I will give the whole thing free if you can get cheaper than this” and also that she is giving it for this price just because her husband caught it from a pond and she has no means to store it. I said Ok Ok and she opened the bag. Inside the bag 7 to 8 live fishes were playing inside a plastic bag filled with water. She took 2 big fishes and tried to keep them in the balance several times, and the fish jumped out of it each time. She caught it and kept it again and again. After 5 minutes she lost patience and asked me to bring a plastic bag. She put the fish inside the bag and weighed fast. She asked me” Are you going to cook today”. I said “No”. She asked me to bring a bucket with water, I thought the water was for cleaning but she put the fish inside that and asked for money. Now I understood why she put the fish in the bucket and I told her that, I want the fish to be cleaned and I can store it in the refrigerator. She went on arguing why, I want to refrigerate when I have a chance to have real fresh ones. The whole scene of me catching the live fish next day in my hand and running with it, and trying to kill it and clean it came into my mind and I laughed for myself and leaving my pride told her that, I don’t know to clean that fish.

The next fun was seeing her cleaning the fish. The fish was a very slippery one and the lady found it very difficult to catch. She rubbed some mud over it and caught it by its neck so that it can’t move and took out the fins and the side first. Now she cut the head piece and put it inside the vessel. The blood was flowing and she cut the remaining pieces as well. Seeing the blood the real fun I was having till that time went off and I didn’t want to see her cutting the next one. So I went inside and made a cup of tea for her. She washed the fish nicely, had the tea, took the money and went off. I kept the fish inside the kitchen and thought that after sometime I can wash once more, marinate it and keep in the fridge.10 minutes before my husband comes for lunch, I went inside the kitchen to marinate the fish. When I touched the fish, I was shocked. It was slippery as if it is inside a gel. I was worried what to do and called home and asked our Akka what to do now. She told me that the fish should have been scrubbed with a stone or salt before cutting, but now she asked me to take each piece and scrub nicely with big salt spread on the kitchen slab. Oh; it took nearly one hour for me to do this. As I got tired by this itself, I didn’t grind any masala.I just marinated with 2 tablespoon of chili powder and salt and refrigerated it.
Today morning I took it out from the refrigerator and wanted to make an awesome curry with it to overcome the strain of cleaning it.
Viral meen head and tail along with mango is known to be very tasty. I have mangoes in my mango tree now as my tree will bear bruits only in this season. I went to the garden and plucked 2 mangoes and thought that I will take snaps however and if the curry turns good blog the recipe. Believe me, I have never had a fish curry so tasty. It was worth all the strain. The fish pieces inside were like coconut pieces, so fresh. There was a ton of difference between this fish and the frozen fish we get from the market. The procedure for the gravy is the same as for any other fish gravy. Only difference is that, as we are adding mangoes for the sour taste and so only very little tamarind is to be used.

Ingredients
Head and tail pieces of viral-6 pieces
Small onion-20
Garlic pods-20
Tomatoes-2
Mango-2 small ones
Tamarind-1 teaspoon
Chili powder-1 tablespoons
Coriander powder-2 table spoons
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon

Procedure
Marinate the fish pieces with ½ teaspoon salt and chili powder for 2 hours.
Cut the onion, garlic and tomatoes into small pieces.
Cut the mangoes into some big pieces. The seed can also be used as such
Keep the kadai in the stove. In two tablespoons of oil season the gravy with a teaspoon of fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaf. Sauté the onion, garlic and tomato pieces nicely. Dissolve the tamarind juice in 3 to 4 cups of water. Add the chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and the salt needed to this water. Add this water to the sautéed things in the kadai. Keep the flame in high and let the gravy cook for 5 minutes. Now reduce the flame to low and cook for 10 more minutes. Now add the mango pieces and cook for 3 minutes. Once the mango pieces are cooked slowly add the fish pieces one by one in such a way that they are inside the gravy. Now you can find that the gravy becomes little watery due to the high water content in the gravy. To give room for this extra water only we cook the gravy till it becomes thick before adding the fish. After adding the fish you cannot cook for a long time. The fish will get cooked within 7 minutes .Once you feel that the fish pieces are cooked switch off the stove. If desired a teaspoon of coconut oil can be added on top of the gravy to get extra flavor

Saiva Meen Kuzhambu (Vegetarian Fish Curry)

2008-08-29T06:44:00.000-07:00

For a long time I was trying to find out this recipe and personally see somebody cooking this chettinad special delicacy. Last week I was in chettinad and the lady cook( Akka) in our home was quite free to cook and show me this wonderful gravy. After cooking I served this vegetarian fish in my daughter’s plate and she could'nt find out till she swallowed one piece that it was not real fish. First she had the rice with the gravy and at that time she never found out. They steam the masala with which they make the fish in a leaf called lejjai ketta keerai (shameless leaf).It is a crotons type plant which is found in chettinad and I guess almost in all places in tamilnadu. They keep a small stick like pattai from plantain plant in the centre to get the centre hole in the fish. The veins in the leaf give the look of the thorns in the fish. I have clearly shown everything in the snap. They make the masal, steam it in the idly pot, cut into pieces, fry it, make the gravy exactly like fish curry and add the fried pieces.
Ingredients to make the masala for making fish
Thatta payar (cow peas)-1 cup
Chili powder-1 teaspoon
Garlic-5 pods
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon

salt-1 teaspoon
Rotate the payaru one time in the mixie to break it and soak it for 1 hour. Coarsely grind the soaked peas along with the other ingredients. As we cannot get this leaf everywhere we have to find out some other means to steam it in the shape of the fish. I guess we can use plantain leaf and a small stick in the centre. Spread the mixture on to the leaf. Keep the stick in the centre and fold it. Carefully steam it. Once it is cold, remove the leaf, carefully pull out the stick and cut into pieces like fish. Fry the pieces in the oil and keep aside. Now we have to make the gravy exactly like karakuzhambu or fish curry

Ingredients for the gravy

Garlic-20 to 30 pods

Pearl onion (small onion)-20

Tomato-1

Curry leaves-little

Green chilli-3

Coriander powder-2 teaspoon
Sambar powder (kuzhambu milagai thool)-2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Tamarind-gooseberry size
Gingelly oil-1 table spoon

For seasoning
Mustard seed-1 teaspoon
Fennel seed-1 teaspoon
Fenugreek seed-1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little

Procedure
Soak the tamarind with the salt needed in three cups of water. Add the coriander powder,sambar powder and turmeric powder to this water itself. Cut the onions and garlic into length wise pieces. If the garlic is not very big, no need to cut it. Cut the tomatoes also into small pieces. Keep the kadai in the stove. Season the gravy with the items given in ‘to season’ in one to 1 ½ table spoon of gingerly oil or cooking oil. Add the onions, garlic and tomatoes and sauté nicely. Now add the tamarind dissolved water .Wait for the gravy to boil nicely for 3 minutes. Now reduce the flame to minimum and allow the gravy to cook till it becomes thick. 5 minutes before switching off add the fried vegetarian fish and bring to a boil without stirring.

Chettinad Mutton Chops

2008-08-17T02:37:00.000-07:00

Chettinad mutton chops, I am sure needs no introduction. Nobody will miss a chance to taste this wonderful chettinad non veg item. In those days Mutton was the most commonly cooked non vegetarian in chettinad. But since all have become calorie conscious, now a days more of chicken and fish is used. But nothing else can take the place of good mutton in taste especially the chops. Due to the high fat content, I also very rarely cook mutton at home. My younger daughter is a big fan of mutton gravy. So now days, I am forced to buy this at least in small quantities. She just took the gravy and did not like the pieces. So today I tried the chops, and she just loved it. Young people who can have this now should never miss a chance to taste this. Once you grow old, so many food restrictions start coming. So make use of the opportunity now and try out different recipes. This is a wonderful recipe worth trying

Ingredients (to cook the mutton first)
Mutton-1/2 kg
Small onion-30 or big onion-1
Tomato-1
Garlic paste-1 teaspoon
Chili powder-1 table spoon
Coriander powder-1 1/2 table spoon
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Keep the cooker in the stove. In one teaspoon of oil season the mutton with a teaspoon of fennel seeds and curry leaf. Add the minced onion and tomato pieces. Sauté for a while. Add the mutton pieces and the ginger garlic paste. Sauté for 3 minutes i.e., till water oozes out. Now add the chili powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Mix well. Add just one cup of water and half the salt needed. Close the cooker. Cook in high flame till first whistle come. Now reduce the flame to medium and switch off the stove after 5 minutes. The mutton pieces now will be 3/4 cooked
Ingredients for Coconut paste
Cocunut-3 table spoons
Cashew -8 or Kas Kas-1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Grind the above items to a smooth paste
Ingredients for the Chops
Minced onion (big)-1
Tomato minced-1
Garlic-10

For seasoning
Cinamon-2 pieces
Clove-2
maruthani mokku-1
Annasi poo-1 small piece
curry leaf little
Procedure
Keep the kadai in the stove. In 1 to two tablespoons of oil, season the chops with the items given in 'to season’. Add the onion and tomato pieces and sauté till the tomato pieces get smashed. Now add the coconut paste, little chili powder and salt. Mix everything well. Add the cooked mutton along with the gravy in it. Mix every thing well and cook in medium fire till you get the desired consistency. In between check for the salt and hot taste and add if needed. When the gravy gets almost evaporated it will start getting burnt .So be very careful now and go on stirring. Switch off when it gets to your desired consistency. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves

Muttai Kose Muttai Poriyal ( Cabbage Egg Fry )

2008-08-16T02:48:00.000-07:00

Cabbage is known to be rich in riboflavin and hence good for health especially for those suffering from peptic ulcer. The cabbage soup taken regularly for a month is said to cure ulcer. But for many the smell of the vegetable after cooking is very difficult to stand. I too used to hate its smell and was not a regular user of this veg until recent days. But after tasting this combined egg cabbage fry in one of my relative house, this vegetable has become a regular item in our home. This fry will go very well with rasam as well as sambar rice. Those who are crazy of eggs but at the same time want to restrict its intake will find this fry a good alternative. I have added only one egg. But one more egg added will give more taste. In this kind of preparation the smell of the veg will never be noticed.

Ingredients
Grated cabbage-2 cups
Minced big onion-1
Green chillies chopped-4 or (1 teaspoon of chili powder)
Egg-1 or 2
Procedure
Keep the kadai in the stove. Season the fry with a teaspoon of mustard, curry leaf and broken urudh dhal. Add the minced onion and chilies and sauté for a minute. Now add the cabbage and sauté for a while. Sprinkle little water. Half close the kadai and cook in medium fire for 3 minutes. Open the lid and add the salt needed and cook till the cabbage is rightly cooked. sprinkle water in between till it gets cooked. Make sure that there is not much water content in the vegetable. Now break the egg and pour it on top the vegetable and mix well till the egg gets cooked. Chilli powder instead of green chilies will taste little different. I like that taste more. so try both ways and find out which taste you like.

Karunai Kizhangu Kuzhambu

2008-08-09T10:20:00.000-07:00

This is a gravy item very famous in Chettinad. This will somewhat taste like karakuzhambu or pulikuzhambu.Unlike karakuzhambu, this gravy will be mild for the stomach since this kizhangu is very good for stomach and is used in the treatment of piles. Those who don’t find time to cook a gravy and a side dish can go for this as the kizhangu in the gravy will be very tasty and will go very well with curd rice. Some papad or vathal items or chips will be excellent with the rice mixed with this gravy. I hope that the people in US will get this kizhangu there. For clearing the confusion about the shape and size of this kizhangu, I will soon post the snap of the uncooked kizhangu. For those who love the taste of poondu vengaya kizhangu, this gravy for sure will be a real treat.
Ingredients
Karunai kizhangu-5 to 6 (pressure cook for 6 minutes)
Small onion-20
Garlic-20
Tomato-1
Sambar powder-2 teaspoon
Coriander powder-2 teaspoon
Tamarind-little more than you use for sambar (a small gooseberry size)
For seasoning
Mustard seed-1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little
Oil-2 table spoon
Fenugreek seed-1/2 teaspoon
Procedure
Peel off the skin of the cooked kizhangu. Cut into small round pieces. If your kizhangu is over cooked or undercooked adjust the cooking time next time. This time if it is over cooked add the kizhangu to the gravy by the end. Cut the onion, garlic and the tomatoes too.Keep the kadai in the stove. Season the gravy with the items given in ‘for seasoning’. Add the onion, garlic and tomato pieces one by one after sauting each for some time. Soak the tamarind and the salt needed in 3 cups of water. Squeeze out the tamarind pieces and add the sambar powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder to this water. Add this water to the kadai and cook in high flame for 5 minutes. Add the kizhangu now. Reduce the flame and in slow medium fire cook for another 10 minutes. When the gravy is almost half or little less than half in quantity, switch off the stove. I usually wait for the oil to separate but for those who are new to cooking this method wont work

Carrot,Beetroot,Urulai Pirattal (Carrot,Beetroot,Potato masal)

2008-08-04T00:03:00.000-07:00

Pirattal is one among the main curries served in a chettinad lunch. As this goes well with both sambar and rasam or curd rice, this is often made in chettinad homes. The way in which it is cooked is such that the dish will not have the sweet taste of carrot or beetroot but at the same time will be very tasty with the chettinad masal. The main thing to be noted in chettinad cooking is that though coconut is used for many curries, it is used in very less quantity. I have heard my grannies telling that too much of coconut will spoil the taste of the vegetable. In chettinad the old Achi’s call this curry as English kaykari pirattal since these were the only western vegetables available those days. Now a days lot of other vegetables like baby corn, cauliflower and peas are added.

Ingredients
Carrot-1 big
Bettroot-1 small
Potato-1 big
Big onion-1
Tomato-1

For grinding
Cocunut-2 tablespoons
Pottukadalai-1 to 2 tablespoons or (cashews-5)
Redchilli-6
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Cumin seed-1 teaspoon
Procedure
Cut the vegetables into small pieces. Pressure cook the vegetables in high flame adding a cup of water and little salt for 1 whistle (5 minutes).For grinding, first dry grind the chilies, pottukadalai, fennel seeds and cumin seeds, then add the coconut with little water and grind to a smooth paste. Keep the kadai in the stove. In one to two tablespoons of oil season the curry with a small piece of cinnamon, 2 cloves, 2 cardamoms and a teaspoon of fennel seeds and curry leaf. Add the minced onion and tomatoes and sauté with a pinch of salt. Now add the grinded masal and sauté that also nicely till oil separates. Now add ¼ cup of drained water from the vegetables cooked. Mix well and add the drained vegetables. Now check for the salt and hot taste. If anything is less add now. If it is less hot, add little chili powder or sambar powder and go on stirring till there is no water content and the curry gets the glow of the oil. Add a handful of nicely minced coriander leaves if you have stock. Mix well and switch off the stove.

Chettinad Muttai Kuzhambu (Chettinad Egg Curry)

2008-07-31T05:05:00.000-07:00

Different types of egg curry is made in chettinad. Mostly if it is for lunch poondu vengaya kuzhambu is made and egg is added in the end. In this curry egg will get the hot and sour taste of the gravy. But the lady cook (Akka) in my home in chettinad will make an egg gravy which will be little spicy and go well with the tiffen items as well. So whenever on holidays if we can’t prepare non-veg, can give this spicy egg curry a try and satisfy the people at home.

Ingredients
Boiled egg-4
Small onion-20 or big onion chopped-1
Tomato-1
Chopped ginger-1 teaspoon
10 pods Chopped garlic
Chili powder or sambar powder-1 teaspoon
Coriander powder-1 table spoon
Garam masala powder-1 teaspoon

For grinding
Cocunut-2 to 3 table spoon
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Cumin seed-1 teaspoon
Cashewnut-8 or Kas Kas-1 teaspoon
Method
Boil the eggs. Make a small split in the middle. Grind the coconut paste. Keep the kadai in the stove. In a teaspoon of oil season the curry with a teaspoon of fennel seed, a green chili and curry leaf. Add the onion and garlic pieces and sauté well. Now add the chopped ginger and garlic pieces and sauté that too for few minutes. Finally add the chopped tomatoes and sauté till the tomato pieces get cooked. Now add the chili powder, garam masala and coriander powder. Mix well. Be careful that the powder doesn’t get burned. Now add 2 cups of water and the salt needed. Keep the stove in medium flame and allow the curry to get cooked and reduce to ½ the quantity. Now mix the grounded coconut in a cup of water and add to the curry. Cook for 5 minutes. You will find the gravy thickening due to the cashews in the masala. Now add the boiled egg into the curry and cook for 5 more minutes in medium fire.

Keerai Mandi (Mulai keerai, Sirukeerai or Araikeerai Mandi)

2008-07-26T03:04:00.000-07:00

This keerai mandi recipe is another recipe which again stands as an example for the tasty cooking of chettinad ladies with very few ingredients
Mandi as I have mentioned in one of my recipes before is water collected while washing rice (soaked rice water will be thick).If you can’t find this water at the time of preparation dissolve1/2 teaspoon of rice powder in a cup of water. This keerai mandi is supposed to retain the original taste of the green as no dhal is used. Nowadays with the help of pressure cooker cooking this keerai mandi is a 5 minute job. As all of us are aware of the importance of taking greens regularly in our diet, is eager of finding new recipes. This recipe for sure will be a worth try.

Ingredients
Nicely minced greens-1 bunch (2 cups)
Chopped small onion-10
Small jeera-1 teaspoon
Red chilli-3

Arisi Mandi-1 cup
Method
Wash the keerai before cutting. Cut it into small pieces. Chop the onions too. Keep the mandi also ready. Keep a small cooker or pressure pan in the stove. In 1 teaspoon of oil season the mandi with a teaspoon of small jeera and red chilies. Add the minced onion and sauté well. Now add the keerai also and sauté in low fire for 5 minutes till water comes out of the green. Add the mandi water into the keerai now .Mix well .Add the salt needed also. Close the cooker and pressure cook for 5 to 6 minutes in medium fire. Wait for the pressure to release and open the cooker. Slightly smash the green with a big ladle. I seldom smash it, but I have often heard people telling that they will (kadayirathu) smash it to a smooth paste. There is no need to smash it to a smooth paste.Slightly smash it when it is hot.

Vazhai Thandu Koottu (Banana stem curry)

2008-07-23T23:42:00.000-07:00

As I have mentioned earlier, koottu is an indispensable item in chettinad lunch. Koottu of almost all the vegetables is made. The tastiest among them as far as I am concerned is this vazhaithandu koottu.I hope that all will have some knowledge of the immense medicinal value of this stem.
Due to the high fiber content, It is a well-known remedy for urinary disorders. It improves the functional efficiency of kidney. It clears the toxins in the body and helps to eliminate them in the form of urine. It has been found to be of great help in the treatment for the removal of stones in the kidney, gall bladder, and prostate.
I can understand what is going on in everybody’s mind now. Well, how to cut this? True, cutting and taking the fiber out of this stem is little difficult.If available in the market where you live ,then cutting can be of no excuse for not cooking this. One has to get trained by practice, in cutting the thandu since the regular intake of vazhaithandu is very good for all in the family. Now a days the problem of kidney stones, urinary disorders are on the rise and if we can do something for this from our kitchen it will be great.

Cutting the Thandu
Remove the thick outer portion of the stem and get smooth stem.Make thin round slices, while making each slice slightly rotate your finger from the centre of the slice. If your finger gets hold of a fiber, the rest of the fiber will get wound to your finger (2 seconds for each slice).Put these in a vessel of water mixed with a spoon of curd or butter milk (butter milk will help the thandu to retain its white color).Once all the slices are made, chop them into small pieces, keeping together 5 or 6 slices together. If you hold a small stick like thing inside the vessel having the cut pieces and rotate slowly, the remaining fiber will get wound in that stick

Ingredients
Broken green gram (pasiparuppu)-1 handful (1/4 cup)
Green chili-4
Chopped small onion-10
Curry leaf-little
Small jeera-1 teaspoon
Coconut milk-2 tablespoon
Procedure
Cook the dhal in a big kadai. Once the dhal is well cooked, add the cut vazhai thandu pieces, chili and onion. Add a cup of water. Close the kadai and cook for 10 minutes in slow fire. Open the lid and add little salt (remember that this thandu can’t hold too much salt).Bring to a boil and switch off the stove. Add the coconut milk. Season the koottu with little small jeera and curry leaf in a teaspoon of ghee in a separate kadai and add to the koottu.If you want to store the koottu for the next day, coconut milk can be avoided.

Chettinad Mutton Kuzhambu or Chettinad Attukkari kuzhambu (Chettinad Mutton Curry)

2008-07-20T03:49:00.000-07:00

Any collection of Chettinad recipes will be incomplete without the simple and tasty mutton gravy prepared in chettinad. The chettiar ladies, as I have told before is known for making tasty dishes with very few and small quantity of ingredients. But now days we use everything in large quantity and hope that it will increase the taste. I have heard people telling chettinad mutton gravy will be very spicy. But the real fact is that in chettinad the ladies are very conscious not to make it very spicy. While seasoning though many items are used, a very small piece of each item will be used. Too much of ginger garlic paste will also be avoided.
The authentic Mutton masala is hand grinded. It also would have contributed much to taste. But these days we have to satisfy with the taste we get from the masala grinded in the mixie. These days in chettinad nobody grinds fresh masala even using mixie. They make excellent gravy using the kuzhambu milagai thool along with coriander powder. I have seen from my childhood, my mother using just the kuzhambu milagai Thool instead of grinded masala and make a wonderful mutton curry. So I cook both ways. If I have enough time,I will go for the freshly grinded masala else will use the kuzhambu milagai Thool itself. There will not be very much difference in taste. Another thing to be noted is very small amount of coconut only is to be used. Too much of coconut is supposed to spoil the real taste of mutton. We add coconut just to make the gravy thick

Ingredients
Mutton-1/2 kg (with bones)
Small onion-30
Tomatoes-2
Garlic-10 pods
Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon
Coconut grated- 2 to 3 tablespoons
Kaskas-1 teaspoon or cashews-6
Kuzhambu Milagai Thool-2 tablespoon or (freshly grinded masala)
Coriander powder-1 tablespoon
Lime juice-2 teaspoon or tamarind paste-1 teaspoon

To grind (If you want fresh masala)
Coriander seeds-2 table spoons
Red chillies-8
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Cumin seed-1 teaspoon
Cinnamon-1 small piece
Cardamom-2
Clove-2
Dry roast all these items and dry grind them

Coconut paste
Grind the coconut,Kas kas and fennel seed 1 teaspoon to a smooth paste
To season
Cinamon-1/2 inch piece-2
Cardamom-2
Clove-2
Bay leaf-a small piece
Maruthani mokku-a small piece
curry leaf-little
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon

Procedure
Wash and cut the mutton into small pieces. Cut the onion, garlic and tomatoes also into small pieces. Keep the cooker in the stove. Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Add the items given in ‘To season’. Then add the ginger garlic paste and stir well. Now add the chopped onion, garlic and tomatoes one by one and sauté nicely. Add the mutton pieces along with turmeric powder now and sauté for 5 minutes. This sautéing is very impotant.In chettinad they call this as ‘Thirakkirathu’.I have heard my grannies instructing the servants to sauté nicely till water oozes out from mutton. Now add the kuzhambu milagai Thool and coriander powder. Mix that also well. Add 3 cups of water and the salt needed. Mix well and close the cooker. Once the steam starts coming, Put the weight . Keep the flame in medium. After the first whistle comes, reduce the flame and cook for 12 minutes. Wait for the pressure to release. Once the pressure is released, open the cooker and add the grinded coconut paste. Check for the consistency and taste. If you find the gravy thick, a cup of water can be added. Salt or milagai thool can be added in this stage according to taste. Cook for another 5 minutes without closing the cooker. If found too watery even after adding cocunut paste,It can be made thick by adding a spoon of corriander powder. If you are adding tamarind extract, add it and bring the gravy to a boil else switch off the stove and add the lemon juice. The gravy can be garnished with coriander leaves.
Today my mutton gravy turned awesome as I was little careful in adding the ingredients. I always make sure that my preparation is perfect using the ingredients mentioned before writing a blog on that.

Chow Chow Koottucurry (Chayote Squash Koottu Curry) or Bangalore Kathirikkai Koottu

2008-07-15T00:13:00.000-07:00

koottucurry is a must in a chettinad lunch. All south Indians will make koottu. But the recipes and way of cooking differ. Chettiar ladies are well known for making this koottucurry which is very safe for the stomach. Unlike others, in chettinad we don’t start giving food by giving paruppu rice for the children. It is the rice mixed with koottucurry that is given to kids. Children love the very little hot and salt taste in the koottucurry along with the taste of the vegetable.

The main thing to be noted in making koottucurry is that very little dhal (pasiparuppu) is used. In chettinad they very rarely pressure cook this dhal since it will get sticky. I never pressure cook this dhal. This dhal if cooked in the kadai will get cooked within 10 minutes. By the time you cut the vegetable, the dhal will be ready. For one medium size chow chow (1 cup cut pieces) 1 handful of dhal is enough (1/4 cup).This curry will be such that the veg will be nicely cooked but at the same time stay separate from the dhal. Peerkkangai koottucurry,pudalangai koottucurry,muttaikose koottucurry is also prepared the same way

Ingredients
Chow Chow-1 medium size
Green chilli-1
Big onion-1/2(finely chopped)
Sambar powder-1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Coconut milk-1 tablespoon
To season
Ghee-1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Broken urudh dhal-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little
Procedure
Cut the vegetable into small pieces. Cook the dhal in a kadai in 2 cups of water. When the dhal is almost cooked add the vegetable along with 1 ½ cups of water. Add the green chili, turmeric, onions and the chili powder. Half close the kadai and cook in medium fire for 10 minutes. When the vegetable is almost cooked add the salt needed and allow it to cook for 5 more minutes. Always see to it that the curry does not get thick. If found so add little water and bring to a boil. Switch off the stove. In the seasoning pan season the koottucurry with the items given in’ To season’ in little bit of ghee. This ghee will give a wonderful taste to the dish. I very rarely use ghee in my cooking. But for koottucurry I always season in ghee. If going to be used immediately, coconut milk can be added. It will enrich the taste. If you intend to give to young kids, coconut milk can be avoided
The mothers, who complain of their kids not eating properly, try this koottucurry mixed in hot rice along with little ghee and give your comments.

Vellai Poondu Oorukai (Garlic Pickle)

2008-07-11T03:59:00.000-07:00

The word pickle itself will tickle the taste buds of many. All in our home too are very big fans of pickle especially the garlic pickle. But now days have started totally avoiding it due to health reasons. Today My Chithi has come home and I wanted to make this pickle and write a blog on this since she is very good in preparing pickles . Moreover I have two lemon trees in my garden and have reaped nearly 500 to 600 lemons this season and I am going on making juice and storing it for the whole year. I thought that I will make use some lemons for the pickle too.

Ingredients
Garlic-! /2 kg (peeled and cut into two halves lengthwise)
Gingili oil-150 ml
Lemon juice-1 ½ cups (300 ml)
Ingredients for the pickle powder
Coriander seeds-50 Gms (1/2 cup)
Fenugreek seeds-1 table spoon
Chili powder-3 table spoons
Jaggery-1 table spoon
Procedure
Dry roast coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds and grind it to a smooth powder. Put the kadai in the stove. In the oil mentioned season the pickle with 2 teaspoons of mustard seeds. When mustard seed cracks add the cut garlic pieces and sauté nicely for 5 to 6 minutes till the garlic gets softened. Now add the lemon juice and allow it to cook in slow fire for 5 minutes. Now add the coriander powder, chilli powder, fenugreek powder and the salt required. Let this powder also get cooked till the oil ooze out (5 minutes).Now add the jaggery and switch off the stove after 2 minutes. Allow it to cool and transfer the contents to a clean bottle.

Kovakkai Poriyal( Kovakkai fry)

2008-07-09T00:11:00.000-07:00

Till recent days this vegetable was rather new to me since we don’t happen to see this vegetable in the market .I was brought up in Kerala and there I have never seen this. But few months back I happened to taste this fry in my friends house (a friend from Bangalore).The taste was amazing. That day I promised her that though this is not a chettinad recipe, I will blog the recipe. Everybody at home love this fry and whenever I get this in the market I will not miss it. Last two weeks we are getting this vegetable in one or two shops in the local market. So this is the time for me to keep up my promise. I come to know from my daughter that this is always available in US in India Stores.

Ingredients
Kovakkai-1/4 kg(Cut length wise)
Big onion-1 (cut length wise)
Sambar powder-2 teaspoons
2 tspBengal gram powde+1/2 teaspoon chill powder+1/2 teaspoon salt
Procedure
Mix the sambar powder and salt needed with the kovakkai and keep aside for 15 minutes. Now keep the kadai in the stove. In one table spoon of oil season the fry with mustard seeds and curry leaf (be little liberal in adding oil).Athe mustard cracks add the onion and fry till golden brown. Now add the kovakkai pieces and sauté in the oil itself for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of water, mix well, close the kadai, reduce the flame and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Check in between if there is enough water in the kadai.This veg will take little bit time to cook. When you feel that the veg has been cooked soft, increase the flame and let all the water content evaporate. The oil you added in the beginning will come out in this stage. Now add the Bengal gram mix kept ready and mix well. If you cook for another 2 to 3 minutes stirring continuously, the Bengal gram powder will form a coating on the kovakkai and it will get roasted nicely. If you don’t have Bengal gram powder, paruppu podi can be used. In this preparation, I have used paruppu podi. Bajji mix also can be used.

Chettinad Kozhi Rasam (Chettinad Chicken Rasam)

2008-07-06T05:16:00.001-07:00

Kozhi Rasam is very popular in chettinad. This rasam made in temples like Kali Kovil during Poosai Poduthal when they sacrifice kozhi or kadai will be very tasty .Last time when We went home during summer holidays my daughter and myself got a chance to taste this rasam in a poosai in the local Kali Kovil. The taste of which I can’t describe in words. My daughter from that day is going on asking me to prepare this rasam. This Rasam though spicy is an excellent home remedy for common cold. The cold will vanish the next day. I got the recipe for the rsam from the people who cooked in the temple itself. As they were cooking large quantities they were not able to provide exact measurements. I prepared the rasam two or three times and got an idea of the measurements and got ready to share the recipe with you people
Ingredients
Chicken (bony pieces)-250 gms
Chopped pearl onion-15
Tomato-1
Chilli powder-1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon

Ingredients (to grind) (Rasam powder)
Pepper corns-1 teaspoon
Small jeera -1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds-1/2 teaspoon
Corriander powder-1 teaspoon
Red chillies-2
Small onion-4
Garlic-5
Procedure
Wash the chicken nicely. Pressure cook the chicken along with the minced onion, tomatoes and chili powder adding 5 cups of water. Add the turmeric powder and half the salt needed. Wait for a whistle and then simmer the flame. Cook for another 8 minutes and switch off the stove.
Prepare rasam powder by grinding fennel seeds, pepper corn, small jeera and chilies first. Once they are powdered nicely add the coriander powder. Grind once. Now add the garlic and onion and grind together without adding water.
Open the cooker. Strain the rasam and keep aside.
Now keep the kadai in the stove.In ½ teaspoon oil season the rasam with ½ teaspoon of small jeera and curry leaves. Pour the rasam into the kadai. Add the rasam powder and the salt needed. Bring the rasam to a nice boil and switch off the stove.

The strained out chicken pieces can be added to the chicken fry if you prepare one separately in the final stage and mixed well or you can fry the pieces with little onion, tomatoes and chili powder.
The rasam can be garnished with coriander leaves while serving

Carrot Rice and Carrot Poriyal

2008-07-01T23:21:00.000-07:00

All are aware of the nutritious value of carrots and want to give it to kids in some form or the other. Children should be given this in different forms so that they don’t develop an aversion towards it. Carrot rice is one such recipe which will be loved by all kids even if given as packed lunch. Even for adults this is an excellent choice for packed lunch as it won’t get thick like sambar rice or curd rice once cold. For the carrot rice first make the carrot poriyal and then mix it with rice. Those who like the poriyal can have it with sambar rice or rasam.But due the little sweet taste of carrots many avoid this poriyal. If made with one extra chili it will taste good.

Ingredients
Carrot-3 medium size grated
Coconut grated-2 table spoon
Big onion chopped-1
Red chilli-3 to 4
Green chilli-1
Curry leaf-little
Procedure
Keep the kadai in the stove. In one table spoon of oil season the curry with one teaspoon of mustard curry leaf and urudh dhal. Once the mustard cracks add the red chilies green chili and onion. Sauté for a while and add the grated carrot. Sauté this also for 2 minutes so that the raw smell goes off. Now add 4 tablespoons of water and the salt needed. Close the kadai and reduce the flame. It will take hardly 5 minutes to cook. Now open the kadai and make sure that there is not much water content in the poriyal. If so increase the flame and let the water evaporate. Now add the grated coconut and mix well. Carrot poriyal is ready now
For carrot rice no need to cook the rice like we do for other variety rice. It can be the usually cooked rice. Cool the rice needed for carrot rice in a flat bottom vessel. Once it is cool add a pinch of salt needed for the rice and a teaspoon gingili oil to the rice and mix gently. Now slowly add the poriyal to the rice and mix with the backside of a ladle or spoon till you get the exact taste. Those who want it hot can microwave the rice for a minute

Thakkali Thokku (Tomato Thokku)

2008-06-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

The first thing that comes into mind when tomatoes are abundant and cheap in the market is the Tomato thokku, an all purpose curry which can be used as a spread, a side dish and a gravy that can be mixed with rice. In India tomatoes are very cheap now and this thought is in my mind for the last 10 days. So yesterday got 2 kg of tomatoes for just Rs 10 and got all set to prepare this. Only difficulty in preparing this is that we have to set aside at least one hour for this. But if you can afford that then it will make you free for more time later as this dish will come handy on many occasions.
Ingredients
Tomato-1 kg
Red chili powder-2 tablespoons
Gingili oil-4 table spoons
Garlic-10 pods
Ginger-a small piece (optional)
For seasoning
Mustard seeds-1 teaspoon
Fenugreek seed-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little
Procedure
Microwave the tomatoes for a minute and remove the skin else put the tomatoes in boiling water for 2 minutes and remove the skin. Let the tomatoes cool. Now put the tomatoes in the big jar along with the chili powder and the salt required and grind to a smooth paste. If you add garlic and ginger grind it in the small jar and add to this tomato pulp. Keep the kadai in the stove. Season the thokku with the items in ‘To season’ in 4 table spoons of oil. Once the mustard splitters reduce the flame and add the tomato pulp. Close the kadai and in medium fire cook stirring in between .After 10 minutes remove the lid, keep the flame to medium and stir more often for 10 more minutes. After the 20th minute increase the flame and stir continuously. A stage will come when the thokku will float in the kadai (I mean it will not stick to the kadai).Now keep the flame low and add a tablespoon of jaggery. You will see oil separating gradually. Now switch off the stove and allow the thokku to cool. Once it is cold transfer it to a Tupperware box or air tight container and keep it in the fridge. This thokku will stay fresh for a month if stored properly

Kathirikkai Malli Pachadi (Brinjal Cilantro Curry)

2008-06-18T23:47:00.000-07:00

From the very old days brinjal is the most commonly used vegetable in all homes. Though now a days many try to avoid this vegetable because of the allergy it creates on the skin for some, it is very good for those having gastric trouble. That is why you can see in all chettinad recipes brinjal will be added along with potato. There are innumerable recipes using brinjal. My favorite one is the kathirikkai malli pachadi,a famous chettinad item. This will be prepared more often in chettinad homes when coriander is abundant in the market. Brinjal and coriander is used in almost equal proportion in this curry. When you find time just to make one curry you can surely choose this since it can be used as a gravy as well as a side dish. It will go well with idly and dosa too. This will be best suited with rasam. It will be a treat for those who love the coriander leaf smell like me.

Ingredients
Brinjal-4 medium sized
Big onion-1 or small onions(10)
Tomato-1
Coriander leaves-a small bunch (1 cup cut Coriander leaves)
Sambar powder-1 teaspoon
Green chillies-2
Tamarind paste-1/2 teaspoon (1/4 qty used for sambar)
Thoor dhal-1 handful (switch off one whistle short than for sambar)
To season
Small jeera-1 teaspoon
Broken urudh dhal-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little
Procedure
Keep the kadai in the stove. In one teaspoon of ghee or cooking oil season the curry with the items given in'to season’. Add the chopped onions, tomatoes, green chili and cut brinjal pieces one by one and sauté nicely for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the water that is on top of the cooked dhal(1 cup) and the sambar powder. Cook for 3 more minutes. The brinjals will be almost cooked now. Add the tamarind juice, salt needed and the cooked dhal now. Allow it to cook for 2 more minutes. Now add the chopped coriander leaves. Wait for one boil and switch off the stove. The curry should be semi solid with the brinjals rightly cooked. Over cooking will make the brinjal pieces smashed.

Mushroom Fry and Mushroom Rice

2008-06-17T00:25:00.000-07:00

Mushrooms
Recently people are getting more aware of the medicinal properties and health benefits of edible mushrooms. If I try to list out all its values, it will take pages and pages. So I will share with you some of the very valuable properties of mushrooms and its importance in our diet. Mushrooms are valuable health food - low in calories, high in selenium, vegetable proteins, chitin, iron, zinc, fiber, essential amino acids, vitamins & minerals. They are fat free, cholesterol free and low in sodium. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently gave a nod to its disease-fighting capability by stating: “Diets containing foods that are good sources of potassium and low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.” Some mushrooms supply more potassium than foods better known as sources for this mineral.
Selenium rich food will lower the risk of prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. Though foods of animated origin and grains are a good source of selenium but in vegetable only mushrooms is a good source of selenium. This is a good news for vegetarians whose source of selenium are limited.
They have a great effect on promoting good health and vitality. Recent studies show that mushrooms are probiotic i.e., they help our body strengthen itself and fight illness by increasing our natural resistance to diseases.
So let us increase the level of all these vitamins and minerals in our body
1. Riboflovin which gives healthy red blood cells
2. Niacin which gives a healthy skin
3. selanium –act against various diseases
By cooking more mushrooms at home.

Always buy good fresh mushrooms from reputed department stores and don’t pluck any from your garden since some mushrooms are poisonous and we don’t know how to identify the edible ones
Unlike many other vegetable which are good for health are very hard to eat because of its odd taste, mushroom is one which anybody will love to have because of its wonerful taste. They are easy to sauté and add savory flavor, texture, appetite appeal and nutrients to just about anything. The masala added blend with the mushrooms very well.
Mushroom fry and mushroom rice
Considering the health benefits of this wonder vegetable, I regularly cook this. I have tried out different recipes using mushrooms. The most easy and tasty one I have found is the mushroom fry and mushroom rice. If you want mushrooms as a side dish then you can keep it as a fry but if you just want to make variety rice out of it just mix the fry with rice cooked like we cook for fried rice. That will taste some what like a byryani and somewhat like a fried rice., This is why I call it mushroom rice.
Ingredients
Fresh mushrooms-100gms (cut into 4 pieces)
Big onion-1
Tomato-1
Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon
Sambar powder-2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Coriander leaves –little
Mint leaves-little
For seasoning
Cinnamon-2 small pieces
Brinji leaf-a small one
Clove-2
Cardamom-2
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Green chillies-2 spitted
Mint leaves-little
Mushrooms should not be washed for a long time in water as it will absorb water. First wipe it with a soft dry towel or a tissue paper and then with a wet one. cut into pieces. cut the onions and tomatoes also. split the chilies. Keep the kadai in the stove. Season it with the items given in ‘to season’ in 1 table spoon of oil(If you plan to make mushroom rice add little extra oil).sauté the onions and tomatoes and the chillies.add ginger garlic paste and stir nicely. once the raw smell of ginger garlic paste goes add the mushroom pieces,sambar powder and turmeric powder. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. You will find water oozing out of mushrooms. Now add very little water (3 to 4 tablespoons) and the salt required. close the kadai with a lid. Keep the stove in medium fire. The mushrooms will get cooked within 5 minutes. So after 5 minutes open the lid and see. If there is excess water increase the flame and cook till there is not much water content.
Now the fry is ready. Garnish with coriander leaves while serving
If you plan to make mushroom rice, then cook the rice in such a way that you cook for fried rice. The rice should be cooked in such a way that they do not stick to each other.Transffer the rice to a big flat bowl and allow it to cool. Once the rice is cool add the mushroom fry little by little and mix using the backside of the ladle. For the above quantity of fry 1 cup of rice will be perfect. Add little bit of salt for the rice. Garnish with coriander leaves while serving.Children will love this rice .An easy way to give the nutrients to our kids

Murungaikkai Thanneer Kuzhambu (Drum stick watery sambar)

2008-06-12T09:57:00.000-07:00

As the name indicates this kuzhambu will be watery but with the full taste of a good sambar. In consistency it will be in the midst of sambar and rasam.This kuzhambu is very famous in chettinad. I used to wonder why it is so. In olden days chettiar men used to be overseas in pursuit of wealth. Only the ladies used to be at home and they used to spend the money given to them strictly in such a way that it lasts till the chettiar comes home the next time. This made them conscious of money matters.Because of this the chettiar ladies even if not educated became very good at accounts. They gave money for interest to the less privileged people in that village. They were able to calculate the interest exactly and were very just in everything. These things made them very calculative also. I know what is running in everybody’s mind now. Why is achi telling all these now? I also from my childhood used to think why the achi’s are very stringent while the chettiars are lavish and was trying to find out the reason. The reason was the ladies wanted to spend only a less portion of the money they had and save more for the number of children they had those days(especially for the girls,getting the girls married is a big affair in chettinad from those days). Coming back to the thanni kuzhambu, this became famous because only half the amount of Thoor dhal used for sambar is used for this kuzhambu and the achi’s specialized in bringing the exact taste with less dhal. So when the chettiar is away sambar will rarely find its way in the menu however rich the family may be. Moreover it will be very mild for the stomach. After a non veg day, this will be good for health. All chettiar people are addicted to this taste that even now in chettinad during all functions thanni kuzhambu will be served before sambar. Beans is the most commonly used vegetable for this kuzhambu. Now those days has gone and many don’t know the difference between a thanni kuzhambu and sambar.I also belong to this category. Once after tasting this kuzhambu wanted to find out the difference and tried. The main difference that I noted is
1. Less usage of thoor dhal.
2. Very little oil used
3. Seasoning first itself

4. Sauting the kuzhambu milagai thool and turmeric powder in the oil after seasoning

Ingredients
Thoordhal-a handful (100 Gms)
Beans-10 to 15 or 2 Drum sticks
Small onion-10
Garlic-6 pods
Coriander leaves-little
Curry leaves-little
Kuzhambu milagai thool-2 teaspoons
Tomato-1
Tamarind paste-1 teaspoons (qty used for sambar)
For seasoning
Mustard seed-1 teaspoon
Fennel seed-1/2 teaspoon
Fenugreek seed-1/2 teaspoon
Small jeera- 1 teaspoon

Procedure
Cook the dhal with extra water nicely in the cooker and keep aside. Keep the kadai in the stove. In 1 teaspoon oil season the kuzhambu with the items given in ‘to season’. Once the mustard seed cracks add the onion, garlic and tomato pieces nicely. Smash the tomatoes nicely with the ladle in such a way that there is little water content in the mixture. Now add the kuzhambu milagai thool and turmeric powder and saute nicely. If there is no water content before adding the powder it will get burnt. So be careful. Now add the vegetable used and sauté that also nicely. Add the water that is there on top of the cooked dhal and keep the stove to medium. Soak the tamarind and the salt needed also. When the vegetable is almost cooked add the tamarind water and the dhal mixed in a cup of water also. Make sure that the salt and hot taste is perfect. Let the kuzhambu boil for 5 to 7 minutes. Before switching off the stove add the chopped coriander also. Even for a 10 month baby this can be given mixed with rice or idly.

I rarely make this because I think that the only way I can give more protiens to my daughter is through the hot sambar rice with sambar made with a good quantity of dhal, I send to school through the carrier lady.But today immediately after entering the house from school she told me'Amma the sambar rice you sent today was awesome'.

Poondu Vengaya kuzhambu Or Karakuzhambu Or Vathal Kuzhambu(Onion Garlic Gravy)

2008-06-08T22:28:00.000-07:00

I know when we hear the name karakuzhambu itself it will be very tempting for many. All at my home are also no exception. In chettinad it is called as Vellaipoondu Vengaya kuzhambu. This for sure will be made at least once in 10 days in all homes. I for sure will make this once a week. It will go excellent with idly also. For packed lunch also it will be lovely. Though the recipe seems to be simple the taste of the gravy depends on the patience with which you cook. But by experience one will learn to make a good kuzhambu.
Ingredients
Garlic-20 to 30 pods
Pearl onion (small onion)-20
Tomato-1
Curry leaves-little
Coriander powder-2 teaspoon
Sambar powder (kuzhambu milagai thool)-2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Tamarind-gooseberry size
Gingelly oil-1 table spoon
For seasoning
Mustard seed-1 teaspoon
Fennel seed-1 teaspoon
Fenugreek seed-1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little
Procedure
Soak the tamarind with the salt needed in three cups of water. Add the coriander powder,sambar powder and turmeric powder to this water itself. Cut the onions and garlic into length wise pieces. If the garlic is not very big, no need to cut it. Cut the tomatoes also into small pieces. Many don’t use tomatoes for this kuzhambu. To reduce the use of tamarind, I use tomatoes. Keep the kadai in the stove. Season the gravy with the items given in ‘to season’ in one to 1 ½ table spoon of gingerly oil or cooking oil. Add the onions, garlic and tomatoes and sauté nicely. Now add the tamarind dissolved water .Wait for the gravy to boil nicely for 3 minutes. Now reduce the flame to minimum and allow the gravy to cook till it becomes thick. I usually wait till the oil separates. For the new ones they can switch off the stove when it becomes 1/3 rd in quantity. In between you can check for the taste and add chili powder or salt if needed. (While sautéing if you add some vathal like sundakkai or manathakkali this kuzhambu can be called vathal kuzhambu)