Paruppu Podi (Dal Powder for Rice)

If you have ever been in a hostel or away from home you'll know the significance of paruppu podi.
Paruppu podi is very easy to make and very handy to have in the house.
Ingredients:
1 Cup Thoor dal
10 Nos Dry red chilly
1 Tbsp Black Pepper
1 Pod Garlic(optional)
Asafoetida
Salt to taste
Method:
Dry roast all the ingredients and grind to a fine powder.

Mix the powder with rice and sesame seed oil or rice and ghee.

Rasam Podi (Rasam Powder)

Ingredients:
1 Cup Cumin
3/4 Cup Black Pepper
11/2 Cup Dry Red chilly
25 Gms Thoor dal
25 Gms Coriander seeds
Method:
Dry roast all the above ingredients and grind to a powder.
(instead of dry roasting, you can let it sit in the sun till the chilly has become crisp).

Muttai Poriyal (Egg Burjee)

Ingredients:
2 Nos Egg
1 Large Onion (chopped)
4 Nos Green chillies(chopped)
1 Sprig curry leaves
1 Tsp Mustard seeds
1 Tsp Urad dal
1 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste.
Method:
Heat oil in a kadai, add Mustard seeds, and urad dal.
When the mustard seeds pop add curry leaves, chopped onion, chillies and saute.
Break the eggs and pour into the pan.
Add Salt, scramble the egg mixture until fully cooked.
Serve hot with rice.
It is also great with bread.

Carrot Cabbage Poriyal

Carrot cabbage poriyal is very colorful and easy to make.
Today i had very little cabbage and carrots for a separate dish,so I combined the two to make carrot cabbage poriyal.
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Cabbage (shredded)
1/2 Cup Carrot (shredded)
3 Nos Green chillies (sliced)
1/2 Large onion (sliced)
2 Tbsp oil
1 Tsp Mustard seeds
1Tsp Urad dal
1 Sprig Curry leaves
Salt to taste.
Method:
Heat oil in kadai,add Mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves.
When the mustard seeds pop add onion , green chillies and saute.
Add the carrot and saute for a minute and add the cabbage.
Add salt, cover and cook the porial till the vegetables are tender.
The poriyal can be garnished with grated coconut.
Serve with rice and curry.

Sambar Powder

Ingredients:
500 gmsDry red Chilly
250 gms Coriander seeds
50 gms Pepper
50 gms Cumin
50 gms Methi seeds
25 gms Urad dal
50 gms Channa dal
Asafoetida
Method:
Dry roast all the ingredients and grind to a fine powder.

Baby Potato Fry

Baby potato fry is a favorite in my house.I usually buy dutch pewee potato. The size and the shape make it so attractive.
Ingredients:
1 Lbs Baby potatoes
1 Large onion (chopped)
1 Sprig curry leaves
1/2 Tsp Pepper powder
1 Tsp Cumin powder
11/2 Tbsp Chilly powder
1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
4 Tbsp oil
1 Tsp Mustard seeds
1 Tsp Urad dal
Salt to taste.
Method:
Wash the baby potatoes and boil the potatoes with little salt.
Peel the potatoes.
Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a kadai, add urad dal and mustard seeds.
When the mustard seeds pop add, curry leaves, chopped onion and saute.
Add boiled potatoes and all the spice and salt.
Cover and cook.Add the remaining oil little by little when needed.

Tomato sevai

Ingredients:
2 Cups rice vermicelli
2 Nos medium hot long peppers(chopped)
1 Tomato(or tomato puree)
1/2 Large onion(chopped)
1 Sprig curry leaves
1 Tsp G/G Paste(ginger/garlic)
1/2 Tsp Garam masala
1 Tsp mustard seeds
1 Tsp Urad dal
2 Tbsp oil
Salt to taste.
Method:
Heat water in container.When the water comes to a boil add the rice vermicelli.
Covet the pan, and turn off the heat.
Set aside for a few minutes and drain the water.
Cool the vermicelli in a plate (so that it does not get soggy.)
Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves.
When the mustard seeds splutter, add chopped onion, peppers,tomato and saute.
Now add G/G paste and garam masala.
Add the vermicelli and salt.
Mix the masala well with the vermicelli.
Serve hot.

Onion Fritters (Thul Pakoda)

Thul pakoda is extremely easy to make, and very yummy.
Ingredients:
1 large onion
3 Tbsp Bengal gram flour
2 Tbsp Rice flour
1 Tbsp chilly powder
Oil for frying
Salt to taste
Asafoetida.
Method:
Slice the onion(very thin)
Mix the benagal gram flour, rice flour, asafoetida, salt and chilly powder with onion.
If necessary just add a few drops of water(not more than that).
Heat the oil , and deep fry the onion mixture.(spread the mixture before dropping in oil).
When the fritters are a golden brown color remove from oil and serve hot.

Idly Podi

Idly podi, is a kind of savior:It is always there in the pantry,saving the day when I have headache or when I have unexpected guests or simply lazy!
Ingredients:
1 Cup urad dal
3/4 Cup pottu kadalai (pori kadalai)
2 Cup Red chillies
1 Tbsp Sesame seeds
4 Sprigs Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Method:
Dry roast all the ingredients and grind.
The powder has to be a little coarse.

kothavarangai poriyal

Ingredients:
1/2 Lb kothavarangai (cluster beans)
1/2 large onion (chopped)
1 habanero pepper
1 Tsp mustard seeds
1 Tsp urad dal
1 sprig curry leaves
2 Tbsp oil
Salt to taste.
Method:
Wash the cluster beans ant cut the ends.
Cut into 1 inch pieces.
Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds urad dal and curry leaves.
When the mustard seeds splutter, add the chopped onion,habanero pepper and saute.
(instead of habanero pepper you can add green chillies according to your taste)
Now add the cut cluster beans and salt and little water.
cover and cook till the beans are tender.
This poriyal is good with rice and a hot curry.

Vadakari

Vadakari is famous in Chennai and the surrounding areas of Tamilnadu.This also happens to be my dad's favorite dishes.
Vadakari as the name implies is a curry made with vadas.
Usually the vada is fried in oil , in this recipe instead of frying the vada I have steamed it in a idly cooker.(trying to be a little calorie conscious!)
Ingredients:
1 cup Channa dhal
1 Large Onion (chopped)
1 Tomato (chopped)
3 Dry red chillies
2 Green chillies
1 Tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
2 Tbsp Chilli powder
1 Tbsp Garam masala
1/2 Cup coconut milk
3 sprigs Curry leaves
1 Tbsp G/G Paste(Ginger/Garlic)
2 Nos Cardamom
1 Bay leaves
2 Cloves
1 small piece Cinnamon
Asafoetida
1 Tsp Mustard seeds & urad dal
3 Tbsp oil
Salt to taste.
Method:
Vada:
Soak the channa dal for 1/2 hour.
Grind the channa dal along with dry red chillies, half the fennel seeds,haalf the curry leaves and little salt.
Grind this into a coarse paste without adding much water.
Form the batter into disk shapes(or small dumplings) and steam it in an idly cooker.(you can also fry the vada in oil.)
once the vadas are done, set it aside and let it cool.

Gravy:
Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, urad dal,curry leaves and let it splutter.
Add bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and stir for a second.
Add onions, green chillies, G/G paste,tomato and saute.
Now add garama masala , turmeric powder and chilly powder.(increase/decrease chilly powder according to your taste)
Add water and cook for a few minutes.
Now add the coconut milk, cover and cook for a minute.
Add asafoetida, Now scramble the vadas and add to the curry.
Add water if necessary.

Serve immediately. The vada will absorb the liquid in the curry, making it thick as time passes.

Vadakari is great with Idly, dosa, appam.
I tried this with Banana Bread dosa , A recipe I got from Recipe Junction.