kovakkai Masala/ Tindora Masala

This recipe is very simple . kovakkai masala is great with just plain rice or with any other bland curry.This is also great with chapati.
Ingredients:
1/2 Lbs Tindora
1 No Tomato (chopped)
1 No Onion (chopped)
1/2 Tsp Garam masala
1 Tbsp Red chilly powder
1/2 Tsp Ginger/Garlic paste
2 Tbsp Oil
1 Tsp mustard seeds
1 Tsp Urad dal
1 sprig curry leaves
Salt to taste.
Method:
Wash the Tindora.
Remove the ends, cut it lengthwise into four pieces.
Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves.
When the mustard seeds pop add the onion, tomato and saute well.
When the onion is tender add the tindora and the rest of the ingredients and saute.
Set the kadai to a medium flame, cover and cook till the tindora is tender.
Sprinkle water in between as required.
Serve hot.

Ennai kathrikai sambar

Ennai kathrikai sambar is my DH's All time favourite sambar.When ever we make this sambar at home he insists that we make it in exess, so that he can have it with rice the next day morning.
Ingredients:
1 No Onion (chopped)
1 Cup Thoor Dal
1 pinch Turmeric powder
5 Nos baby brinjals
5 Tbsp Oil
1 Sprig Curry leaves
1 Tsp mustard seeds
1 Tsp urad dal
11/2 tsp Tamarind paste
Asafoetida
Salt to taste.
For Grinding:
1 No Tomato (chopped)
1/2 Cup Coconut (grated)
2 Tbsp Corriander seeds
11/2 Tbsp Thoor dal
5 Nos dry red chilly.
Method:
Pressure cook the thoor dal with turmeric powder and set aside.
Wash the brinjals, remove the heads.
Make slits at the bottom of the brinjal and drop it in the water.
Roast all red chilly, thoor dal, and corriander seeds in 1/2 a tsp of oil.
When the thoor dal is golden brown, grind it along with coconut and tomato into a fine paste.
Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds, urad dal ,and curry leaves.
When the mustard seeds pop, add the brinjal and saute nicely.
Add onion and saute for a minute.Now add the tamarind paste , ground paste , water salt and let it simmer for a minute.
Now add the cooked thoor dal and lot it boil till the brinjal is thoroughly cooked.
Add more water if necessary.
Add asafoetida before turning of the range.
Serve with white rice.
It is also great with dosa and old rice, soaked in water overnight.

Bottle gourd Subzi

This subzi is very simple and takes little time to make.It tastes great with chapatti.
Ingredients:
1 No Bottle gourd (Cubed)
1 No Large Onion (Chopped)
1 No Tomato
1 Tbsp Cumin seeds
1/2 Tsp G/G paste
1 Tsp Red chilly powder
1 Pinch Turmeric
1 Tbsp oil
Salt to taste.
Method:
Grind the tomato and set aside.
Peel and cube the bottle gourd.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the cumin seeds.
When the cumin seeds pop , add the chopped onion and sautee.
When the onion is tender add the rest of the ingredients along with the tomato puree and add required amount of water and let it cook for about two whistles.
Serve hot.

Beetroot Leaves Poriyal

When I bought this week's vegetables, the beetroot was very fresh.The leaves were so tender, that I had to do some thing with it. So I made this beetroot leaves poriyal .
Ingredients:
1 Bunch of Beetroot Greens
2 Tbsp Coconut (grated)
5 Nos Green chilly (sliced)
1 No Large Onion (chopped)
1 Tbsp Oil
1 sprig Curry leaves
1 Tsp Mustard seeds
1 Tsp Urad dal
Salt to taste.
Method:
Wash the beetroot leaves, Roll it in a bundle and julienne it along with the stem.
Heat oil in a kadai , add mustard seeds and urad dal.
When the mustard seeds pop, add the curry leaves, chopped onion and the green chilly.
Sautee till the onin is tender and add the leaves, salt and saute.
Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the leaves are almost done.
Now add the grated coconut and saute it for another minute or two.
Serve hot with rice.

Chocolate mousse

Ingredients:

2 -ounce semisweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup water, divided use

2 tablespoons butter

2 large egg yolks

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/4 cups heavy cream, whipped

1 Tsp Vanilla extract

1 Tbsp Instant coffee

For Garnishing:

Redi whipp whipping cream

Chocolate fudge sauce

Chocolate hazelnut Piourette

Method:

Whipp the cream as follows:

Begin with thoroughly chilled cream. Chill mixing bowl and beaters. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and Vanilla extract while whipping cream. Cream is whipped when soft peaks form.
Mousse:
In a double boiler, heat chocolate, 1/4 cup water,Granulated coffee and butter until the chocolate and butter are melted. Cool for 10 minutes.
In a small heavy saucepan, whisk egg yolks, sugar and remaining water.
Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches 160*F (70*C), about 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat; whisk in chocolate mixture. Set saucepan on ice and stir until cooled, about 5 to 10 minutes.Fold in whipped cream. Spoon into dessert dishes.
Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Befor serving Top the mousse with whipped cream, fudge sauce and a broke pioutette cookie.

Pulihora Paste

I had a lot of Tamarind at home .I feel more comfortable using the tamarind paste, So a friend showed me how to make this paste.This can be used for making pulihora and also in any recipe that calls for tamarind.Thanks S for patiently telling me how to make it.
Ingredients:
1 Pound Tamarind
1 Tbsp Turmeric
1 Tbsp Salt
Method:
Soak the Tamarind in very little water for 1 -2 hrs.
Take a colander and squeeze the Tamarind and extract the thick juice.
Repeat the processes again with a little fresh water.
Heat the tamarind extract along with salt and turmeric.
Let the mixture boil until all the water has evaporated and the tamarind extract has become a thick paste.
Let the paste cool down and then store in an air tight container.

Pulihora

Puliodharai is an all time favorite in my home.When ever we came to visit our parents , we would ask my mom to prepare Puliodharai she would just smile and ask us if didn't want any thing special.
Last month One of our friends invited us to home for Sathyanarayana puja. After the puja they served this Pulihora. It was less spicy & different from the one I have always had.By the end of the meall the serving dish was compleately clean, so do i need to add that it was yummy?
I got the recipe from her and made it at home.
Ingredients:
2 Cups Cooked White Rice
2 Tbsp Pulihora Paste
3 Tbsp Gingily oil
4 Nos Dry red chilly
1 Sprig Curry leaves
1 Tbsp Channa dal
2 Tbsp Ground Nuts
1 Tsp Mustard seeds and urad dal
Salt to taste.
Method:
Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a kadai and add groundnuts , channa dal, broken Red chilly, urad dal , mustard seeds and curry leaves.
When the mustard seeds pop and the ground nuts are brown pour the oil in the rice.
Add salt and the pulihora paste to rice and mix throughly adding the remainder of the oil.

Muttai Masal (Egg Masala)

My Dh loves food that is simple. Whenever I make some thing elaborate he just says that the food is good, But if i just leave it with just plain rice, rasam and a simple side dish he is in heaven.This muttai masala is one of his simple favourites...
This dish is great with just plain white rice too.It is very easy and dose not take a lot of time to make.
Ingredients:
2 No Eggs
1 Tsp Ginger/Garlic paste
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 Tsp Red chilly Powder
1 Tsp Black pepper powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala
2 Nos large Onion (chopped)
1 Sprig Curry leaves
1 Tbsp oil
1 Tsp mustard seeds
1 Tsp Urad dal
Salt to taste.
Method:
Hard boil the eggs, remove the shell and set aside.
Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds and urad dal.
When the mustard seeds pop add curry leaves , onion and saute.
Add the ginger/garlic paste and all the other ingredients and saute.
Cover and cook for three to four minutes.
Make small slits on either side of the egg and add to the masala.
Saute till the onion is tender.
Serve Hot.

Pancake

Last night I made pancakes for dinner and they came out very nice and fluffy.
Ingredients:
11/2 cup All purpose flour
2 Tsp Baking powder
1 tsp salt
11/2 Tbsp sugar
11/4 cup milk
1 egg
3 Tbsp butter (melted)
1 Tsp vanilla extract.
Method:
Mix the milk,sugar, salt,melted butter, egg and set aside.
Sift the baking powder and the all purpose flour in a large bowl.
Make a well in the center of the flour and pour vanilla extract and the milk mixture.
Mix the ingredients until it is smooth and has no lumps.
In a heated griddle pour quarter cup of the mixture, and Let the pancakes brown on both sides.
Note:Mix the flour so that it does not have any lumps. If the batter is lumpy the pancakes will not be soft.

Keerai kadaisal (Spinach)

Whenever I have Keerai kadaisal, it transports me right back to my childhood.My mom used to mix the keerai with rice , ghee and make it into small balls and give me and my brother.
Keerai kadaisal can also be had with idly's.
Ingredients:
1 Bunch spinach
4 Nos red chillis
1 no meduim sized Tomato (chopped)
1 Cloves of garlic
1 meduim sized ball Karivadakam
1 Tsp Mustard seeds
1 Tsp urad dal
2 Tbsp oil
1 sprig curry leaves
salt to taste.
Method:
Wash the spinach toroughly , rough chop it and set aside.
heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai. When the oil is hot, keep the heat setting to low and add red chilly and karivadakam.(squish the karivadakam before adding it)
Fry the karivadakam for a minute or untill you get the aromatic smell for the vadakam and pour in the mixie.
Be care full when frying the vadakam as it can get burnt quickly.
Add tomato,garlic,and spinach and sautee.
When the spinach and tomato are whilted put them in the mixee along with salt and pulse three to four times.
Add little water if required.
Heat the remaining oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and one red chilly.
When the mustard seeds pop pour the oil over the ground spinach.
Serve this keerai Kadaisal with white rice and ghee.

Vazhakai Thogayal ( Raw Banana Thogayal)

Last week when I went to one of our friends home, she made this thugayal for lunch. That was the first time I ever heard of a thugayal using raw banana, It was so yummy and I had to get the recipe from her and made it at home .
Ingredients:
1 Small Raw Banana
1 Clove Garlic
1 Tsp Cumin seeds
1 Tsp Tamarind paste
5 Nos Green chillies
1 Tsp Channa dal
2 Tsp Urad dal
2 Tbsp Curd
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 No dry red chilly
1 sprig curry leaves
2 Tbsp oil
salt to taste.
Method:
Cut the banana into half, boil in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles and let it cool.
Heat 1 tbsp oil and roast green chillies,cumin seeds,channa dal and 1 tsp urad dal.
Chop the cooled banana.
Grind the roasted ingredients along with garlic, salt, tamarind, curd and chopped banana.
Add water if necessary.
Heat oil in a kadai and add the red chilly, curry leaves, remaining urad dal and mustard seeds.
When the mustard seeds pop, pour the oil over the ground raw banana thugayal.
Serve the thugayal with rice.