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.

Carrot kara poriyal

My Dh kept asking me to make this carrot kara poriyal that my MIL makes,So when I saw the JFI for this month I thought i'll post this recipe.
Ingredients:
4 Nos Carrot
2 Tbsp Coconut
1/2 Tsp Fennel seeds
2 Cloves Garlic
4 Nos Dry Red Chilly
1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
1 Sprig Curry Leaves
1 Tbsp Oil
1 Tsp Mustard Seeds
1 Tsp Urad Dal
Salt to taste.
Method:
Peel the carrot and cut it into thin rounds and set aside.
Grind, turmeric, garlic, coconut,fennel seeds, and red chillies to a smooth paste and set aside.
Heat oil in a kadai and add the mustard seeds and urad dal.
When the mustard seeds pop add the curry leaf, cut carrots and sautee for a minute.
Add salt and the ground paste.
Cover and cook the carrots , till the masala smell leaves and the carrots are tender.
Add water little by little as required.
Serve hot. This Poriyal is a great side dish with any rice dish.

Vegetable Puff Cups

Last week we had a get together at our house.I wanted to make an appetizer that is quick and a crowd-pleaser, so I decided on these puff cups .These cups are very elegant to serve for single portions. Instead of the ever present potato filling I made a vegetable filling. It was a huge hit with our friends.
Ingredients:
1 Small pack of mixed frozen vegetables (peas,corn,beans, carrot)
1 Pack Puff pastry shells
1 large Onion (chopped)
2 Nos Ripe Tomatoes (chopped)
1 Tbsp Cumin seeds
1/4 Tbsp Ginger /Garlic paste
2 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp Red chilly powder
Salt to taste.
Method:
Remove the pastry shells from the freezer and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.Place the shells with the lids facing upwards.
Set the timer for 20-25 minutes or until crisp.
Heat oil in a kadai and add the cumin seeds.
When the cumin seeds pop add the chopped onion and ginger/garlic paste and saute.
When the onion is tender add tomato , red chily powder, salt a little water and cook covered for a minute.
Now add the frozen vegetable mixture and continue cooking covered, till the vegetables are tender. (Keep stirring in between and add water if necessary.)
When the Pastry shells are done remove the lids using a fork.
Fill the shells with the prepared vegetable mixture and cover with the removed lids.
Serve immediately. The shells can be re heated by placing in the oven for 2 - 3 minutes at 350ºF.