Pudalangai Kootu

          Kootu varieties are the common side dish for rice in our families.It is also a must in our virundhus, marriages and special occasions.
                                                             

Ingredients :

Medium sized pudalangai ( snake gourd )  1
Channa Dhal             1/4 cup
Grated coconut       1/2 cup
Green chillies           2
Zeera                      3/4 tsp.
Small onions         4
Salt

To temper:

Oil, mustard, urad dhal, curry leaves.

Method :

1.Soak the channa dhal in hot water for 30 mins. so that it gets cooked faster.

2.Cut the vegetable into fine cubes and cook it with the soaked channa dhal  with enough water.

3.Grind the coconut, zeera , chillies and onion in a mixi.

4.Once the vegetable and the channa dhal become soft indicating that they are cooked, add salt and the coconut paste. Water can be added little if the kootu is thick. Mix well and keep on stirring to avoid lumps.

5.After 2 mins, reduce the flame and let it be on sim. for 5 mins.When the kootu reaches the semi solid consistency, remove from fire and season it with mustard, urad dhal and curry leaves.

Notes :

• Any variety of snake gourd can be used.The long variety gets cooked faster.The above recipe is for about 250 gms. of vegetable.
• Sliced big onions equal to 4 small onions can also be used if small onions are out of stock. 
• If onions are not preferred or to be avoided on particular days, they can be left out.
• During earlier days, our mother, MIL and grandmas used to add 4 tbsp. of milk to all kootus as they were consumed soon after preparation.We can also add.The taste is very good.
• I do not add any thickening agent like rice flour and instead add little more coconut.People who like to reduce coconut may add a a paste of rice flour.
• Though I use a lot of turmeric powder, I do not use if for kootus to maintain the white colour.My mother uses it and it can also be added.

Vanilla Icecream

                             Earlier I used to prepare ice cream only by adding custard powder, sugar and vanilla essence to milk.Now with a few tips from friends,  I add fresh cream and butter.The result is very rich and tasty ice cream.This can be quickly made when we have excess milk, even 500 ml. in the fridge.But the only hitch is fresh cream which we may not always store in fridge.
                                          

Vanilla Icecream

                                                   

Ingredients :
Milk                             500 ml.  / 1/2 lit.
Cornflour                       1.5 tsp.
Sugar                               150 gms.  /  3/4 cup
Vanilla essence                1 tsp.
Butter                               25 gms.
Fresh cream                      50 gms.

Method :

1.Take little milk out of the 500 ml. just to dissolve the cornflour well.Mix it well.

2.Boil rest of the milk and add sugar.Keep on stirring from the start.Otherwise the milk may stick to the sides of the vessel.

3.After 2 or 3 min. add the cornflour paste and keep on stirring on low flame to avoid lumps.

4.Switch off the flame and let the milk cool well.

5.When the milk is completely cooled, add the essence, butter and fresh cream.

6.Mix well and blend using a hand blender or electric blender or in a mixi.

7.Do not blend for more than 2 to 3 mins. as the cream may curdle.

8.Keep in the freezer, take out after 3 hours and blend again for 2 mins.

9.Keep in the freezer and use once it is ready after 4 or 5 hours.

Notes :

As I use milk with some fat content, I don't wait to let the milk boil for some time to get it reduced before adding sugar.

Capsicum Aval Pulao

                  Plenty of red capsicums were stored in my fridge as they were available at  a throw away price in the local market, the previous day. "Why don't I try a simple version of pulao with that and aval for breakfast ",  I thought and immediately worked it out.It turned out to be easy and tasty.

Capsicum Aval Pulao

                                             

                                  
Ingredients :

Thick aval                1 cup
Any coloured capsicum     1 ( medium or big )
Onion     1
Green chilly                2
Salt
Oil                     1 tbsp
Ghee                  2 tsp
Bay leaf    1
Cinnamon       2 pieces
Aniseed            1 tsp
Cloves              3
Coriander leaves.
Roasted peanut  / Badam  / Cashew ( optional )

Method :

1.Wash the aval and soak in water for 2 to 3 minutes and drain the water.
2.Heat the oil and ghee, add the bay leaf, aniseed and cloves.
3.Then add the finely sliced onion, split green chillies and the sliced capsicum.Add little salt.
4.Add mint leaves if available and saute well.
5.When the onion turns golden brown,add 1 cup of water and salt to taste.
6.Once the water boils,add the aval and stir continuously.Add 1 tsp. of lemon juice.
7.Once the water is absorbed,switch off the flame.
8.Add coriander leaves and dried nuts, if available.

Notes  :

• Ginger and garlic can be added finely chopped or mashed or ground in the mixi.
• Garam masala powder can be added.
• Other spices like maratti mokku, kal pasi etc. can be added.
• Lemon juice can be replaced with tomatoes or half tomato and half tsp. lemon juice can be used.
• I used minimum ingredients as I liked to have a simple breakfast.

Raw Mango Chutney

                      This simple but tasty chutney can be called a gift of the summer season when raw mangoes are seen everywhere.This recipe again is a contribution by my MIL.This chutney,if prepared by adding the minimum quantity of water goes well with plain rice and ghee, and all most all tiffin items.
                 The round shaped gundu mangai or the kilimooku magai, which are not very soar are the best choice.

Raw Mango Chutney

Ingredients :

Grated raw mango         1 cup
Grated coconut              1 cup
Green chillies                4
A small piece of tamarind
Salt to taste,Oil,Hing, Mustard
Urad Dhal,Curry Leaves.

Method :

1.Soak the tamarind in warm water for 10 minutes.
2.Grind the mango,coconut,chillies,salt and tamarind in a mixi, coarsely with little water.
3.Season with the mustard, urad dhal, hing and curry leaves.

Papaya Halwa

                       What ? Papaya Halwa ! People may wonder.Earlier Papaya Jam, as suggested by my friend Ms. K.S.Sita had been tried by me some years back.Last week there were guests from Chennai.Why don't I try a sweet with Papaya,which was in the fridge.
                      Halwa can be made with any base that goes well with sugar and ghee.My spouse who is crazy about sweets often used to say humorously, " Even if we mix sugar with sand, it is a sweet !" This seems to be true as people try sweet with all bases.Pumpkin Halwa,Pineapple Halwa, Carrot Halwa and Bread Halwa are common.
                    My niece Ms.Divya liked it very much and could not guess and later accept that it is prepared from papaya.

Papaya Halwa

                                                         

Ingredients :

Raw papaya               1
Sugar                         2 cups
Ghee                         3 tbsp
Cardamom Powder
Cashew , Badam
Rasberry red colour    A pinch

Method :

1.Peal the papaya and cut into small pieces.
2.Cook the papaya well directly in a small pressure cooker by adding little water.
3.After they get cool, grind to a fine paste in a mixi.
4.Roast the nuts in a little ghee and keep aside.
5.Measure the boiled and ground papaya pulp.
6.One cup of papaya base can be got from a medium sized papaya.
7.Add sugar in the ratio of 1: 2. This can be reduced according to our taste.
8.Mix the base, colour and sugar in the same small cooker and place it on the flame.
9.Stir on the high flame continuously with 1 tbsp. of ghee. for 5 minutes.
10.Then keep it in sim. for 10 mins.
11.Finally add the remaining ghee, cardamom powder and the nuts.
12.Transfer to bowl.The hot and tasty Halwa is ready.

Raw Mango Rice

          Summer is special to us, despite the hot temperature, as we get mango fruits and raw mango in plenty in summer.Using the raw mango, we can prepare a variety of pickles, chutney rice ,gravy etc.
        My mother in law is an expert in making this mangai, thengai rice, puliodharai etc.Following her recipe, I too prepare this rice when raw mango is available.This rice goes well with pappad or  potato or raw banana fry.

Ingredients :

Rice                          1 cup
Medium Size Mango    1
Grated coconut           1 cup
Salt                           2 tsp

To temper :

Oil                2 tbsp
Mustard          1/2 tsp
Split Urad Dhal           1/2 tsp
Channa Dhal           1 tbsp
Red chillies               4
Hing,  Curry Leaves
Roasted Peanuts / Roasted cashew nuts

Method :

1.Cook the rice by adding  water a little less than the usual.

2.Spread it as it is hot, in a wide vessel that will be convenient for mixing.Let it cool for some time.
3.Peal the mango and grate it.
4.Heat oil and add the ingredients under " to temper ",except the nuts.
5.When the channa dhal turns brown, add the grated coconut, grated mango and salt.
6.Stir continuously on high flame for 2 to 3 minutes and on low flame for 5 to 7 minutes.
7.Remove from the flame and mix well with rice.Add the roasted peanuts or cashew nuts.
8.The tasty thengai, mangai rice is ready.

Notes :

• The quantity of the grated mango, salt and chilly can be altered according to our taste and the sourness of the mango.
• Adding coconut is optional.If coconut is not used, reduce the quantity of the mango also.Otherwise the rice may be very soar.

Iddli Uppuma

                         This easy to make tiffin item prepared from the left over iddlis is very tasty and is very popular in the Tirunelveli region and also in the families hailing from there.
                         This iddli uppuma has been immortalised by the famous Tamil film director Mr. Vickraman in the Tamil film, Suryavamsam.He is also from Tirunelveli District.

Ingredients :

Iddlis                            5
Small Onions                 20 ( if not, 1 big onion, sliced )
Green or red chillies     2
Salt

To temper :

Mustard and Split urad dhal            1/2 tsp
Oil                                               2 tsp
Curry leaves

Method :

1. Smearing the five fingers with oil, squeeze the iddlis into the uppuma texture and add little salt.
2. Heat oil, add mustard, urad dhal, curry leaves, sliced red chillies or the broken red chillies.
3. Once the mustard cracks, add the iddli uppuma and mix well.Keep it in sim. for 3 to 4 mins.,mixing well in between. Switch of the flame,The delicious iddli  uppuma is ready.

Ven Pongal

                 This was not common in my mother's house.My mother in law used to prepare this but with less dhal and less water and I started preparing this Pongal with more dhal and water and also to use hing from an aunty, Ms. Hemavathy, who was my neighbour two decades back and the credit of some of the recipes go to her.
            Today Pongal means an elegant mashy form as Rava Uppuma has taken the new avatar of Kichadi in a mashy form and any one of them forms a part of the menu in the breakfast of any marriage in Tamil Nadu.In the dishes which we add more water like Ven Pogal, Rava Kichadi and Bisibela, adding more oil or ghee proportionately is unavoidable and the they have to be taken hot.

Ingredients :

Raw rice ( Pacharisi )               1 cup
Moong dhal / Pasiparuppu        1/3 cup
Black pepper                              1 tsp
Zeera                                          1 tsp
Salt                                            1 tsp
Oil                                             3 tbsp
Ghee                                           2 tsp
Finely sliced ginger                   1/2 tsp
Curry leaves, Cashew nuts, Hing

Method :

1. Wash the  rice and the dhal well in water.
2. Heat oil ,add the pepper and zeera.When the pepper splutters, add the ginger, hing and curry leaves.
3. Then transfer them to the rice and dhal.Add 4 cups of water,add salt and mix well.
4. Cook them directly in a 3 lit. pressure cooker.After 2 or 3 whistles, reduce the flame and off the stove after 5 minutes.
5. Once the steam subsides, open the cooker, add the cashews fried in the ghee and stir well. The hot and tasty Pongal is ready.

Notes :

• Pepper and jeera can also be roasted in ghee and powdered coarsely and added but has to be added after cooking the rice.
• Cooking became very simple and handy after I bought the small 2 and 3 lits. cookers.They are user friendly with less space consumption ,fuel efficiency and easy maintenance.Those two tiny tots are my first love in the kitchen.
• When 1 cup of rice and dhal is cooked in a 3 lit. cooker,water doesn't come out much.
• When cooking directly in a pressure cooker, it is very important to be cautious.Check the vent in the lid before closing and also the weight.Be cautious about the whistle.
• While cooking directly, I place the weight immediately after closing the lid, checking them thoroughly.
• If a container is used, let it get cooked for some more time.

Banana Milk Shake

                 Mango milk shake, apple milk shake, sapota milk  shake etc. have been tried by me but not this Banana milk shake until it was served to me by my friend, Ms.Sushil.She worked with me just for a week but became so intimate as if we had known each other for years.She is such an interesting personality that we can discuss any subject.
             Banana, being very common and taken as it is,we never get the idea of making a juice of it.I tried and it was really tasty.Any ripe banana like Poovan or Rasthali can be used.

Banana Milkshake

Ingredients:

Medium sized banana                    1
Sugar                                           4 tsp
Cardamom                                    2
Cold water                                    1 1/2 cups
Boiled and chilled milk                   1/2 cup

Method:

1. Peel the banana and cut into small pieces.
2. Add all the  ingredients with just 1/2 cup of water in a big mixi jar and blend well in the mixi.
3. Then add the remaining water and milk.Leave the small lumps, if any, at the bottom of the mixi.
4. The milk shake will be white in colour.It can be kept in the fridge but there may be slight change in the colour.

Notes :

• Two cups of milk shake can be got out of the given ingredients.

• Sugar has to be adjusted according to our taste and the sourness of the fruit.

• The proportion of the milk can be changed to our preference.