Onion Pickle is being prepared by me for nearly 30 years. Earlier,with little awareness, I was using preservative and vinegar.Now for the past 10 years, they are avoided.Homemade Pickles are free from chemicals.Our own product gives us a sense of pride and joy. With little planning and shelling out time, pickles can easily and quickly be prepared at home.
Ingredients :
Big Onion ( medium size ) 6
Oil 5 tbsp.
Chilly Powder 1 tsp.
Salt 1 tsp.
Fenugreek ( Roasted and powdered ) 3/4 tsp.
Tamarind 1 big gooseberry size
Turmeric Powder, Hing, Mustard
Method :
1. Slice tho onions and grind them in the mixer into a paste.
2. Soak the tamarind in hot water and take a thick extract. If the tamarind is of a good
quality and free from seeds and impurities, it can be soaked in hot water for 10 mins.
and ground with the onions in the mixer.
3. Heat oil in a thick bottomed Kadai, add the Mustard, Hing and then the onion paste.
4. Saute well on a medium flame with constant stirrings.Add Turmeric Powder and salt.
5. When the onions turn colour, add the Tamarind water and mix well. Let it simmer for
5 mins.
6. Add Chilly powder, Fenugreek and mix well.Let it simmer for 10 mins Switch off.The
tasty Onion Pickle is ready.
Note :
In the original recipe, pods of 2 garlics were ground with the onions. Sombu was also added.But as the garlic and sombu smell lingers in the throat for a long time, I avoid them.Those who like their flavour can include them.
Half cup of Fenugreek is dry roasted, powdered and stored by me always. The Fenugreek powder is very handy for any pickle.
Salt, Chilly Powder and Tamarind can be adjusted to our own taste.
Wheat Flour Dosai is very simple, people may think.It is true, if certain tips are followed carefully.It is the best alternative for chappathis and also one of the easiest tiffin items, made with the common ingredients.
Despite my years of cooking experience, only for the past three years, I am very happy with my Gothumai Mavuu ( Wheat Flour) Dosais, following a few tips, born out of experience.
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Wheat Flour Dosai |
Ingredients:
Wheat Flour 1 cup
Rice Flour 1/3 cup.
Salt
Pepper Powder / Chilly Powder
Method :
1. Mix well the flour, salt and the Pepper powder. Then add water little by little and mix
well with the hand without any lumps. This is very important.The batter must be watery
and also of the Dosai consistency.If the batter is thick, thin Dosais cannot be prepared.
Let it rest at least for 30 mins.This is the second tip.
2.Before preparing the dosais, once again check the batter with the hand and break even
if there are small lumps.This is the third tip.
3. Heat the Tawa.Do not smear it with too much of oil.This is the fourth tip.Too much of
oil applied on the Tawa will make the batter ' dance ' to its wish.Smear the Tawa using
greased cloth, if necessary.
4. Pour the batter, make it into a thin round Dosai. Add oil or ghee as per taste. Once the
batter is cooked on one side, turn it to the other side. Remove when the Dosai becomes
golden brown.
Note :
Sliced onions, chillies and curry leaves were added in olden days.But we cannot make thin dosais.Those who are particular of the Onion flavour can add them raw or sauted.Mustard can be added.The Dosais may slightly be thick but soft.
Heavy iron Dosai Kal,( Tawa ) made out of Cast Iron is best for making, any type of Dosai, thick Kal Dosai, set Dosai or Roast.Initially it may take time for getting heated. Once heated, Dosai can be prepared quickly with patience and care.
Greasing the Tawa with only minimum oil is to be followed. Afterwards on the Dosai, adding as much oil or ghee is the secret of the Roast.
Sodhi is a very special delicacy, a gravy made of coconut milk, to be taken with rice. This finds a place in the dinner served on the occasion of Mappillai Azhaippu,meaning inviting or welcoming the bridegroom,a function on the eve of the marriage in the Saiva Vellala Community of the Tirunelveli District.Sodhi is mainly a gravy to be mixed with rice and taken.It can also be taken as a side dish for tiffin items, especially Idiappam and Aappam.
This gravy is somewhat similar to the coconut stew, a combo. for Aappam and Idiappam.Sodhi goes very well with Inji ( Ginger ) Pachadi and Potato Fry.
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| Coconut Sodhi |
Ingredients :
Grated coconut 4 cups.
Pasiparuppu( Moong Dhal ) 1/2 cup.
Green chillies 4
Ginger 1 tsp. size
Cubed carrot, Potato, Beans, Peas 1 cup.
Drumstick 2
Mango 1
Onion 2
Tomato 1
Oil, Coriander leaves
Lemon 1
Method :
1. Soak the Pasiparuppu for 15 mins. and pressure cook. Mash well.Soaking makes cooking
faster and saves fuel.
2. Four cups of grated coconut can be ground with 2 cups of water in the mixer and 2 cups
of thick coconut milk can be extracted.Then take 1 cup of thin extract of coconut milk.
3. Heat 1 tsp. of oil and saute the green chillies and the ginger, sliced.On cooling, grind
them to a fine paste, adding little water if necessary.
4. Saute the sliced onions and tomatoes. Then add all the vegetables,little salt and the
thin coconut milk.When the vegetables are almost cooked,add the ginger, chilly paste.
Stir well and let it simmer for 2 mins. Then add the cooked Pasiparuppu mixed with
half cup of water to avoid lumps.Add salt and mix the gravy well.
5. Let the gravy boil on low fire for 5 mins.The Moong Dhal is only a thickening agent.
Some people add Roasted gram ( Pottu Kadalai ).That can be ground to a fine paste and
added instead of Moong Dhal.
6. Add the thick milk and let it simmer for 2 mins.Over boiling after adding the thick
coconut milk will make the gravy watery.
7. Add lemon juice, coriander leaves and switch off.
Note :
If Drumsticks, Mango and Peas are off season,it is O.K.
Manage with Potato, Beans and Carrot.
One more Tomato and little more lemon juice may be added in the place of raw Mango, by the people who prefer sour taste.
All the vegetables can also be pressure cooked with the thin milk in a pressur cooker and added to save fuel and time.The only hitch, is the drumsticks, split open.
Making this Sodhi is very fast and easy in the US. as tinned coconut milk can be used which has a wonderful taste.It is very aromatic and tasty.For cooking the vegetables, 2- 3 tbsp. of the tinned coconut milk can be diluted with water and used.Finally the thick milk can be used.
