Poosanikkai / Pumpkin Pachadi

              Poosanikkai Pachadi seems to be the monopoly of only a few of our families. This dish and the name was known to me only after my marriage. This is prepared as one of the dishes in the leaf to be offered to the forefathers and worshipped on the Thai Pongal Day in our ancestral home.

Poosanikkai Pachadi

Ingredients :

Sliced Poosanikkai   2 cups
Cooked Toor Dhal   1/2 cup
Powdered Jaggery     2 tbsp.
Tamarind  1 big Gooseberry size
Oil, Mustard, Split Urad Dhal, Curry Leaves, Salt

To grind in the mixer :

Grated coconut     4 tbsp
Green chillies   3
Cumin ( Zeeragam )   1 tsp.
Small onions   4

Method :

1. Soak the Tamarind in warm water and take 1/2 cup of extract.Grind the coconut with
   little water and the given ingredients in the mixer.

2. Cook the sliced Poosanikkai with the required water till they become soft.

3. Add the coconut paste, tamarind water, cooked Dhal,salt and Jaggery. Let it boil on
   a medium flame for 5 mins.

4. Season with Mustard, Urad Dhal and Curry Leaves.The Pachadi, a mixture of sweet,
   sourness and salt is ready. Cooked Moong Dhal can be added instead of Toor Dhal.
   

Noolkol Poriyal

                                                   Noolkol Poriyal is a different side dish for rice. Many people do not use Noolkol at all. I myself use it only for past 10 years. It can be added to Sambar, Kuruma or cooked as a Poriyal.

Noolkol Poriyal

Ingredients :

Noolkol   4
Onion  1
Oil
Mustard, Split Urad Dhal, Curry Leaves

To grind in the mixer :

Grated coconut   3 tbsp.
Green chillies  1 or 2
Zeeragam    1 tsp.
Small onions  3

Method :

1. Peel off, cut the Noolkol into small cubes and pressure cook in a small pressure cooker
    with little salt and water for 2 whistles.

2.Heat oil, add Mustard, Urad Dhal, Curry Leaves and then the sliced onion. Saute  well.

3. Add the cooked veg. without any water. Add salt and the ground coconut. Mix well and
    stir on medium flame for 5 mins.Those who do not like to grind the coconut can add
    one red or green chilly with the Mustard and add the grated coconut. The tasty Noolkol
    Poriyal is ready.

Radish/ Mullangi Poriyal

                                    This is a nutritious dish and can be prepared easily and quickly.My mother uses Mullangi, only for Sambar and for reasons unknown, my mother in law never buys Radish.

                             It is a great blessing that my spouse is not very fussy about food. That does not make me lazy because it is difficult for me take Dosais without Chutney or Sambar, Chappathy minus the Gravy or Poori without the Poori Masala.Only one side dish earmarked for that main item is more than enough to satisfy my palates. To me, too many side dishes at the same time  do not allow me to relish any one.My spouse and children are always too happy to see their plates filled to the full.

Radish Poriyal

Ingredients :

Radish    5 to 6
Green or Red chillies   3
Oil, Mustard, Split Urad Dhal, Curry leaves
Hing, Salt
Grated coconut ( optional )

Method :

1. Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a thick kadai, add Mustard, Urad dhal, curry leaves and later Hing
    and the chillies.Saute.

2. Then add the grated Radish and saute on a medium flame.Add salt. Sometimes, little
    water may be given out from the Radish. Saute till the raw smell leaves and the radish
    gets cooked and becomes soft.This may take 7 to 10 mins. Mix coconut, if you like.A
    simple but nutritious Poriyal is ready.

Kalkandu Pongal / Rice

                        Kalkandu Sadham is also another name for this sweet Pongal.This is a very tasty, sweet delicacy,made of Raw rice, Kalkandu ( sugar candy ), Milk and Ghee.This goes very well in the dinner menu and can also be offered as Neivedhium to God on festival days.My mother in law used to prepare this sweet, even before three decades.So the credit of this recipe goes to her.

Kalkandu Pongal

Ingredients :

Raw Rice   1 cup
Milk   3 cups
Sugar Candy   2 cups.
Ghee   3/4 to 1 cup
Cardamom Powder,
Pachai Karpooram     a pinch
Cashew, Cloves

Method :

1. Pressure cook the rice with milk in a pressure cooker, that the rice is well cooked.
    Instead of 3 cups of milk,we can add 1 1/2 or 2 cups of milk and the rest can be
    substituted with water.

2. Mash the cooked rice well and add the Kalkandu. We can also add1 cup of sugar and 1
    cup of Kalkandu.Now many people add fully sugar and no Kalkandu.In my opinion,
    adding only sugar also gives the same taste as  Ghee and milk are real taste
    makers.

3. With constant stirrings, let the mixture simmer on low fire for 10 mins.The vessel must
    be, in the minimum a 3 lit. cooker or a thick bottomed Kadai.The Pongal may get burnt
    if the base is not heavy.Add ghee.Mix powdered Cardamom, Pacahai Karpooram, 
    and cloves according to your taste.

4. Add Cashew, Badam, Raisins roasted in Ghee.The rich and delicious Kalkandu Sadham
    is ready
   
 

Capsicum Idiappam

                                               Capsicum Idiappam is prepared by me whenever red Bell Pepper is available in our local weekly Shandy, called Chandai in Tamil at a nominal cost.
                                               There is always a store of roasted rice flour in my shelf. I am also now comfortable in making Idiappam, having learned the techniques by trial and error.For preparing Idiappam, refer to my post, Idiappam.

Capsicum Idiappam

                                      

Ingredients :

Idiappam    3 cups
Onion  1
Tomato 1
Grated coconut ( optional )  3 tbsp.
Medium Bell Pepper    1
Red or green chillies  2 or 3
Oil   1 tbsp.
Mustard, split Urad Dhal, Curry Leaves, Salt, Nuts

Method :

1. Heat oil, add Mustard, Urad Dhal, Curry leaves and later Chillies and sliced onion.
   Saute well and then add the Tomatoes and little salt.If the Idiappam is not salted, 
   add more salt.

2.  Afterwards, add the sliced Bell Pepper and saute for 3 mins. Add coconut and the
     Idiappam and mix well on a low fire. Switch off. At times, it is necessary to mix with
     the hand, after it cools.A very tasty and colourful tiffin item is ready.Adding nuts on
     availability and preference enriches the taste.

Inji / Ginger Thokku

                                       Ginger, we all know is very good for digestion and this Thokku is also easy to prepare.Like all the other home made Pickles and Thokkus, this is also free from preservatives and chemicals.

Ginger Thokku

Ingredients :

Cleaned, peeled and sliced Ginger   1 cup ( about 200 grams of Ginger )
Oil      4 tbsp.
Tamarind    1 small lemon size
Chilly Powder   2 tsp.
Roasted and powdered Fenugreek   3/4 tsp.
Powdered Jaggery  1 tbsp.
Mustard, Hing, Salt, Turmeric Powder

 

Method :

1. Soak the Ginger in water for 30mins. and wash well. Peel off and slice. It is better to
    wash once again.

2. Heat 2 tsp. of oil and saute the slices of ginger till they turn brown, giving an aroma.

3. Soak the Tamarind in warm water for 10 mins. If the Tamarind is free from impurities,
    the soaked tamarind and Ginger can be ground in the mixi.Grind them fine.If the
    Tamarind is not pure, take 1/2 cup of extract with water.Grind only the sauteed
    Ginger.

4. Heat  the oil, add Mustard, Hing and then the Ginger and tamarind paste. Saute on
    medium flame for 5 mins. As the Ginger is already sauteed, it gets cooked fast. Then
    add Fenugreek powder and Jaggery. Let the mixture boil on low fire for 5 mins for the
   Jaggery to dissolve.

5. Switch off. A tasty and healthy home made Thokku is ready.Salt and Chilly powder can
    be changed to our taste.

Sweet , Coconut Wheat Flour Dosai / Roll

                               This sweet Dosai is a simple but very tasty sweet roll.



Sweet, Coconut Wheat Flour Dosai

                              
Ingredients :

Wheat Flour     1 cup
Rice Flour   1/3 cup
Sugar  1/2 cup
Grated coconut   1/2 cup
Oil,  Ghee

Method :

1. Mix well the two flours and make a batter by adding water.It should be watery but
    should be of Dosai consistency.Let it rest for 30 mins.

2. Check for lumps and break if any.

3. Heat the Doasai Tawa and spread the batter, add oil or ghee or a mixture of both.
    When one side is ready, flip it and transfer to a plate when both sides are cooked.

4. Spread 1 tbsp. of sugar and 2 tbsp. of grated coconut on the Dosai. Add 1 tsp. of Ghee
    and roll it.A tasty sweet roll is ready.

Note :

1. Sugar and coconut can be altered to our taste.For Diabetic patients, sugar can be left
   and only coconut can be added.

2. For other tips, refer to the post, Wheat Flour Dosai.
 

Cabbage Sodhi / Stew

                 Cabbage Sodhi, is a title, I remember reading in a magazine, a year back.But the ingredients and the method are my own, a combination of our Thengai Sodhi and the Kerala delicacy, Coconut Stew.

            This stew is totally free from oil and that can neutralise the cholestral content of the coconut. This cabbage and coconut gravy goes well with all the tiffin items like Dosai, Idli, Chappathi, Idiappam, Appam etc.

            This is a different kind of recipe with the Cabbage and also can be tried when there is a store of Cabbage.To speak the truth,the recipe was tried by me with the Cabbage left in the fridge for more than 10 days.But the dish was perfect.



Cabbage Sodhi

To serve :

Ingredients :

Cabbage   1 medium size
Moong dhal   1/2 cup
Onion    1
Tomato 1
Green chillies   3
Ginger    1 small piece
Grated coconut    1 cup
Cashew nuts    8
Kasakasa     3 tsp.
Salt.
Oil

Method :

1. Soak the Moong Dhal for 20 mins. Slice the Cabbage but not very fine.Slice the onions
    and the tomato.

2. Heat little oil and saute the sliced chillies and Ginger. Let them cool.

3. Soak the Kasakasa and Cashew nuts in warm water and grind them to a fine paste with
    the sauteed chillies and ginger.

4. Pressure cook the soaked Moong Dhal, Cabbage, sliced Onion,tomato and the Garlic for
    1 or 2 whistles in a small cooker with little salt.The Dhal must be well cooked but the
    pieces of Cabbage must be visible. 

5. Add the coconut paste,salt to the cooked Cabbage and let them simmer for 5 mins.
    Add coriande leaves and switch off.A tasty stew to  be relished by the young and the
    old is ready.

Note :

An extract of coconut milk can also be taken from the grated coconut, Cashew and kaskasa and added. The sauteed green chillies and ginger can be ground separately in the mixer and added. That gives a differnt taste.Both ways can be tried and tasted according to our convenience and taste.

 

Pagarkai / Bittergourd Fry II

                              This version of Pagarkai Fry using curd instead of Tamarind is a very good side dish for Sambar Rice, Rasam Rice , Kuzhambu Rice or any Variety Rice.

Pagarkai Fry

Ingredients :

Pagarkai     250 gms.
Curd    1/2 cup
Onion   1
Chilly powder   1/2 to 1 tsp.
Oil        3 tbsp.
Salt, Turmeric Powder
Mustard,  Split Urad Dhal, Curry leaves

Method :

1. Churn the curd into thick butter milk by adding 1/4 cup of water.The curd should be
    little sour.Soak the sliced Pagarkai with little salt in the curd for 15 to 30 mins.

2. Heat oil, add Mustard, Split Urad Dhal and Curry leaves.When the Mustard splutters,
    add  onion and saute well. Then add the Pagarkai, discarding the Butter milk.
   Add salt.Stir on medium flame.
 
3.Within 5 mins. the veg. may get half cooked. Then add Chilly powder and Turmeric
   Powder.Saute on a low fire for 5 mins.A mild aroma of ghee may come out of the
   the curd, sticking to the Pagarkai.Switch off. A tasty combination is ready for any Rice.

Pagarkai / Bittergourd Fry I

                     This Pagarkai Fry is very tasty and goes well as a side dish for rice, mixed with Sambar, Rasam or any other Kuzhambu.


Ingredients :

Pagarkai     250 gms.
Onion    1
Tamarind    1 Nellikai  ( Gooseberry ) Size
Chilly Powder    1/2  to 1 tsp.
Oil    2 tbsp.
Salt, Turmeric Powder,
Mustard,Split Urad Dhal, Curry Leaves.

Pagarkai Fry

Method :

1. Soak the Tamarind in warm water for 10 mins. and take 1 cup of Tamarind water.

2. Slice the Pagarkai and soak in tamarind water for 10 mins.

3. Heat oil, add Mustard, Split Urad Dhal and Curry leaves. After the Mustard splutters,
    add the sliced onion and saute well.

4. Then add the Pagarkai,salt and stir well on medium flame.Two or 3 tbsp.of Tamarind
    water can also be added,that Pagarkai gets cooked well and the bitter taste is
    neutralised.

5. When the vegetable is half cooked or roasted, add chilly powder and Turmeric powder.

6. Roast on a medium flame for 5 mins.Check, if the veg. is cooked and roasted.Switch
    off. The tasty fry is ready.

Note :

1. Tamarind water and soaking can also be left.The sliced Pagarkai can be added after
    the onion is sauteed.

2. Crushed Garlic Pods can be added with the onion.Grated coconut can be added in the
    end.