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.

Poricha Kuzhambu

              Poricha Kuzhambu is also called as Puli Illa (tamarindless ) Curry as tamarind is not used.This is common with the Saiva Vellala and Saiva Mudaliar Community.It is also a pathia kulzhambu and highly recommended for the women who have delivered as only pepper is used and tamarind and chillies are totally avoided.

Ingredients :

Drumsticks                                 2
Drumstick leaves ( if available )   1 cup
Toor Dhal                                    1 cup
Small onions                                 12
Garlic Pods                                   6
Salt                                               2 tsp
Gingelly Oil                                   2 tsp
Grated coconut                              1 cup
Turmeric Powder
Mustard
Curry leaves

For roasting and grinding:

Black Pepper                          2 tsp
Zeera                                      1tsp
Coriander Seeds                      2 tbsp
Raw Rice                               1 tsp
Channa Dhal                          2 tsp
Curry Leaves                         2 tsp

Method :

1. Cook the toor dhal in a presssure cooker.
2. Roast the ingredients meant for grinding in little oil till the pepper starts splitting.Let them cool.
3. Powder the ingredients initially without water.Then add the finely sliced small onions, garlic and grind.Then add water and grind it to a fine paste.
4. Take 4 cups of water in a thick bottomed vessel,add the ground paste,salt ,turmeric powder, drumsticks and the drumstick leaves.Mix well and keep on the fire.
5. As the grinding has been done in a mixi, the paste won't be very fine and while the kuzhambu boils,it may stick to the sides of the vessel.Take care to mix it well and see that it does not come out of the vessel.
6. Grind the coconut with 1/2 tsp. of Zeera in a mixi.When the consistency of the boiling kuzhambu becomes thick, add the ground coconut and the cooked dhal. Mix well and reduce the flame.Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Remove from the fire and season with mustard and curry leaves.The tasty Poricha Kuzhambu, very good for health and digestion is ready.

Notes:

• If drumstick leaves are not available, it can be left out.In case it is available,let us spare some time to use as it has a lot of medicinal values.
• Brinjals or Broad Beans ( Avarakkai - any variety ) can also be used instead of drumsticks or along with the drumsticks.
• Many people use the sambar powder for this kuzhambu but using the freshly ground masala gives the unique taste and flavour.Raw rica and channa dhal are added as thickening agents.

Coconut chutney garnished with onions

         Coconut chutney may be common but garnished with finely sliced small onions gives it a special taste and is typical of the people of Tirunelveli.

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients :

Grated coconut                                                          1/2 cup
Green chillies                                                             2
Roasted channa dhal ( Pottu Kadalai )                           2 tbsp
Small onions                                                              10 ( to be finely chopped )
Tamarind                                                                   Small piece
Salt, curry leaves, little tamarind, mustard

Method :

1. Grind the coconut,chillies,salt,tamarind and pottu kadalai in a mixi.Let it be little coarse.
2. Heat oil in a tawa,add mustard, curry leaves and then add the finely chopped onions and saute them.
3. When the onions become golden brown,mix them with the chutney.

Notes:

• This chutney has to be taken fresh and better to avoid storing in the fridge.
• Those having coconuts in plenty and do not like the taste of pottu kadalai can use only coconuts.
• All the ingredients can be altered according our taste.
• One tbsp. of curd can also be used instead of tamarind.Tamarind can be soaked in little warm water for 5 mins. for easy grinding.
• Big onion can also be used if small onions are not available.

Plain Rava Pongal

         The recipe of this simple and plain version of the Rava Pongal posted by me earlier, caught my attention while going through an old recipe book.I tried that and it is similar to the plain Pongal without pasi paruppu but full of ghee,with its unique flavour, given as prasadam in some of the Perumal temples.The ingredients are a few without onions and garlic, can be offered as prasadam for our pooja at home.This quick and easy to prepare tiffin item comes handy on the days when we avoid onions and ginger.This has to be taken when it is hot.

Plain Rava Pongal

Ingredients:

  Roasted rava                     1 cup
  Oil                                     3 tbsp
  Finely chopped ginger        1/2 tsp
  Split green chilli                  1
  Salt                                    3/4 tsp
 Black Pepper                     1/2 tsp
 Zeera                                  1/2 tsp
 Ghee and Nuts                   Optional
 Asafoetida                         1/4 tsp
 Curry leaves

Method :

1. Heat the oil in a tawa and add pepper,zeera, chilli ,asfoetida,curry leaves and ginger.
2. When the pepper starts spluttering, add 3 cups of water and salt.On the boiling of the water,without reducing the flame,slowly add the rava and mix well.Now the flame can be reduced.
3. After all the water gets absorbed, adding ghee and fried nuts are optional.

 Notes :

• Salt can be added according to the taste.Oil cannot be reduced,as the water content is more.
• Less oil can make the Pongal sticky.
• The oil can be replaced totally with ghee for an enriched taste, if preferred.

Rice and Coconut Payasam

                         The credit of this recipe goes to my mom in law and my son likes this very much.This kheer has a good aroma together with the taste.

Rice and Coconut Payasam

Ingredients :

Raw rice                              1/2 cup
Grated coconut                     1 cup
Powdered Jaggery                1 cup
Ghee                                     1 tsp
Milk                                      1 cup
Cardamom powder                Little
Cashews, Raisins                  10 - 15 each

Method:

1. Soak the rice for half an hour in water and grind it in a mixi with the coconut.Do not make it very Let it be somewhat coarse.

2. Mix the rice,coconut paste with 6 to 8 cups of water in a thick bottomed vesssel.Mix thoroughly and heat it on the stove,stirring continuously.Once the mixture starts boiling, the flame can be reduced a little.

3.Constant stirring is very essential to avoid lumps.Five to seven minutes may be taken to get the rice cooked.If a spoonful is taken,cooled and touched with the fingers, the rice will be soft.

4. Add the jaggery and stir well.Let it boil in simmering flame.

5. Add the milk after 3 to 4 minutes.Keep on stirring for 5 minutes.

6. Roast the nuts and raisins in ghee and add. add the cardamom powdwer.Mix well.The delicicious rice, coconut payasam is ready. 

Note :

If you feel that the jaggery may not be pure, add a little water to the jaggery and heat it on fire just for the jaggery to dissolve.Filter and add to the cooked rice.