Aval Payasam

                Aval Payasam is a must in our menu on the occasion of the Tamil New Year.This year also we welcomed the Tamil Puthandu with the Kanis( fruits ), Veppam Poo( Neem Flower ),Nellikkai  (Gooseberry )etc.

Aval Payasam

Ingredients :

Light Aval    1 cup
Sugar     1 cup
Ghee   2 tsp.
Milk   2 cup.
Cardamom Powder,  Cashew,  Raisins.

Method :

1. Heat 1 tsp. of Ghee in a Kadai and roast the Cashew, Raisins and keep aside.

2. Heat the same Kadai, add the remaining Ghee and roast the Aval. As the
    Aval, available in department stores are pure and white, it is not necessary 
    to wash them.

3. Roast the Aval till it starts turning brown.Then add 1 cup of milk and keep on
    stirring on medium flame.

4. When the Aval gets cooked becoming soft and almost losing shape, add the
    sugar and the remaining milk. Simmer for 5 - 7 mins. Add the roasted nuts
    and cardamom powder. Mix well.Switch off. The tasty dessert is ready.
 

Senai / Yam Masial

                      Mostly we prepare Masial only with the Karunai Kizhangu.This Senai Masial gives a change. This goes very well  as a side dish with the Rasam Rice. It can also be mixed with the plain white rice and taken with the Appalam as a side item.

Senai Masial

Ingredients :

Yam / Senai    250 grams. ( 1 medium size piece )
Small onion   10 ( if no, 1 Big Onion )
Garlic  5 pods.
Grated coconut  2 tbsp.
Chilly Powder   1 tsp.
Green Chillies  2
Tamarind   1 small piece

For Seasoning :

Oil      2 tbsp.
Mustard, Split Urad Dhal,  Hing,  Curry leaves.

Method :

1. Peel off the outer skin off the Senai and pressure cooker for 5 to 7 whistles.

2. Soak the Tamarind in warm water and take 1/2 cup of extract.

3. Mash the cooked Senai well, when it is hot.

4. Heat oil and add the seasoning ingredients and then the sliced onion, Garlic
    and the Green Chillies.  Saute till the onion turns brown. Add Chilly Powder
    little salt and water.

5. Add the mashed Senai, salt and grated coconut.Stir well.

6. Add the Tamarind water, salt and simmer till a semi solid consistency is
    reached. The tasty Masial is ready.



 

Pal / Milk Kozhukattai

           My mother in law is an expert in making this sweet. This can be served as a different type of dessert item. It is oil free, so highly recommended for all ages. 

Pal Kozhukattai

Ingredients :

Roasted / Idiappam rice flour     1/2 cup.
Vellam / Jaggery  1/2 cup.
Milk    1 cup.
Coconut Milk ( optional ) 1/2 - 1 cup.
Cardamom Powder

Method :

1. Boil 1 cup of water and add it little by little to the rice flour in a bowl. Almost all the water may be required or little water may be left. Make a smooth dough.
Set aside.

2. Mix the Jaggery with 1/2 cup of water and heat till the Vellam is dissolved.
    Filter for the impurities.

3. Make the whole dough into small balls or cylindrical shapes.

4. Add the milk to the the Jaggery syrup and simmer. Add the rice balls to it and gently stir without breaking them. Simmer for 3 - 4 mins. Add the coconut milk in the end and switch off. Mix the Cardamom powder. The dessert is ready.
 

Ghee Rice

                              The recipe of this Ghee Rice was passed on to me by one of my friends, who has a lot of coconut trees at home. She prepares this rice often from the coconut milk. It is also very much liked by all and easy to pack.

Ingredients :

Basmathi Rice   1 cup.
Onion   1
Green Chillies   3- 4
Ghee   2 tbsp.
Oil    1 tbsp.
Ginger, Garlic Paste( optional)   1/2 tsp.
Carrot, Beans, Cauliflower, Peas  ( all veg. optional)  1 cup
Coconut Milk   2 cup
Cashew   1 tbsp.
Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamom, Bay Leaf, Coriander Leaves.

Method :

1. Take 1 cup of grated coconut and take 2 extracts of milk by adding 1 cup of water, each time. sThe coconut milk must be 2 cups.

2. Soak the rice in water for 15 mins.

3. Heat the Ghee and oil in a small cooker, add the Bay Leaf, Cinnamon, Cloves
and Cardamom. Add the onions and sauté well. Add The Ginger, Garlic Paste. Saute.

4. Then add the vegetables and salt. Saute. Add the Rice and stir well.

Adding Ginger, Garlic Paste and vegetables for Ghee Rice is purely optional.

5. Add the coconut milk and salt. Mix well. Close the lid. Reduce the flame after 2 whistles and simmer for 3 mins. Open, mix the Coriander leaves and the roasted cashew.The tasty Ghee Rice is ready.

Raw Mango Jam

                   This Mango Jam has a unique taste as it is a blend of Inippu,  Karam , Uppu and Pulippu.

                   This Raw Mango Jam is different from the Mango Pachadi, which is very common in the Tirunelveli District.

Raw Mango Jam

Ingredients :

Medium Size  Raw Mango   1 ( Grated Mango 2 cups )
Sugar   2 cups
Oil    3 tbsp.
Jiragam / Cumin powder   1 tsp.
Chilly Powder    2 tsp.
Ghee    1 tbsp.
Cashew    2 tbsp.

Method :

1. Kilimooku Mangai is the best to be used. Peel off and grate the Mango.

2. Heat the oil, add the grated Mango and sauté well on medium flame with salt, Cummin Powder and Chilly Powder.

3. When the Mango is cooked, add an equal amount of sugar. For 2 cups of grated Mango, add 2 cups of sugar. Mix well. Let it simmer on low flame.

4. When the jam consistency is reached, add the Cashew, roasted in Ghee.
    The Mango Jam to be relished by all, is ready.

Note :

The Mango's skin can be peeled off and cut into thin sheets and cooked carefully with little water in a small pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Open the cooker, mash well, add Chilly and Zeera Powder. Let it boil on medium flame.Then follow steps 3 and 4.

 

Bindi / Vendaikkai Raitha

                   Vendaikkai Raitha is fast and easy to prepare. This is a good combination for any Variety Rice or Chapathis.


Ingredients :

Bindi Raitha

Vendaikkai    12 - 15
Curd    1 cup
Onion (optional)   1
Red Chillies / Green Chillies  3
Mustard, Oil 1 tbsp., Salt
Grated coconut ( optional )  3 tbsp.


Method :

1. Heat oil, add Mustard, Curry Leaves and the Chillies, broken or sliced.

2. Then add the finely chopped onions and sauté well.

3. Then add the sliced Vendaikkai, salt and sauté on medium flame.

4. When the Vendaikkais are almost cooked, Switch off and let them cool. The Vendaikkai  must retain the green colour.

5. Mix the curd and salt. Add Coriander Leaves. The special Raitha is ready.

Note :

Some people coarsely grind the coconut, 4 cloves, 1 red Chilly and Mustard in the mixer and add 2 mins. before switching off. I tried that also. For me, the taste is not worth the trouble of grinding in the mixer.

You can also try that  way once.
 

Sooji Halwa

                  Sooji Halwa, a popular dessert item in North India is a modified version of our South Indian Evergreen Sweet, The Rava Kesari.The ingredients are the same. But the tsate is different. This Halwa is little crunchy, as we add the sugar syrup to the roasted Rava, not cooked.

                 In our Kesari, we cook the roasted Rava by adding it to the boiling water, then add the sugar. So Kesari is soft whereas Halwa is crunchy.

Sooji Halwa

Ingredients :

Sooji / Rava    1/2 cup
Sugar        1/2 cup
Ghee      4- 6 tbsp.
Cashew , Almonds

Method :

1. Take 1 1/2 cups of water and the sugar.Keep on the stove. Let it boil. Then reduce the flame and let it simmer. In the end before adding to the Rava, if desired, a pinch of permitted food colour ( red ) can be added.

2. Heat a kadai with 2 tsp. of Ghee and roast the nuts. Keep aside.

3. Heat the same Kadai, add the remaining Ghee, add the Sooji and roast the Rava till it starts turning brown.

4. By this time, the sugar syrup must have got reduced in volume. Add it slowly to Rava and stir constantly till the Halwa consistency is got. Add the roasted nuts and mix well. The hot and tasty Halwa is ready.