Vazhaipoo Nethili Kuzhambu

                    The name sounds like a fish curry; yet it is a purely vegetarian gravy. Nethili is nothing but the florets of the banana flower, that is Vazhaipoo.
So far, only Poriyal, a side dish for rice and Vaizhaipoo Vadais have been prepared by me. After watching a cookery demonstration, this is the first time, that a gravy has been prepared using the banana flower.

                  This gravy goes well with rice, dosais and chappathis.

Vazhaipoo Nethili Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

Banana Flower florets   1 cup
Besan Flour  3 tbsp.
Rice Flower   1 tbsp.
Tomatoes  2
Big Onion  2
Tamarind 1 lemon size
Oil  0.5 cup.
Chilly Powder   2 tsp.
Coriander Powder  2 tsp.
Grated coconut 0.5 cup.
Turmeric Powder, Salt, Mustard, Split Urad Dhal, Curry Leaves

Method :

1. Mix the Besan flour, rice flour, salt, turmeric powder and 1 tsp. of chilly  powder .Make a batter,  similar to that of the Bajji batter.Dip the florets one by  one in the hot oil and deep fry on medium flame in two or three batches. Set aside.

2. Heat 2 tbsp of the same oil, add the sliced onion, saute with some garlic if 
 preferred. Then add the sliced tomatoes and saute till they shrink.

3. Add three cups of water, extracted from the tamarind.Add 1 tsp. of chilly powder, 2 tsp. of coriander powder, salt to taste and turmeric powder. Mix  well and let it boil on medium flame. Add the fried florets.

4. When the gravy becomes thick, add a fine paste of coconut, ground in the 

 mixer, Simmer for 5 minutes. Season with mustard, Split Urad Dhal and  curry leaves.

Poosanikkai Eriseri

       This is a popular side dish in Onam sadhya. It is somewhat similar to the Poosanikkai kootu, we make.In the Kootu, we don't add Thattapayaru. We add Urad Dhal.

                                                      Eriseri



Ingredients:

Cubed Poosanikkai / Yellow Pumpkin    1 cup.
Thattapayaru  0.5 cup
Grated coconut    6 tbsp
Cummin Seeds / Zeeragam  1 tsp
green Chilly   2
Small onion  4
Chilly Powder   1 tsp.
Red Chilly 2
Coconut Oil, Salt, Turmeric Powder, Mustard, Curry Leaves.

Method :

1. Soak the Payaru for 4 hours. Cook the Pumpkin, Payaru, one Green Chilly, 
    Chilly Powder, Salt and Turmeric Powder till the Pumpkin and Payaru become 
    soft by adding enough water.Pressure cooking can be done, if preferred..


2. Make a fine paste of 4 tbsp. coconut, one green chilly, Zeeragam, onion and      little curry leaves. Mash the cooked Pumpkin and Payaru little.


3. Add the coconut paste to the cooked Pumpkin and simmer for 5 minutes 
    stirring in between.Mix 2 tbsp. of coconut and simmer for a minute.
    Heat 2 tsp. of coconut oil and season with Mustard, broken red chilly and
    curry leaves.Add 1 tsp. of coconut oil. The tasty Eriseri is ready.
  

Beetroot Kichadi

         During my visit to my son's place in New Zealand, had the wonderful opportunity to be close with two of the families from Kerala who were experts in preparing the delicacies of the Onam Sadhya.

      One such acquaintance was so kind to treat with the Onam Sadhya of nearly twenty dishes; it happened to be one of the best and tastiest meals, partook ever by us.Beetroot Kichadi is one among that.

      The other, though had hosted many sumptuous dinners for us, Barbecue party was something new to us and hence, fascinating.

                                          Beetroot Kichadi



Ingredients :

Grated Beetroot   1 cup
Grated coconut    0.5 cup.
Mustard   2 tsp
Zeera   1 tsp
Green chilly   2
Red Chilly   2
Small onion   4
Coconut Oil  4 tsp
Curd   0.5 cup
Curry Leaves.

Method :

1. Heat 2 tsp. of the oil, saute the peeled and grated Beetroot till it is half                cooked.

2. Grind the coconut, green chilly, Zeera, 1 tsp. of mustard, small onion to a 
    fine paste by adding half of the curd. Add it to the Beetroot and let it 
    simmer.Add salt.Then add the remaining curd and simmer for a few 
    minutes.

3.Heat 1 tsp. of oil and season with the mustard, broken red chilly and curry
   leaves.Add the remaining coconut oil and stir.

An aromatic and tasty side dish that goes well with rice, Dosai or 
Roti is ready.   

      

Rava Laddu - New

                      A post after nearly 3 years.Incredible yet true.Even in those days, when cooking videos were not so common in YouTube,I was not for any advertisements for my blogs; now unimaginable, the You Tube is flooded with the videos of so many recipes, for a single dish, each with some variation and zeroing in on any required recipe may not be that easy.

             To me, writing these recipes is to save for me, something that tried for the first time for future use; it is pretty much easier than turning the pages of our cookery book.Gone are the days of the laptop;that too with the mobile phone, it is a child's play.

                                               Rava Laddus

Ingredients :

Roasted Rava / Sooji     1 cup.
Sugar      1.5 cup
Grated coconut   1.5 cup
Ghee  3 tbsp.
cardamom Powder, Raisins, Cashew, Almond.

Method :

1. If the Rava is roasted already, well and good. If not, heat 1 tbsp of Ghee and      roast the Rava. Set aside.

2.Heat 1 tbsp. of Ghee, saute the coconut slightly.

3.Add half cup of water to the sugar. Place on the stove, keep on stirring until a 
   single string consistency is formed.

4.Add the Rava, coconut, cardamom powder, roasted raisins and nuts to the 
   syrup.Mix well.It may be watery; don't panic.As time goes, the syrup is 
   absorbed. Smear the palm with Ghee and make into balls.

With 1 cup of Rava, nearly 25- 27 laddus of 600 grams can be made.

Badam Cake

                    This is my 300th post.Again the same story. Full time employment and a very fundamental idea about how to use a basic model of a camera and the same with the computer. It is surprising to me to have traversed a long path ,only with the passion of pursuing my interest in cooking, reading and writing.Moreover there cannot be a better panacea than keeping ourselves always engaged.

                   Mysore Pak, the evergreen sweet was earmarked for the 300th post but it turned out to be Badam Cake.This Badam Cake is easy to make but has a rich taste.

                   My daughter, an expert in this sweet happened to be the supervisor as this Deepavali was celebrated at her home with her family.This also is the first Deepavali for the sweet little Prince Arjee and the fifth for the beloved Jiji. 

Badam Cake

Ingredients:

Badam   1 cup.
Sugar   1 - 1.25 cup.
Ghee  2 tbsp.
Cardamom Powder
Milk  1/4 cup.

Method :

1. Soak Badam in hot water for 1 hour.The skin comes out easily and remove it.

2. In a mixer, grind the Badam with the milk to a fine paste.In the end, add sugar and blend for a minute.

3. Heat the Ghee in a thick Kadai, add the blended Badam and Sugar. Keep on stirring on a medium flame till the mixture becomes thick and starts leaving the sides of the Kadai.

4. Switch off, add Cardamom powder and stir for a minute or two. Pour into a greased tray and flatten with a greased cup to a thin sheet of 1/4 inch.

5. After it cools, cut into desired shapes.

Thayir / Curd Vadai

                Thayir Vadai is a very delicious variety of Vadai.Whenever Uzhundha Vadai is prepared by me, I always reserve atleast four Vadais for soaking in the Curd as we always have curd in the fridge.Only Kara Boondhi may not be there.

               Similarly whenever mixture is made by me, I set aside 2 tablespoons of Kara Boondhi for Thayir Vadai or Boondhi Raitha.

            Two handfuls of Oma Podi is saved for Bhel Pori or any Chat item.

Thayir Vadais

Ingredients :

Uzhundha Vadais    5
Curd    1 cup.
Green Chilly   1
Ginger   1 small piece
Oil, Salt, Hing, Mustard.

For Garnishing :

Kara Boondhi  5 tbsp.
Coriander leaves.

Method :

1. If the Vadais are very cold, heat the oil,drop the Vadais in the oil for a minute and take from the oil.No need of flipping to the other side or waiting for the bubbles in the oil to disappear as it is already fried in the oil.

Most of the people advise the Vadais to be soaked in hot water for a minute, so that the oil comes out, the Vadais may absorb less curd and the Vadais may be soft.However soaked in hot water, only soft Vadais become soft after soaking in curd.

If the Vadais are hard, Thayir Vadais will also be hard.


2. Whisk the curd well.Season with Mustard, Hing and add to the curd after cooling for a minute.Grind the Chilly, Ginger and salt in a mixer.Mix with the curd well.


3. Soak the Vadais thirty minutes before serving.While serving, garnish with the Kara Boondhis and Coriander leaves.

The tasty Thayir Vadais are ready.

Uzhundha Vadai / Medhu Vadai

                        No festival menu is complete in Tamil Nadu without Vadai and Payasam. This Vadai called also Medhu Vadai is a very popular and  tasty Vadai.No reason can be given for posting a common but perfect item so late.

                  This Vadai is the best combination for Pongal and Sambar.It goes well with Coconut Chutney. Yummy Thayir Vadais can be made out of these Vadais.

Uzhundha Vadais

Ingredients :

Whole white Urad Dhal    1 cup
Raw rice   2 tsp.
Green Chilly    3 - 5
Ginger   1 small piece.
Onion ( optional)
Oil,  Salt, Coriander leaves, Curry leaves.


Method:

1.Soak Urad Dhal and rice for 1 hour.Rice is added for the Vadais to be crispy.Rice flour can also be added in the end instead of rice. Drain the water completely and grind in a wet grinder with the green chilly and ginger.Sprinkle 2 tbsp. of water each time for 2-3 times for the Vadais to be soft.Otherwise the Vadais will be hard.Grinding may take 12 - 15 minutes.The dough must be fluffy and little flexible but rigid enough to be made into Vadais.Add salt in the end.

2. Add finely chopped Onion, Curry leaves and Coriander leaves.Mix well.

3. Make the dough into Vadais, drop in the hot oil.When one side is cooked, flip to the other side and remove from oil, after the bubbles disappear. The hot and tasty Vadais are ready.

Notes :

Many people add chopped green chilly but that is bitten at times and becomes hot and spicy for kids and adults also.So when ground in the grinder, it is safe. Adding Ginger gives a good flavour.

It is better to blend the Chilly and Ginger in the small mixer and add to the Urad Dhal while grinding in the wet grinder.Anyhow, the mixer has to be taken for grinding the Chutney for Vadais.