suyyan (suzhian)

For the stuffing
channa dhal (kadalai paruppu)1cup
soaked in water for an hour
jaggery powder 1 cup
grated coconut 1cup
cardamom powder 1 tsp
a pinch of salt

For the outer batter:
1 cup maida or atta flour and 1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp ghee

Oil to deep fry

Method:
For the stuffing, cook the channa dal in 3cups of water till the channa dal is just soft enough tobe crushed into a powder between your thumb and forefinger.Drain at once and cool it. Grind in the mixie jar one tablepoon at a time till all dhal is ground. Keep aside.  Heat the jaggery with 2 tbsp of water on slow heat till it dissolves and strain it through a fine tea strainer into a thick bottomed pan to remove any imputities. Now boil this with a pinch of salt and the grated coconut till it is thick liquid (not stringy). Take it off the heat. Add the powdered channa and cardamom and mix well. It can be made into small balls now and kept on a plate ready.
Now prepare the batter to coat the balls.

Mix the two flours with salt and rub in the ghee well. Then add 1 and  1/2 cup water slowly while stirring well to make a batter of dosa batter cosistency.
Heat oil in a deep kadai for deep frying to medium heat.
Dip the channa balls in the batter and coat  all around and slide into the oil gently. Put about 4-5 balls at a time. Fry till the batter is crisp and done to a golden colour.You can make out they are done when the oil stops gurgling. Keep only medium heat throughout except between the batches when heat should be turned up till oil is hot enough to receive the next batch. Then lower to medium heat and add the balls. Coat the batter without a gap otherwise channa stuffing will escape into oil and become black sticking onto the next batch. If this happens carefully pass the hot oil through a metal strainer to the next pan and reuse it.

Peach Custard Pie

For the Crust
1 cup and 2 tbsp Flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup ghee

Filling
3 cup peeled and sliced peaches (about 5 fruits)
1 and 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1 tbsp Butter
3 tbsp flour
2 eggs

Method:

Preheat oven to 200C or 375 F
In a bowl Mix the flour, ghee and 2 tbsp very cold water with a fork. When it starts binding together, knead with hand just enough time to make a ball(Don't overdo it as crust will become tough).
With rolling pin make a 10 inch round, dusting flour to make it without sticking. (Or roll it between two sheets of butter paper). Lightly place it on a 9 inch Pie plate (or any metal plate with a rim, greased with oil). Make the edges into even looking rim with your fingers.(Like somas edge).
Put in the fridge to cool till filling is ready.

Add the 1/4 cup sugar to the sliced peaches in a bowl, shake them to mix and keep aside. Blend the butter, egg, flour and 1 cup sugar in the blender and blend till smooth. Mix into the peaches bowl.

Take out the pie crust and pour the mix onto it.
Bake for 50 or 55 minutes till top of the filling is golden and the mix is set.
Cool it on wire rack and chill until serving, minimum for an hour.

Ridge Gourd Chutney

1 Ridge gourd (Peerkangai)
2 Green chillis
1 handful of curry leaves
1 Red chilli
4 pods of garlic
1 tbsp Urad dal
1 tsp mustard
1 tbsp cumminseeds
Tamarind, marble size
Salt 1tsp
1 tbsp oil

Method:

Peel the ridge gourd scraping it, keeping a little of the under layer of the skin and chop into small pieces..
Heat 1btsp oil and put in the mustard and fry till it pops. Add the urad dal, cumminseeds, red chilli and fry till pink. Take these ingredients out with a long spoon and keep aside.
In the same oil, add the curry leaves, green chillis and fry.
Add the chopped garlic and ridgegourd. Stir now and then, covering with a lid to cook in its own juice.
Cool it.
In a mixer bowl put in the dry ingredients kept aside and grind for a minute till coarsely done.
Add the cooled vegetable and grind further till it is a coarse paste.
In a pan heat 1 tsp oil. Put in 1/2 tsp mustard. When it pops add a pinch of hing and a few curry leaves. Pour over the chutney.
Serve with plain rice and ghee to be mixed and eaten as a main course in place of sambar.
Or, serve with curd rice as a side dish.

Bittergourd Fry

1/4 kg bittergourd
Oil to deepfry
1 tsp Salt

For coating,  mix:

ground pepper 1tsp
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Rice flour 1/2 cup
1 pinch asofoetida
1 tsp garam masala
1/2tsp salt

Method:
Cut the bittergourd lengthwise. Deseed it and cut into thin slices.
Mix with 1 tsp of salt and keep aside in a vessel kept slanting so that the bitter water in the vegetable drains in the lower level. Discard the water. You can skip this step if you don't mind some bitterness in the end product but this method guarantees that the fry tastes crisp and tasty with hardly any bitterness.

Mix the vegetable with the rice flour coating.
Deepfry in oil in batches till golden brown.
Drain on paper towels.
Sealed into an airtight container and keep in fridge for later use.
Serve with  sambar or any other rice in the place of pappads.

Brinjal Gravy for rotis/chappathis

1/4 kg Brinjal
2 onions chopped finely
1 tsp pepper
1 clove
1 inch piece cinnamon
1tsp shahjeea
2tsp coriander seeds
2 red chilli
1tbsp grated coconut
marble size tamarind
3 tsp oil

Method:

Cut the brinjal into medium pieces and put in water to avoid darkening
Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Put in the pepper, clove, cinnamon, shahjeera,coriander seeds and red chilli and fry for a minute.
Add the grated coconut and after two minutes of frying, add the onion and fry till it is transparent.
Add  the tamarind and saute for 1 minute.
Cool it and grind in the mixer to a fine paste.
Heat two tsp oil in the pan. Fry the rest of the onion till brown. Add the brinjal pieces without water and saute till soft.
Add the ground paste and 2 cups of water. Mix well and simmer for 5 minutes.
Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves.
Makes a good accompaniment for chappathis/rotis