Curd onion Raitha

Vengaya Thayir Pachadi:


1 cup thick curd
1 onion sliced thin
1/2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped fine
1 green chilli chopped fine (optional)
1/2 tsp salt

Mix all these well. It goes well with any type of biryani or Pulao as a side dish.

Potato Peas Vadai

Potato 2, cooked, peeled and mashed
Peas 1 cup, cooked and mashed
cornflour 2tsp
chilli powder 1/2 tsp
gonger garlic paste 1/2 tsp
fried gram powdered 1/2 cup
Grated cheese 2tsp
salt 1tsp Oil for frying

Method;

Mix all the above ingredients except the fried gram powder into a soft dough.
Add the fried gram powder and make a stiff dough, checking for salt to taste.
Heat oil and deep fry into vadai shape.
Serve hot with tomato ketch up.

Green Peas Pulao

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmathi Rice, soaked for half an hour, washed and drained just before cooking
1 cup Green peas
2 Green chillis, slit lengthwise
1/2 cup chopped coriander
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
6 cloves of garlic and 1/2 inch piece ginger, chopped finely (or ground coarsely)
To season:
1 tbsp oil
1 inch piece cinnamon
2 cloves
1 cardamom
1 tsp cumminseeds

Method:
Heat the oil in a non stick deep pan.
Put in the seasoning ingredients together
When they crackle, add the chopped mint and coriander
Add the green chillis and ground garlic and ginger
Add the drained rice and saute on low flame till it changes colour
Add 2 to 2 and a half cups water and 1 tsp salt
Bring to a boil and then reduce the flame and cooke covered.
When rice is half done, stir in the peas and cook further.
When it is done, take it off the heat and serve hot with onion curd  pachadi.(Raitha) or plain Raitha

Sura Puttu

SURA fish (Shark)  1/4 kg

Sambar Onions 150 gm (Chopped fine)
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Green Chilli 3, slit lengthwise
Garlic 10 cloves, peeled and chopped
Curry leaves 1sprig
1 tsp aniseeds crushed coarsely
Salt to taste (about 1 to 2 tsp)
Oil 2 tsp
Method:
Clean, wash and steam or cook the fish with half the salt and turmeric.
Cool it, remove the bones and crush it into crumbs.
Heat oil in a wok and put in the crushed aniseeds and curry leaves.
Add the chopped onions, garlic and green chillis and saute till transparent.
Add the fish and the balance salt and mix well.
Reduce the flame and keep mixing it on slow fire till it resembles scrambled eggs.
This sura puttu is good for lactating mothers.

Instant sevai

There are many instant sevai varieties available in the market like rice sevai, ragi sevai and millet sevai which are easy to make.

For any of these instant sevai, the preparation is the same>

Place the sevai in a bowl.

Boil enough water to immerse the sevai and pour it into the bowl.

After a minute drain it onto a colander and pour cold water onto it to stabilize it, just as you do for pasta.

After the water is drained spread the sevai on a plate and let it cool.

Follow the steps for making uppuma, lemon rice, coconut rice etc., and use the sevai in lieu of rice and you get sevai upma, lemon sevai, coconut sevai etc.,

Sweet Sevai:

For sweet sevai, heat half cup sugar and half cup grated coconut in a pan over slow fire with a sprinkling of water. Add half tsp of cardamom powder for flavor Mix in the sevai and enjoy it as a sweet dessert preparation.

Bajra/ Millet/Maize Dosai

You can use idli batter for making some more dishes out of it.

ForBajra or millet dosai, take 1 cup of the bajra/millet/corn flour (readily available in super markets and healthfood stores) and 2 tbsp of idli batter. Mix well. Add 1 tsp of jeera, 1 tsp of chilli powder, 1 tsp each of chopped curry leaves and coriander leaves and salt to taste. Add enough water to make a pouring consistency.

(If you don't have idli batter, substitute 1/2 cup of rice flour, 1 tbsp of maida and 1 tbsp of sour curds.)

Make dosas using the method followed for adai.

 

In Tamil these flours are called 'kambu/ கம்பு  for millet and cholam/ சோளம்  for maize along with ragi which is called kezhvaragu/கேழ்வரகு .

Wheat Rawa (Dhalia) Kichadi

Dhalia is the whole-wheat version of sooji or rawa and so, preferable as a healthier choice. This version is easy to make and a meal in itself, ideal for breakfast or light supper.
Ingredients:
1 cup Dhalia
100gm French Beans, 1 carrot, 1 potato- all diced into cubes after peeling.
Shelled Green Peas, 1 tbsp
1 inch piece Ginger, grated
2 green chillis, slit
1 pod of garlic, peeled and sliced
a few curry leaves

1 onion, sliced
1/2 tsp turmeric
Salt to taste (about 3/4 tsp)
To season:
1 inch cinnamon, 1 bayleaf, 1 clove and 1 tsp cuminseeds
2 tsp vegetable oil

Method:
Heat oil in a pressure pan. Put in all the seasoning ingredients.
When they crackle add the curry leaves, green chillis, ginger and garlic, in that order.
Add the sliced onions. Saute till transparent.
Add the dhalia and cubed vegetables and mix well.
Add two cups of boiling water.
Add the salt and turmeric.
Close the lid and pressure cook for one whistle to speed up process. Or let it cook slowly on low heat for 10 minutes with just the lid on and no pressure.
When it is done, (If pressurecooking, cool for 5 minutes) open the lid.
Add the green peas and close the lid after stirring the kichadi and patting it to be uniformly spread on the pan.
Close the lid and keep on simmer for 5 minutes till the peas are also cooked.

Garnish with fried cashewnuts (optional) and coriander leaves.
Serve hot with onion raitha (curd pachadi).

Kara Kuzhi Paniyaram

When you are bored of making idlis and dosas make this with the same idli batter:

Kara Kuzhi Paniyaram:

In a pan, heat 2 tsp of oil.
Put in 1 tsp of mustrad and when they splutter add 1 tsp of white urad dal and 1 tbsp of channa dal.
Fry them till golden on low fire for one minute.
Put in a pinch of hing (perungayam), 1 red chilli ,broken into 3 pieces and a few chopped curry leaves.
Add 2 big onion chopped finely and saute till transparent. Take it off the heat.
When it is cooling, grind 1 inch piece of peeled ginger and 1 green chilli coarsely and add it.
Add one tbsp of chopped coriander.
Add all this to 2 cups of the idli batter. Mix well and keep aside for ten minutes.
Use this batter in a kuzhipaniyaram pan and make kara kuzhipaniyaram.
Serve hot with any type of coonut chutney.

Onion oothappam

When you are bored of making idlis and dosas make this with the same idli batter:

Onion Oothappam:
Keep ready finely chopped onion.
On hot flat pan, pour two ladleful batter and describe a thick round dosa.
Sprinkle the onion over the top of the dosa evenly to form a uniform layer.
Pour 1 tsp of oil around the edge.
Cover with a lid and lower heat.
After three minutes, raise the heat and open the lid.
Flip the oothappam over with a longhandled flat spoon (dosai thiruppi) and cook the other side, again lowering the heat after a minute.
As a variation, sprinkle some idli podi over the oothappam, along with the onions, to make podi oothappam.
When done (3 minutes), serve hot with idli sambar and coconut chutney.

Javvarisi vadai

Wash 1/2 cup of Sabudhana (the round variety) and soak in just enough water to cover it.
After 3 hours, drain any excess water.
Add:
1 boiled, peeled and mashed potato and 2 tbsp rice flour.
1 tbsp peanuts pounded coarsely.
1 tbsp of coconut, cut into very small pieces.
1 green chilli and 1/4 inch piece of ginger ground to a coarse paste
Salt to taste (1 tsp)

Mix all the ingredients together till it forms a uniform dough.

Heat oil to deepfry the vadas. Cook on medium fire. Follow the same method as for medhu vadai for frying.

Serve hot while it is crisp, with coconut chutney or with tomato sauce.