Boondi

Ingredients

1 cup gram flour

1/2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1/4 tsp. cardamom powder

6-8 chopped almonds

ghee or oil to deep fry

Boondi Laddle

Method

v  Boil the sugar and water together. Add a tbsp. of milk to bring up the scum. Remove scum and boil liquid till the syrup is sticky between the fingers. Keep aide, but keep warm for use.

v  Make batter with gram flour, which should not be too thin. The batter should evenly coat the back of a spoon when dipped in it.

v  Heat ghee, hold boondi laddle a little above the hot ghee, and pour some batter on the spoon.

v  Tap very lightly at edge of spoon to allow small droplets to fall in the ghee.

v  Pour back remaining batter and wipe spoon.

v  Stir the boondis in the ghee gently and fry till crisp but not brown.

v  Drain and put into the syrup. Keep for 3-4 minutes before draining from the syrup.

v  Spread on a wide plate, add cardamom powder, almonds and mix gently.

v  Cool completely and loosen the boondi with finger till each droplet separates.

v  Store in airtight container.

Beetroot Halwa

Ingredients

1 kg beetroot

1½ liter milk

2 cups sugar

Cardamom powder

Saffron few flakes

1 tbsp. ghee

Method

v  Peel and grate beetroot

v  Put milk and beetroot in a heavy saucepan. Boil till thick, stirring occasionally. Once it starts thickening, stir continuously. Add sugar and cook further till thickens.

v  Add ghee, cardamom, saffron and color.

v  Stir on low heat till the mixture collects in a soft ball or the ghee oozes out. Garnish with a chopped almond or pista.

Chat Masala Powder

Ingredients

1 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ajwain (thymol) seeds

2-3 whole dry red chillies

1 tbsp black salt crystals

1/2 tsp citric acid

1 tbsp dry mango powder (amchoor)

1 tbsp salt

2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp white/black pepper (optional)

Method

1.       Roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds and ajwain seeds one by one and powder them with the chillies, black salt and citric acid.

2.       Mix in the remaining ingredients.

3.       Store in an airtight container.

Chow Chow Koottu

Ingredients

2 medium Chow chow

¼ cup moong dal

8 green chillies

½ tsp. cumin seeds

½ cup coconut

¼ tsp. turmeric powder

½ tsp mustard seeds

Salt to taste

Curry leaves, oil for seasoning

Method

1.    Grind coconut, green chillies, cumin and turmeric powder coarsely.

2.    Cook moong dal.

3.    Cut chow chow into small pieces and cook. Once done add cooked moong dal and mix it thoroughly.

4.   Now add the ground mixture and salt. Reduce the flame. Cook till raw smell goes away.

5.    Heat oil in a small pan add mustard and curry leaves. Pour this seasoning into prepared chow chow koottu.

6.   Serve with rice and kara kuzhambu.

Bittergourd Pitlai

Ingredients

2 Bittergourd  cut into squares

1 cup cooked toor dal

1 tbsp channa dal

1 tbsp. coriander seeds

4-6 Red chillies

1 cup grated coconut

½ lemon size tamarind

½ tsp. turmeric powder

mustard, curry leaves, urad dal, channa dal for seasoning

oil

salt to taste

Method

1.      In a pan, add bitter gourd, salt, turmeric powder and water. Cook them.

2.      Heat oil in a small pan, fry coriander seeds, channa dal, red chillies and coconut one by one. Cool and grind to a fine paste.

3.      Add tamarind extract into the bitter gourd mixture. Then add ground paste and toor dal. Cook till done.

4.      Heat oil in a small pan, season with mustard, urad dal, channa dal and curry leaves. Pour this into Pitlai.

Chicken Varuval

Ingredients

           

Chicken	½ kg
Onion	1 big
Coconut	1 tbsp
G/g paste	2 tsp
Chilli powder	2 tsp
Coriander powder	1 tsp
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Whole spices	3 each
Salt, oil, curry leaves

Method

1.      Dry roast whole spices along with fennel seeds and grind with coconut.

2.      Heat oil in a pan, add onion and fry well. Add g/g paste, all powders. Mix well.

3.      Add chicken and cook till half. Add water if required.

4.      Add ground masala and salt. Cook till dry. Season it.

Inji Curry

Ingredients -1

           

Ginger grated	2 cups
Coconut pieces	½ cup
Tamarind
Salt, oil

Ingredients – 2

           

Grated coconut	¾ cup
Turmeric powder	½ tsp
Chilli powder	1 tsp
Coriander powder	1 ½ tsp
Cumin	½ tsp
Fenugreek	¼ tsp
Shallots sliced	2
Red chillies	3
Mustard, curry leaves

Method

1.      Soak the grated ginger in water for ½ an hour. Drain and squeeze and remove all the water. Deep fry the ginger and keep aside.

2.      If the ginger pieces are big, grind it to a coarse powder after frying. In the same oil deep-fry the coconut pieces.

3.      Heat ½ tsp oil, fry the coconut, when it is brown add the remaining ingredients from table-2. Cool and grind to a smooth paste by adding tamarind pulp.

4.      Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan, add mustard, curry leaves, red chillies and shallots, and fry till brown. Add the ground paste and allow it to boil.

5.      Now add the fried ginger and coconut pieces, salt and cook until it becomes thick.

Chena Plantain Erisseri

Ingredients

           

Plantain	1 cup
Chena kizhangu	1 cup
Cococnut	1 ½ cup
Turmeric powder	½ tsp
Chilli powder	1 tsp
Pepper	½ tsp
Cumin, mustard	½ tsp each
Red chillies	2
Salt, oil, curry leaves

Method

1.      Mix plantain, chena, all powders and salt. Cook them by adding just enough water. Once done well, mash it slightly with the back of a spoon.

2.      Grind 1-cup coconut, cumin and pepper into a coarse paste and add this paste into the vegetables and boil it until thick. Turn off and let it rest for a while.

3.      Heat oil in another pan; add seasoning ingredients and remaining coconut and fry until brown. Pour this over the eriseri. Mix well.