Recipe Corner
Rava Kichadi
Ingredients Rava:

(Suji - Coarse) - 2 Cups
Onion - 1 Large
Green Chilies - 5
Chopped Vegetables (Carrot, Beans, Peas) - 1 1/2 Cups
Curry leaves - Few
Coriander leaves - few
Mustard Seeds
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Cloves - 4
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Butter - 2 tbls
Oil - 1 tbls
Salt - to taste

Preparation:

Heat little oil in a pan with 1/2 tbls butter. Add the rava and toast it till it turns pink and gives out a nice aroma. Heat oil in another pan. Season mustard seeds, Add Cloves and Cinnamon. Add finely chopped onions. Saute for a while. Add curry leaves, green chilies, turmeric powder and the diced vegetables. Saute for a while. Add 4 Cups of water and salt to taste. When the water begins to boil, slowly add the rava stirring continuously. Simmer the heat and cook on medium heat for 5 mins. turn to low heat and cook for another 2 minutes. Finally add little butter and finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with Coconut Chutney.


Variation :

  1. Finely diced tomatoes can be added after onions are sauted.
  2. For added taste you can also add a tbls of Ginger-garlic paste initially.
Upma
Ingredients:

Rava (Suji - Coarse) - 2 Cups
Onion - 1 Large
Green Chilies - 5
Curry Leaves - Few
Coriander Leaves - Few
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Channa dal/ Urad dal - 2 tsp for Seasoning
Cashew nuts - 5
Lemon - 1
Salt - to taste
Oil - 3 tbls
Ghee - 1 tbls

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan. Toast rava in the pan over medium heat till it turns pink and gives out a nice aroma. Heat oil in another pan. Season mustard seeds. Add cashews followed by channa and urad dal. Add curry leaves, green chilies, and onions. Add 4 cups of water and salt to taste. When water boils, slowly add the rava stirring continuously. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Finally add the juice of one lemon, coriander leaves and little ghee. Mix well. Serve hot with Coconut Chutney.


Variation:

Add sliced tomatoes after sautéing onions for a variation.
Idiyappam
Ingredients:

Idli Rice - 2 cups
Raw Rice - 1 Cup
Oil - 2 tbls
Salt to taste

Preparation:

Soak the rice for a minimum of 6 hours. Grind into a very fine paste. Add salt and mix in 2 tbls of oil. Pour into idlis and steam them. While the idlis are hot put them in a idiyappam/sevai press and press it. Cool the idiyappam for a while.


Serving:

Sweet: Take the idiyappam in a bowl and add sugar and ghee to it and serve hot. Coconut milk flavored with cardamom can also be added to this.

Spicy: Season mustard seeds, channa dal and urad dal. Add curry leaves, coriander leaves, red chilies, onions and turmeric powder. Saute for a while. Add coconut and salt followed by the idiyappam. Mix thorougly. Serve hot. Add a juice of lime if needed.

Ven Pongal
Ingredients:

Raw Rice - 2 Cups
Moong Dal (Passi Parupu) - 1 Cup
Ghee - 1/3 Cup
Green Chilies - 6
Finely Chopped Ginger - 1/2 tsp
Pepper Corns - 15-20 nos
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - few
Salt - to taste

Preparation:

Wash the rice and dal. Heat 1/2 of the ghee in a pan. Add Cumin seeds, Ginger, Green chilies and pepper corns. Put rice and dal and roast lightly. Add 6 cups of water and salt to taste. Pressure cook for 4 whistles. Remove from heat and leave for 10mins. Open the pressure cooker and add the remaining ghee and mix well. Serve hot with Coconut chutney/ Sambhar.

Aaloo Parota
Ingredients:

Wheat Flour - 3 Cups
Maida - 1 Cup
Potatoes - 4
Butter - 2 Tbls
Green Chilies - 4
Coriander Leaves - few
Oil
Salt

Preparation:

Boil Potatoes and mash them. Sieve wheat flour, maida and salt together. Add butter and chopped green chilies and coriander. Knead for a while adding water as needed. Then add the mashed potatoes and from a roti dough. Roll out parota's - little thicker than normal rotis. Heat a tawa and cook the parota on medium heat till it turns golden brown on both sides.

Vermicelli / Semiya Upma
Ingredients:

Vermicelli/Semiya - 2 Cups
Onion - 1 large
Tomato - 1
Green Chilies - 6
Ginger/Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - few
Salt - to taste
Oil

Preparation

Boil water in a large pan. Add 1/2 tsp salt to it and a table spoon of oil. Add Vermicelli to the boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes. Drain the water. Heat oil in a pan. Season with cumin seeds, add curry leaves, green chilies and onions and sauté for a while. Add ginger/garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell disappears. Add diced tomatoes and salt. Add the cooked vermicelli and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.


Variation:

Finely diced vegetables can be added for a variation. Also squeeze the juice of a lime at the end if you prefer it.

Poori
Ingredients:

Wheat Flour - 2 Cups
Maida - 1 Cup
Salt - to taste
Oil

Preparation:

Sieve both the flours together with salt as needed. Add water and knead to a smooth dough. Do not make the dough ahead. Do this just before making the poori's. Make small balls and roll out the dough a little thicker than you will do for rotis. Deep fry them and serve immediately with Potato Masala or a gravy of your choice.


Variation:

  1. Add 1/4 cup of fine suji while kneading the dough and a pinch of baking soda. This will help the poori's stay puffy and crispy for long.
  2. Sweet milk poori's can be made by soaking the fried poori's in hot milk with some sugar.
Chappathi
Ingredients:

Wheat Flour - 2 Cups
Ghee/butter- 1 tbls
Salt - to taste
Oil

Preparation:

Sieve wheat flour with salt as needed. Add ghee to the flour and mix till it forms crumbs. Add water and knead to a smooth dough. Allow the dough to rest for a while. Make small balls and roll out the dough into rotis. Heat a tawa and place the chappathi on the hot tawa. Add a tspn of oil around the chappathi. Cook well on both sides. Serve hot with kurma.

Kolukattai
Ingredients:

Rice Flour - 2 Cups
Onion - 1 large
Red Chilies - 5
Curry Leaves - Few
Coriander Leaves - Few
Grated Coconut - 1/2 Cup
Mustard Seeds/ Channa Dal/ Urad Dal - For Seasoning
Salt - to taste
Oil

Preparation:

Boil water in a pan. When water begins to boil add little salt and 2 tbls of oil. Add rice flour to the boiling water while mixing it thoroughly. Mix till it forms a dough. Season mustard seeds and channa and urad dal in a pan. Add red chilies, curry leaves, onions and a few coriander leaves. Saute for a while. Add salt and grated coconut. Mix this seasoning with the dough. Make small balls. Take the ball in the palm of your hand. Close the hand and press it. Steam the kolukattai in a idli or any another steamer for 10 minutes. Serve hot.


Variation:

Sweet kolukattai can be made by make the flour mixture in the same way without the seasoning. For a filling mix, grated coconut, brown sugar with little ghee. Keep this filling inside the kolukattai and steam it.

Idli Upma
Ingredients:

Idlis
Onion - 1 large
Red Chilies - 5
Curry Leaves - Few
Coriander Leaves - Few
Mustard Seeds/ Channa Dal/ Urad Dal - For Seasoning
Salt - to taste
Oil

Preparation:

Break idlis into small pieces. Season mustard seeds in oil. Add channa and urad dal. Add finely chopped onions, chilies, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Add some turmeric powder. Add the powdered idlis and very little salt - as the idlis are already salted. Mix for 2 minutes till everything heats up. Serve hot.

Aval Upma
Ingredients:

Thick Aval - 2 Cups
Onion - 1 large
Red Chilies - 5
Curry Leaves - Few
Coriander Leaves - Few
Cumin Seeds/ Channa Dal/ Urad Dal - For Seasoning
Salt - to taste
Oil

Preparation:

Wash aval and soak it in water for 5 minutes. Drain water thoroughly. Season cumin seeds in oil. Add channa and urad dal. Add finely chopped onions, chilies, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Add some turmeric powder. Add the drained aval and salt to taste. Saute for a while. Serve hot.

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