Chilli Adai

My H like Adai more than regular Dosa. We like spicy Adai's. One fine evening i have no dosa batter in my fridge. Suddenly i came up with this idea. Just 2 to 3 hours soaking time is enough if you soak the dals and rice in hot water. This simple adai goes with idli podi very well. If you have time you can make coconut chutney as side dish too. This Adai goes very well with South Indian Aviyal. Here comes the recipe for this simple Adai...


You will need:

• 1 cup raw rice
• ½ cup toor dal
• ½ cup Channa dal
• ¼ cup urad dal
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
  
• ½ tsp Asafoetida Powder (hing powder, LG)
• 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
  
• salt as required
• bunch of coriander leaves
• Chilli flakes (optional)
• oil (To make Adai) You can use ghee also
  

Procedure:

Step 1:

Soak rice, toor dal, channa dal, urad dal together in a vessel for 3 to 4 hours.

Step 2:

Grind it in a mixie/ blender by adding little water(Not too watery..Just like regular dosa batter). Grind it to a course paste.

Now add chopped coriander leaves, chilli powder, cumin powder, asofoetida powder and ginger garlic paste along with the course paste and switch on the mixie/ blender one more time just to get the coriander leaves mixed with the dal paste.

Step 3:

Now add the salt and mix it.

Step 4:

Heat griddle/tawa/ nonstick pan pour a ladle of batter and roll it around to spread it evenly. Cook one side pour some oil around and turn other side to cook .When done remove and serve.


You can top one side of the dosa with chilli flakes or onions to get chilli Adai, Onion Adai.

Tofu Scramble

I like scramble eggs very much. We eat that with Chapathi, side dish for sambhar rice or dal rice, or even as breakfast. But as you all know eggs are loaded with cholesterol. So tried the same recipe with added spiciness in Tofu. We liked it very much. Had it with Chapathi for dinner. Hope you will like this too..

You will need:

• 500 gm Firm Tofu
• 2 big onions
• ½ tsp Chicken Masala Powder
• 1 tsp pepper powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder or 5 green chillies(finely chopped)
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tbsp oil
• salt per taste
• Few coriander leaves( Chopped finely)

Procedure:

Step 1:

Chop the onions finely and keep it aside.

Step 2:

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and then add the finely chopped onions to it.

Step 3:

Crumble the firm tofu with your hands and keep it aside.

Step 4:

When the onions turn translucent after sauteing it for 3 to 5 mins, add the ginger garlic paste.

Step 5:

Saute the ginger garlic paste for just 2 mins till it get rid of the raw smell. Now add the chicken masala powder, chilli powder and the cumin powder, pepper powder along with scrambled tofu at this stage.

Step 6:

Add salt. Stir it continuously till you get scrambled form. Add chopped coriander leaves. This might take 8 to 10 mins to get this scrambled form.Serve it hot with Chapathi or any of your favorite dishes.

Chundakai Vathal Kuzhambu

You will need:

• ½ cup chundakkai
• ½ cup grated coconut
• few curry leaves
  
• 1½ big onion (chopped finely)
• 3 tbsp tomato puree or ( 1 big tomato chopped finely)
• 7 garlic pods(chopped roughly
• 2 tbsp sambhar powder
• 2 cup water
  
• salt for taste
• 1 tbsp sugar
  
• tamarind to taste
  
• 3 tbsp gingelly oil(nallennai)
• 1 tsp gram flour (kadala mavu)
• 1 tsp rice flour
  

Procedure:

Step 1:

Dry roast the coconut and curry leaves:

Heat a non stick pan on medium heat and add the grated coconut along with the curry leaves. Roast in low flame till you get nice aroma and dark brown color. In low flame it will take 5 mins. Roasting the coconut at high flame will result burned coconut  which will give bitter taste.

Allow it to cool and dry grind it using a blender or mixie to get fine powder. 

Roasted coconut Powder:

Step 2:

Heat oil in a pan and add chundakkai to it and fry it for 2 to 3 mins. Then add chopped onions, chopped garlic along with chundakkai and keep frying till onions turns transluent.

Step 3:

Add the sambhar masala powder now and saute it for a min. Then add the tomato puree.

Hint: If you are adding tomato pieces, better to add it before adding sambhar masala powder.

Step 4:

Now add the tamarind along with water and salt. Lower the heat and allow it to cook for 20 mins till the oil comes on top.


Step 5:

Mix rice flour and gram flour with  ½ cup water and keep it aside.

Step 6:

Now add the roasted coconut powder. Then add the rice flour gram flour paste and stir it nicely. Close with a lid and allow it to cook for 3 more mins. You can add sugar/sarkarai at this stage.

Serve it hot with white rice. If you dont like bitter taste then reduce the chundakkai to ¼cup. Using nallennai will take out the bitter taste from Chundakkai.

Bhindi Masala/ Lady's finger Masala

Bhindi Masala is a very popular dish in North India. This time i tried with peanut and also with sesame seeds. The taste was real good and very different from the regular Bhindi Masala. I limited the number of tomatoes. So i got it as dry. So you can serve this with chapathi as well as with dal curry.

You will need:

• 15 baby okra's (Chopped)
  
• 1 red onion (Chopped)
• 1 tsp lemon juice ( to avoid stickiness)
  
• 3 tbsp peanut
• 3 tbsp sesame seeds (ellu in tamil)
  
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• ½ tomato (optional).. (Chopped)

For tempering:

• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
• ½ tsp urad dal
• ½ tsp channa dal
• 2 red chillies
• few curry leaves
  
• salt for taste
• 5 tbsp oil
  

Procedure:

Step 1:

Heat a pan and add peanuts. Dry fry them for 1 or 2 mins till it turns golden brown color. Then add 1 tbsp sesame seeds to it an saute it till it splutter. Allow it to cool and dry grind them in a mixie or in a coffee grinder.

Step 2:

Tempering:

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, channa dal, urad dal, red chillies, curry leaves one after other. Allow it to splutter. Then add chopped onion and okra to it. Add lemon juiceand salt to it and saute it. Do not close with a lid. Saute it till it get fried very nicely. It will take min 5 mins in medium high flame.

Step 3:

Adding Spices:

Now add the remaining sesame seeds , chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder to it and saute nicely till you get rid of raw smell.

Step 4:

Adding Peanut powder:

Add peanut sesame powder at this stage and saute it. Check for salt. At this stage the dish will look like as shown in the pic below. You can serve this as side dish for rice with dal curry.



Step 5:

Adding Tomatoes:

If you want semi gravy form then you have to add tomato at this stage and saute it till its fully cooked.

Potato Cauliflower Semi gravy

This is a simple and healthy dish which goes very well with Chapathi. And very quick too. Because the ingredients added in this dish wont take much time to cook. Potatoes might take 5 mins and cauliflower just 3 mins to cook. So this can come under 30 mins meals. we like these 2 vegetables and i make this very often. so just sharing this recipe, so that you can enjoy this dish as well.


Here comes the recipe..

You will need:

• 2 red onion or 1 big yellow onion
• 1 tomato or 3 tbsp canned crushed tomatoes
• 10 fingerling potatoes.. You can use 2 regular potatoes
• half of one big cauliflower( cut into small florets)
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp black pepper powder
  
• salt for taste
  

For tempering:

• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
  
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1 tsp channa dal
• 1 red chilli
• 5 curry leaves
• 3 tbsp oil

Procedure:

Step 1:

Heat a non stick pan and add some oil. When the oil is hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, channa dal, red chillies, curry leaves and the urad dal one after other.

Step 2:

Add chopped onions and saute it for 3 mins in high flame till it become light brown color. Now add the potato, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, pepper, garam masala powder and close the lid for 2 mins. Add the tomato paste at this time. Now add ½ cup of water along with salt and cover it with a lid for 3 more mins till the potato is half cooked.

Step 3:

Now add the chopped cauliflower and cook it till its full cooked. It will take less than 5 mins. You can add water if it started sticking at the bottom of the pan. To get semi gravy form, you have to allow the water to evaporate by not closing the lid.

Yummy potato cauliflower gravy is ready to serve. Serve with chapathi

Brinjal Prawn Masala

I was thinking to make this dish for a year. But somehow dint get perfect time to make this dish. You can definitely try this dish even if you don't like eggplant(Indian brinjals from Indian store). Very spicy and tasty dish. You can enjoy with chapathi, dosa and with naan(Indian bread).

Regarding rose in the picture, I just gave it a try to make the rose using tomato skin. It worked!!!!. Thanks to my friend who told me how to make this. She told just peel the tomato and swirl it to get rose shape. Wow simple easy tip gave me good tomato rose. You can try too for a nice presentation.

You will need:

• 5 small brinjals/Eggplant
• 20 medium size prawn/shrimp
• 1 medium size onion
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 green chillies
• 3 tsp chilli powder
• 3 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• few curry leaves
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 3 tbsp oil

Step 1:

Chop the onions, green chillies, tomatoes, brinjal and keep it aside.

Step 2:

Heat oil in a pan add curry leaves, onions, green chillies, brinjal and saute it for few minutes till onion turns translucent.

Step 3:

Now add the ginger garlic paste and saute it for 1 min. Add cumin powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and saute it for 2 more mins till it get rid of the raw coriander smell.

Step 4:

Add tomatoes and close it with a lid. After 3 mins add prawns , salt and saute it for a min .Then close it again for 3 mins.

Step 5:

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with chapathi, Indian Bread, or as a side dish for rice.

Palak Sausage Gravy

I like that palak panner dish. As you know its a very healthy dish. But i dont like to eat the panneer pieces in that. So i tried with vienna sausage. It worked and it taste good too. So non veg lovers can definitely give a try. Specially those who dont like panneer like us will like this dish. Healthy and simple!!!!.


You will need:

• 1 can vienna sausage
• 1 bunch spinach/palak
• 2 green chillies
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp amchoor powder or tamarind paste
• 5 cloves of garlic (chopped)
  
• 1 inch ginger (chopped)
  
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 2 dry red chillies
• ¼ cup onion (finely chopped)
  
• 1 string curry leaves
• salt for taste
• oil for tempering

Step 1:

Heat water in pan and add garlic and ginger to it. Allow it to boil for few minutes. then add chopped spinach and green chillies into it . Let it cook for few more minutes till the spinach is fully cooked.

Step 2:

After the spinach mixture is fully cooked allow it to cool for some time. In the mean time cut the canned sausage into small chunks like the way we do for panneer/tofu.

Step 3:

Grind the spinach mixture to a fine paste. Dont add any water to it. If you add water the final product will turn very watery.

Step 4:

Heat a non stick pan mediun high. Add 2 tbsp oil, when its hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, onion one by one. When the onion turns translucent add curry leaves and dry red chillies to it. Now add the sausage chunks and saute for few seconds. Add the spinach mixture to it. Finally add tamarind paste / amchoor(mango) powder and salt depending on our taste.

Hint:

Can substitute tamarind paste with sour cream too.

Sambhar recipe

You will need:

• 1 onion(chopped)
• 2 tomatoes(chopped)
• 3 green chillies(chopped)
• 3 carrots(chopped)
• 1 potato(chopped)
• 1 cup green peas
• 2 cup baby spinach
• 1 cup lady's finger (okra)
• 1 cup eggplant(chopped)
  
• 1½ tsp tamarind paste (You can add more or less according to your taste)
• 7 garlic pods
• 1 cup toor dal
• ½ cup channa dal/moong dal
• 4 cups of water
• salt to taste

Hint:

You can add whatever vegetables you have in your refrigerator. This is the nice way to empty your refrigerator.

For tempering:

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
• ½ tsp urad dal
• 3 dry red chillies
• some curry leaves
• some coriander leaves(chopped)
• 3 tbsp sambhar powder
• ½ tsp asafoetida powder(hing, perungaayam)

Step 1:

Microwave chopped vegetables:

Microwave chopped carrots and potatoes for 6 minutes.

Step 2:

In rice cooker:

In a rice cooker add toor dal, channa dal/moong dal, garlic, tomatoes and add 4 cups of water and allow it to cook.

Step 3:

Stir fry okra, eggplant and spinach

Take a non stick pan and add 1 tbsp oil. Add the chopped okra and fry it for few mins. Then add chopped onions, eggplant and spinach along with the okra and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 4:

Mix veggies with dal

When the dal is half cooked add okra, eggplant, onions,spinach, carrot, potato, peas, tamarind paste, salt with the dal mixture. At this point if you need more water add some. Then allow the dal and veggies to cook till your rice cooker automatically turns to warm position.

Step 5:

Tempering:

For tempering heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and urad dal. When it splutters add asafoetida powder, sambhar powder, curry leaves, coriander leaves. Then add this mixture to the veggie dal mixture and enjoy your sambhar with rice, idli, dosa.

Handy Hint:

If you dont like thick sambhar add some more water and sambhar powder.

Asparagus poriyal/ Stir fry

You will need:

• 1 bunch Asparagus
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 2 green chillies
• 5 curry leaves
• ½ cup onion
• 2 cloves garlic
  
• ¼ cup dessicated coconut
• 1 tbsp oil
  
• salt as reqd
  

Step 1:

Finely chop:

Remove the stems of the asparagus. Finely chop asparagus , onions, green chillies and garlic.

Step 2:

Start frying:

Put a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of oil. Add mustard, cumin, urad dal and curry leaves. Then add chopped onions and 2 green chillies to the pan, and fry for about 3 minutes.

Now add asparagus and salt. Then close the lid for 3 mins. When its cooked add coconut and continuously stir for few more mins. Check for salt.. When they are ready turn the heat off.

Enjoy with chapathi, or as side dish for rice.

Potato and Spinach recipe

Step 1:

You will need

• 2 potatoes
  
• 1 bunch of spinach
  
• 1 medium onions
• 2 medium tomatoes/ 2Tbsp tomato paste
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 green chillies
  
• 1 Tbsp ginger garlic paste
• some salt
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp sambhar powder
  
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• ½ bunch of coriander leaves for garnish

Step 2:

Chop and Boil

Peel and finely chop onion, then 4 tomatoes and 2 green chillies.

Then peel and chop potatoes and also spinach.

Boil the potatoes in the microwave for 4 minutes or boil with water for 5 mins.

HANDY HINT
Use a scissor to cut chillies or dip your fingers in oil before you do this to stop the chilli juices from stinging your fingers.

Step 3:

Start frying

Put a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add
3 tablespoons of olive oil

Add the chopped onion and 2 green chillies to the pan, and fry for about 5 minutes or until the onions turn light golden brown. Stir frequently to stop the onions burning.

Step 4:

Ginger and garlic

Now add 2 tbsp of ginger and garlic paste. Stir well for a couple of minutes.


Step 5:

Spices

Add
½ a tsp of turmeric powder,
1 tsp of sambhar powder,

1 tsp of garam masala powder,
and fry for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently.

Step 6:

Tomatoes

Add the finely chopped tomatoes followed by 2 tsp of cumin powder fry for 2 minutes.

Step 7:

Spinach and potatoes

Add chopped spinach and stir for 2 mins and then add the potatoes. After adding the potatoes stir in some salt, then close the lid and allow it to boil. If it is very dry, add some water and allow the potatoes to cook through.When the potatoes become soft, turn off the heat.


Step 8:

Garnish and Serve

When its warm mix 1 tsp of lemon juice. Then finely chop the coriander leaves onto the curry and serve


Serve with Chapathi, Kulcha or with rice.

Soya Wadi/Chunks and green peas masala recipe

Step 1:

You will need

• 1 cup soya chunks
• 2 cups green peas
• 1 onion
• 2 tomatoes
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
  
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
  
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 2 tsp chicken masala powder
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• few strings of curry leaves
• 1tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 tbsp oil
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• ½ bunch of coriander leaves for garnish
• salt as required

Step 2:

Marinating soya chunks

Soak soya chunks in warm water for 10 mins. Drain the water, squeeze the water out of chunks. Then add 1 tsp chilli powder,1 tsp lemon juice and some salt alond with the chunks and allow it to marinate for minimum 1 hour.

Step 3:

Chop:

Peel and finely chop 1 onion, then 2 tomatoes.

Step 4:

Start frying

Put a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Add the chopped onion to the pan, and fry for about 5 minutes or until the onions turn light golden brown. Stir frequently to stop the onions burning.

Step 5:

Ginger and garlic

Now add 1 tsp of ginger and garlic paste. Stir well for a couple of minutes.

Step 6:

Spices

Add
½ a tsp of turmeric powder,
1 tsp of red chilli powder,
2 tsp of chicken masala powder,
1 tsp of garam masala powder
and fry for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently.

Step 7:

Tomatoes

Add the finely chopped tomatoes followed by 1 tbsp of cumin powder fry for 2 minutes.

Step 8:

Add the marinated soya chunks

Turn the heat to medium high and add the marinated soya chunks. Then stir in some salt.Then put the lid on and bring the heat down. Then add 2 cups of green peas. Leave for about 10 minutes or until the soya chunks are cooked. check occasionally. When they are ready, turn the heat off.

Step 9:

Garnish and Serve

When its warm mix 1 tsp of lemon juice. Then finely chop the coriander leaves onto the curry and serve


Serve with Chapathi, Kulcha or with naan