Ribbon pakoda

It's a great snack idea for tea time, party or kids snacks box.  It is very popular South Indian murukku variety easily available in all the sweets shops, it's crunchy yet soft a perfect tea time snack.

I prepared this for diwali festival. If you haven't tried ribbon pakoda yet then you should give a try it's really easy and delicious to eat for kids and all.

Ingredients

Rice Flour – 2 cups

Bengal Gram Flour (Besan) – 1 cup

Red Chilli Powder – 2 tsp

Garlic Paste – 1 tsp

Asafoetida – 2 pinches

Sesame Seeds – 1 tsp

Melted Butter – 3 tsp

Oil for deep frying

Salt to taste

Method

In a big bowl, add the rice flour and gram flour, red chilli powder, salt, sesame seeds, butter, garlic paste and asafoetida. Mix this into a soft dough using water.

In a kadai, heat oil for deep frying. Add a portion of dough in the murukku press. You can use ribbon pakoda achu.

Press directly in oil in circular motion starting from edge to canter. Do not overlap, and fry in medium heat until golden brown or when the bubbles ceases, turn over and until bubbles ceases again. 

Drain the excess oil in a kitchen towel. Repeat this for the remaining dough. Store this air tight container.

Note

• If the flour is not of fine texture the pakoda will break when we make and also it will drink oil.
• Fresh ground pepper powder (or) green chilli paste can also be used along with red chilli powder.
• Always fry the pakoda in hot oil. If you make the make the flame low the pakodas will drink lot of oil.

Chicken Dum Biryani

We are big fond of chicken. I tried this recipe in this method. In this dish, chicken is marinated with all ingredients and partially cooked basmati rice are layered and cooked on dum over low heat.

Once the biryani is cooked on dum, as you open the lid, the kitchen smells fragrant, rich with the reassuring aroma of pure ghee, saffron and the chicken cooked to melt in the mouth with tenderness. 

This goes well with chicken fry/ raita…

Ingredients

(To Marinate Chicken)

Chicken – 3/4 kg

Ginger Garlic Paste – 2 tsp

Red Chilli Powder – 2 tsp

Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp

Garam Masala – 1 tsp

Finely Chopped Mint Leaves – 1 cup

Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves – 1 cup

Fried Onions – 1 cup

Curd (or) Yogurt -1 cup

Crushed Green chilli – 2

Lemon Juice - 1

Salt

(Boiling the Rice)

Basmati Rice – 2 cups

Cardamom – 5

Cloves – 4

Cinnamon – 2 sticks

Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp

Bay leaves – 2

Salt to taste

(Layering)

Lemon Juice – 1

Coriander Leaves – 1 cup

Mint Leaves – ½ cup

Fried Onions – 1 cup

Saffron – 2 pinches

Creamy Milk – ¼ cup

Ghee (or) butter – ¼ cup

Oil - 2 tsp

Method

Clean and wash the chicken pieces and take it into big bowl. Add all the ingredients one by one for chicken marinating. Leave it to marinate at least for an hour.

Soak rice in water at least for 30 min. By mean time, in a big pan/kadai/vessel boil lots of water with salt, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaf.

When the water starts boiling add soaked rice to it. Give it a stir; don’t keep stirring every time, as this will break your rice.

This will take two to three minutes as you have already soaked rice. Keep checking now and then drain the rice in a strainer and keep the rice aside.

Take a wide vessel in which you wish to dum the biryani. Put a very thin layer of rice, this helps to prevent for burning chicken in case if you overcook.

Put the marinated chicken as the second layer. Put half of the rice as your third layer.

Sprinkle evenly fried onions, mint leaves, coriander leaves and lemon juice as your fourth layer. Put the remaining half rice in the fifth layer.

Finally sprinkle the Saffron mixed in milk evenly. Add ghee and oil each and every layer evenly.

Seal this aluminium boil/ maida or wheat coating. Cook on high flame about 10 min. Now lower the flame for another 10 to 15 min.

Keep rotating your vessel clockwise every 3 min. Switch off the stove and leave aside for 10 min. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Mutton Gravy

I got this easiest recipe from my mom. Basically I’m not interested to have mutton curry. My mom used to prepare nicely, but I never eat. But my son and hubby love to have. What to do??? So I started to prepare mutton dishes for them. At least they can enjoy with this kind of dishes. So I’m getting new ideas and recipes from my mom, friends, book and net… Hopefully I’ll post some other recipes of mutton soon. Try this recipe and let me know J

Ingredients

Mutton – ½ kg

Small Onions (chopped) – 1 cup

Chopped Tomato – 1 (big)

Grated Coconut – ¼ cup

Fennel Seeds – 1 1/2 tsp

Pepper Powder – 1 tsp

Chilli Powder – 1 ½ tsp

Coriander Powder – 2 tsp

Ginger Garlic Paste – 2 tsp

Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp

Cashew - 10

Salt to taste

To temper

Cinnamon – 2

Bay leaf – 1

Fennel Seeds – ½ tsp

Curry Leaves – few

Coriander Leaves – few

Oil – 3 tsp

Method

Clean and wash the mutton pieces properly. In a pressure cooker add mutton pieces, salt and ginger garlic paste, cover the lid. And pressure cook till 7 to 8 whistles are given out.

In a pan, heat oil then add cinnamon, bay leaf, fennel seeds, curry leaves and coriander and fry for a min. Then add chopped small onions, saute well till it becomes mushy.

Then add chopped tomatoes and keep cook for another 3 to 4 min. Add salt as much you needed.

Once the pressure releases add the mutton pieces into this pan. Keep fry for another 3 min.

Now add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and two cups of water then close the lid and keep cook for another 10 to 15 min.

In a grinder, add grated coconut, fennel seeds and cashew then grind it well.

Add this coconut masala & pepper powder into mutton gravy. Keep cook for another 5 min on a low flame.

Transfer into serving bowl. And then garnish with coriander leaves.

Note

· The mutton should be cooked fully in pressure cooker. Once you open the lid, you have to confirm that by using fork.

· If it is not cooked keep cook for another 3 whistles comes out.

Ragi Sweet Vermicelli

It’s one of the tasty and healthy dishes. You can easily prepare this dish, it won’t take long time. My mom used to make this instant delicious dish for us. Ragi is a very good food ingredient for any age groups. This is recommended for diabetic persons.

 You get a good feeling of having something healthy for your breakfast or dinner. I hope surely you will enjoy with this simple & great dish :)

Ingredients

Ragi Semiya – 1 pocket

Sugar – ½ cup

Grated Coconut – ½ cup

Dry nuts – ¼ cup

Dry Grapes – 3 tsp

Cardamom – 2

Ghee – 3 tsp

Salt to taste

Method

In a big bowl, take vermicelli and add enough water to cover it. Allow to soak for three minutes.

Drain the excess water and take out the soaked vermicelli and put it in a greased idly plate and steam cook for five minutes.

Then remove it from idly plate and allow cooling for few minutes.

In a blender add sugar with cardamom and grind it.

In a pan, heat ghee. Then add dry nuts & grapes and fry for a min. Now add the grated coconut and fry well.

Finally add ragi semiya and sugar. Sprinkle little bit ghee on the top of vermicelli.

It’s time for transfer into serve into serving bowl.

 Notes:

• Don’t soak ragi semiya in water more than 3 min.
• While soaking just add little bit salt
• Do not over cook in idly cooker / pan
• If you over cook ragi, it will be sticky, you won’t get the exact texture

Vengaya Kuzhambu

It’s a typical south Indian dish. My mom makes the best vengaya kuzhambu and we all are a big fan of that. Now I’m following her. This stays fresh even for 2 to three 3 days if refrigerated.

 It’s a very good recipe for lunch box. Use sesame oil to get better taste. This goes well with any steamed rice with papad and side dish / curd rice/ idli / dosa…

Ingredients

Small Onion / Chinna Vengayam / Shallots – 15

Chopped Tomato – 1 (big)

Fenugreek Seeds ( methi seeds/ venthayam) – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – few

Tamarind water – 2 cup

Chilli Powder – 1 ½ tsp

Coriander Powder – 2 tsp

Cubed brinjal – ½ cup

Chopped Drumstick – ½ cup

Sesame oil – 3 tsp

Chopped coriander leaves - few

Salt

Method

Soak a lemon sized tamarind in hot water for about 15 min. Then extract water from that. I used two cups of tamarind water to make this dish.

Peel the outer skin of chinna vengayam, and make a half slice using knife. Don’t cut into two halves.

In a kadai, add sesame oil then adds methi seeds, curry leaves. Now add small onions and fry them on a low flame. Do not burn it. Then add chopped tomatoes and fry till it becomes mushy. 

Now add chilli powder, coriander powder, tamarind water, salt and other vegetables.

Close the lid. Keep cook for about 10 to 15 min till it reaches the kuzhambu consistency.

Switch off the flame and add few curry leaves. Add a tsp of sesame oil. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Vatha Kuzhambu

It is an easy dish which we normally make at home at least once or twice a week. It’s a very traditional and authentic South Indian recipe. You can use any vathal like black nightshade (Manathathakkali), eggplant (kathirikai), and Turkey berry (Sundaikkai) , Mango or any other vathal. 

This goes well with any steamed rice. For this dish use sesame oil, it gives unique taste. Its show my mom’s specialty. I got this recipe from my mom.

 I prepared this dish for our last potluck with potato podimas. I have already posted that recipe. You just try at least one time this recipe with potato podimas. You will surely enjoy it!

Ingredients

Peeled Garlic Pods – ¼ cup

Chopped Drumstick – 1 cup

Soaked Chickpea (kondakadalai) – 1 cup

Tamarind (lemon sized ball)

Sesame oil – 4 tsp

Vathal ( sundaikai, brinjal or mango) – 3 tsp

Coriander Powder – 2 tsp

Chilli Powder – 1 1/2 tsp

Curry Leaves – few

Coriander leaves – few

Salt as required

To Temper

Vengaya vadagam - 1 tsp

Crushed pepper & garlic – 1 tsp

Curry leaves

Method

Soak chickpea through overnight and pressure cook with little salt till 3 whistles come out. Soak tamarind with hot water and extract the thick juice. Don’t use the pulp.

In a kadai, heat sesame oil then adds vengaya vadagam, when it splutter add curry leaves and crushed pepper and garlic.

Now add garlic pods and saute well with oil. Add any vathal and fry for 2 min. Then add drumstick pieces and cooked chickpea saute for about 5 min.

Now add tamarind extract, salt, chilli powder, coriander powder and 2 cups of water and keep cook for about 10 to 15 min. Cover the lid.

Let it boil till the raw smell goes well and gets the kuzhambu consistency. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with hot steamed rice & papad...

Potato Podimas

It’s a very simple and tasty dish. Potato is one of my favourite veggie since my childhood. It is suitable for make either as a fry, curry or podimas. It’s my mom’s mom recipe (my Grandma). They used to prepare this curry. I like it very much.

 My mom used to make this podimas, especially with kara kuzhambu…. I hope it’s one of the great combinations. This is not too much of spicy. Definitely kids love this dish. If you want you can add more chilli. This goes well with any spicy kulambu.

Ingredients
Potato – 4 (Medium Size)
Green Peas – 1 cup (boiled)
Finely Chopped Onions – 1 cup (Big)
Chopped Ginger – 3 tsp
Sliced Green Chilli – 7
Chopped Capsicum – 1 (Medium)
Salt to taste
To Temper
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Urad Dal – 1 tsp
Chana Dal – 1 tsp
Curry Leaves – few
Coriander Leaves – ¼ cup
Grated Coconut – ¼ cup
Oil – 2 tsp
Method
Wash and cut the potatoes into half and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Once the pressure releases, peel the skin of the potatoes. Mash the potatoes roughly with your hands and keep it aside.

Then Cook green peas separately and keep it aside. Heat oil in a pan; add mustard seeds, urad dal let it splutter. Then add channa dal, chopped ginger, green chilli and curry leaves and fry for a min.

Now add capsicum, chopped onion and sauté till it turns golden color. Now add grated coconut and coriander leaves with salt.

Finally add mashed potatoes and green peas and sauté well and keep cook on a low flame for about 3 to 5 min. Then switch off the flame. Transfer into serving bowl. Its work out with any steamed rice.

Eggplant / Brinjal Stir Fry

It’s an easy and simple dish but rich tastes. The key to this recipe is a blend of ginger garlic & fresh coconut which imparts a nice aroma and flavor. Brinjal is also known as eggplant. This goes well with roti and rice.

Ingredients

Diced Brinjal – 300 g

Chopped Onion – 1 (big)

Sliced Green Chilli – 3

Chopped capsicum – 2 tsp

Dry Red chilli – 2

Crushed Ginger & Garlic – 2 tsp

Mustards Seeds – ½ tsp

Cumin Seeds – ½ tsp

Urad dal – ½ tsp

Fennel Seeds – 1 tsp

Grated Coconut – 5 tsp

Curry leaves – few

Coriander leaves – few

Chilli Powder – ½ tsp

Coriander Powder -1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil

Method

Heat oil in a pan, and splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds one by one. Then add urad dal, red chilli & curry leaves sauté for a min.

Now add green chilli, capsicum, crushed ginger garlic and chopped onions and sauté well till it becomes mushy.

Now add diced brinjal and sauté for about 2 to 3 min. Then add chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Sprinkle water and close the lid. Then keep cook on a low flame.

In a mixer grinder, add grated coconut and fennel seeds then grind it.

Finally add this into eggplant curry. Now add chopped coriander leaves. If you like it to be a little mushy adds extra water and stir fry for a longer time. You can serve with any steamed hot rice :)

Channa Dal Onion Chutney

Channa dal onion chutney is one of my favorite dishes. Small onions are the real taste-factor for this recipe. If you don’t have the small onions you can use finely chopped big onions. While grinding, you just add little water. 

This is also my mom’s recipe. I and my sister used to enjoy this chutney with more idlis & dosas. It’s a perfect condiment to be served with idli and dosa. Hope you are all enjoying with this dish :)

Ingredients
Peeled Small Onion – 20 pieces (small) (cut into two halves)
Chopped Tomato – 2 (medium)
Channa Dal – ¼ Cup
Dry Red Chilli – 10
Coriander leaves – ¼ cup
Chopped Ginger – 1 piece
Urad Dal – 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Curry Leaves – few
Salt to taste
Sesame Oil – 3 tsp
Method
Take a bowl with half of hot water, put onions and let it be another 5 to 10 min. This helps to control your tears while peeling onions. It’s a very easiest method.
By mean time, heat oil in a pan, fry red chilli for a min or till it changes slight brown in colour. Then take it out and keep it in a bowl.
Now add channa dal and fry for a min. Then keep it in a bowl. Now fry chopped ginger in that remaining oil.
Then add the halved small onions, keep fry till it becomes mushy. Now add chopped tomato and coriander leaves. Fry well.
Then switch off the flame. Let it cool down. Once it done, in a mixer grinder add the roasted ingredients with salt and grind it well with little water. 
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When it popping out, add urad dal & curry leaves.
Once it done, transfer into serving bowl. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Crab Fry

It’s a very popular dish in my native. My mom prepares this dish very well. I got the recipe from them. I’m sure you will definitely enjoy with this recipe. Mom, I’m really missing your preparations & tasty foods.

What a tasty food??? We missed the one most favorite food. After came here, we didn't get a chance to have this food. We just tried so many plazas over here. But it’s not looks like the normal size. Only we could see huge sized crabs…

What to do??? But I got a sudden surprise from my husband. One day he left to home with normal sized crab.  Yep, it’s blue crab. We are really very happy and especially my son loves the crab very much.

What next??? I prepared this tasty crab fry and had with steamed rice. I got the small sized blue crab, so I didn't halved them for fry. I just used the whole instead.

This goes well with steamed rice/ briyani/ pulav/fried rice/curd rice…

Ingredients

Crab – 5

Chopped Onions – 2 (big)

Chopped Tomato – 1 (big)

Tamarind Juice – 3 tsp

Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp

Fennel Seeds – 1 tsp

Pepper Seeds – 1 tsp

Garlic – 3 cloves

Coconut – 3 tsp

Chilli Powder – 1 tsp

Coriander Powder – 2 tsp

Oil

Salt to taste

Curry leaves – few

Coriander leaves – few

To temper

Cinnamon – 2

Cardamom – 1

Bay leaf – 1

 Method

First you have to take crab properly, clean crab well in water and you need to remove one side of hard crab shell completely. Now you can see the crab flush. And remove the unwanted parts.

Wash and clean the crab and chop into small pieces. Then keep it aside. I know it’s somewhat tough to clean than other meat.

In a pan, add fennel seeds, cumin seeds, pepper seeds and garlic then roast it well. Let it cool down then grind it with coconut.  Then keep it in a bowl.

In a kadai, heat oil then add bay leaf, curry leaves, cinnamon & cardamom. Then add chopped onions and fry till it becomes mushy.

Now add crab pieces and fry well in oil with little bit salt. Then only it absorbs the saltiness.

Keep fry another 5 min in oil. Do not over fry. It should be cooked on a low flame.

Then add chopped tomatoes and keep fry until it mashed well with crab.

Now add chilli powder, coriander powder and tamarind juice, grinded masala and sprinkle water if it is needed and keep fry for about 5 min.

Now add the chopped coriander leaves and sprinkle oil to roast well. Keep fry on low flame for about 5 min.

  
Switch off the flame and transferred into serving bowl.