Mini Tiffin - 1 (Green Gram Pongal, Idli, Idli Sambar, Idli Podi)

Collection of tiffin items help to fulfill our stomach with happiness especially weekend or any special occasions. I hope you can enjoy to have this combo with your lovely family.

Idli Podi

Ingredients

Urad Dal – ½ cup

Channa Dal – ½ cup

Hing – ½ tsp

Peanuts – a handful

Garlic – 3 pods

Oil – 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Tamarind - 1/5 tsp

For Dry Roast

Sesame Seeds – 2 tsp

Curry Leaves – a handful

Dry Red Chilli – 25

Method

Heat a pan, and dry roast the ingredients one by one which are under to “dry roast” and keep it aside.

In the same pan, heat oil. Add hing, urad dal and roast it till gets slight brown in color and transfer into a plate.

Then add channa dal and roast it for another few min and transfer into plate.

Add peanuts and roast it for few min then transfer into a plate.

Let it cool down completely and grind it as fine powder.

Finally add garlic powder and grind it one more time. 

Keep it in tight air container and serve with hot idlies.

Green Gram Pongal

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 1 cup

Green gram - 3/4 cup

Finely Chopped Ginger – 2 tsp

Salt to taste

(To Temper)

Pepper -2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Asafoetida/Hing - a pinch
Curry leaves - few
Ghee – 2 tsp

Cashew – 3 tsp

Method

Wash & Soak green gram overnight. Then soak basmati rice at least for 30 min.

Then pressure cook rice and gram with 1 tsp of ghee and together with 5 cups of water for 4 to 5 whistles. The rice should be mushy.
Once it done, allow it to cool. In a pan, heat ghee. Add the tempering ingredients one by one and saute it for few sec.

Add the tempering ingredients to rice and mix well. Add melted ghee on top of it.

Serve hot with sambar/chutney/kurma… 

Idli Sambar

Ingredients

Toor Dal – 1 cup

Potato – 2 (Big)

Chopped Carrots - 2

Shallots (Small Onions) – 20

Sliced Green Chilli – 4

Chopped Tomatoes – 2

Tamarind – small sized ball

Turmeric – ½ tsp

Asafoetida – a pinch

Salt to taste

To roast & grind

Coriander Seeds – 1 tsp

Channa Dal – 1 tsp

Red Chillies – 4

Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp

Fenugreek Seeds – ½ tsp

Curry Leaves – few

Asafoetida – ½ tsp

To Temper

Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

Dry Red Chilli – 2

Urad Dal – ½ tsp

Curry Leaves – few

Coriander Leaves – few

Oil – 2 tsp

Sesame oil – ½ tsp

Method

Soak tamarind in warm water for about 10 to 15 minutes. It helps to extract tamarind juice easily.

Pressure cook toor dal for 5 whistles or till it becomes mushy, with two pinches of asafoetida, turmeric powder, few drops of sesame oil and 2 cups of water.

Wash the potatoes and cut into 4 slices and pressure cook it along with toor dal. Once it done, peel of potato skin and cut into small pieces.

Roast all the ingredients under to roast and grind. Do not burn anything. So roast everything on a low flame. Let it cool down and powder into coarse powder.

In a kadai, heat oil and add small onions then fry till it becomes mushy. Now add green chilli and tomatoes and fry till transparent.

Extract tamarind juice from the tamarind. Dilute it and make it 1 cup of it and add start heating in a pressure cooker/kadai.

Add the fried onions, tomatoes to it. Then add few curry leaves, coriander leaves, salt and bring to boil. Then add mashed or sliced potatoes.

Now add the coarse powder (sambar powder), keep pressure cook for another 2 whistles. If you need, add extra water to avoid lump formation. 

In a pan, heat oil add mustard seeds, urad dal, and dry red chilli, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Mix it with sambar.

Cilantro/Coriander/Kothamalli Rasam

It is one of the most flavorful and yummy dish. It is the main dish and almost present in all South Indian combo.

The freshly crushed cilantro along with garlic, jeera n pepper gives a nice aroma, that too while sauteing in oil it smells so refreshing n lovely.

It is very easy to make with all simple ingredients. Adding coconut gives nice flavor to this dish.

Ingredients

Chopped Cilantro with stem – 1 cup

Chopped Tomato – 2

Tamarind Paste – 1 tsp

Rasam Powder – ½ tsp

Freshly Grated Coconut – 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Turmeric Powder – a pinch

(For Rasam Powder)

Cumin Seeds/Jeera – 1 tsp

Peppercorn – ½ tsp

Garlic – 5 pods

Chopped coriander leaves – few

To Temper

Oil – 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp

Hing – a pinch

Dry Red Chilli –2

Curry Leaves - few

Method

In a blender, add cumin seeds, pepper corns, garlic and cilantro, pulse it for few seconds and keep ready.

Heat oil in a pan; add tempering ingredients allow mustard seeds to splutter.

Then add crushed cilantro-garlic mixture and fry well for 1-2 minutes.

After that add 1/2 cup of water and bring it to boil.

Once it starts boiling add tamarind paste and tomato enough salt and give it a stir.

Then add shredded coconut, rasam powder and mix well and cook covered in medium heat.

When the rasam starts to boil, add remaining chopped n crushed cilantro leaves & stems and again close it with a lid. 

Switch off the flame when the rasam starts boiling and keep covered in the stove itself for 4-5 minutes.

Idli Podi

Idli Podi is a typical south Indian dish. It is a favorite side dish of everyone who love idli and dosa. This is one of my favorite from my school days. Kids love to eat idli with podi.

Normally my son doesn't like to have idli. But when he tasted with podi , he loved. Nowadays he never says no for Idlies…

When add garlic pods while grinding at last it gives nice flavor to the dish. Sesame oil gives nice taste and adding roasted peanuts which gives unique flavor to the dish.

Ingredients

Urad Dal – ½ cup

Channa Dal – ½ cup

Hing – ½ tsp

Peanuts – a handful

Garlic – 3 pods

Oil – 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Tamarind - 1/5 tsp

For Dry Roast

Sesame Seeds – 2 tsp

Curry Leaves – a handful

Dry Red Chilli – 25

Method

Heat a pan, and dry roast the ingredients one by one which are under to “dry roast” and keep it aside.

In the same pan, heat oil. Add hing, urad dal and roast it till gets slight brown in color and transfer into a plate.

Then add channa dal and roast it for another few min and transfer into plate.

Add peanuts and roast it for few min then transfer into a plate.

Let it cool down completely and grind it as fine powder.

Finally add garlic pods and grind it one more time. 

Keep it in tight air container and serve with hot idlies.

Green Gram Pongal

Pongal is a famous dish in South Indian cuisine. I have slightly made a small variation in this dish. Yes, this yummy and special Green Gram Pongal is delicious dish.

This goes very well with sambar/chutney…

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 1 cup

Green gram - 3/4 cup

Finely Chopped Ginger – 2 tsp

Salt to taste

(To Temper)

Pepper -2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Asafoetida/Hing - a pinch
Curry leaves - few
Ghee – 2 tsp

Cashew – 3 tsp

Method

Wash & Soak green gram overnight. Then soak basmati rice at least for 30 min.

Then pressure cook rice and gram with 1 tsp of ghee and together with 5 cups of water for 4 to 5 whistles. The rice should be mushy.
Once it done, allow it to cool. In a pan, heat ghee. Add the tempering ingredients one by one and saute it for few sec.

Add the tempering ingredients to rice and mix well. Add melted ghee on top of it.

Serve hot with sambar/chutney/kurma… 

Creamy Cabbage Curry

It’s another simple and easy dish but the taste is really good. It goes very well with chapatti, roti, bread, steamed white rice.

Ingredients

Finely Chopped Cabbage – 1 cup

Finely Chopped Onion – 1 (big)

Finely Chopped Onion – 1 (big)

Finely Chopped Ginger – 1 tsp

Channa Dal – 5 tsp

Toor Dal – 5 tsp

Chilli Powder – 1 tsp

Salt to taste

(For Paste)

Cashew Nuts – 3 tsp

Ground Nuts – 3 tsp

Sesame Seeds – 1 tsp

Dry Coconut – 1 tsp

(To Temper)

Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

Dry Red Chilli – 2

Curry Leaves – few

Cumin Seeds – ¼ tsp

Fennel Seeds – a pinch

Chopped Coriander Leaves – few

Cashew – 1 tsp

Oil – 1 tsp

Method

In a vessel cook channa dal & toor dal with little salt.

Then add chopped onions, ginger, tomato, cabbage and chilli powder with 1 cup of water and close the lid.

Let it cook for another 10 min on medium flame.

In a blender add the ingredients which are under to Paste and make it as ground paste.

Add this paste into cabbage curry and mix well. Then keep cook for another 2 to 3 min.

In a pan, heat oil. Add the ingredients which are under to temper and saute it for few min.

Add these tempering ingredients into cabbage curry and mix well. 

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed white rice.

Egg Omlette Kuzhambu

It is another easy and simple kuzhambu which give nice taste and texture. You can add any veggie like (potato, drumstick, brinjal...)

I hope who love eggs will be excited to taste different recipes of eggs. This goes very well with steamed white rice, idli, dosa...

Ingredients

Chopped Onion – 1 cup

Chopped Tomato – 1 cup

Chopped Pumpkin - 1 cup

Sliced Green Chilli – 2

Chilli Powder – 1 tsp

Coriander Powder – 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Tamarind water – 1 cup

Oil – 2 tsp

(For Omlette)

Eggs – 2

Finely Chopped Onions – ½ cup

Finely Chopped Ginger – 1 tsp

Finely Chopped Cilantro – 3 tsp

Salt to Taste

Fennel Powder – ½ tsp

Chilli Powder – ½ tsp

Coriander Powder – ½ tsp

(To Temper)

Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

Curry Leaves – few

Fennel Seeds – ½ tsp

Oil – 1 tsp

Method

(For Omlette)

In a bowl add the ingredients which are under for omlette and mix well.

In a pan, apply oil. Then make small sized omlettes. And keep it aside.

(To Kuzhambu)

In a kadai, heat oil. Add the tempering ingredients one by one and saute it for few sec.

Add chopped onions and fry till it gets slight brown in color.

Then add chopped tomatoes and fry till it becomes mushy.

Add sliced green chilli, salt, pumpkin and tamarind water with chilli coriander powder. Let it cook for about 10 min.

Once it done, then add the omlette and cook for another 5 min. 

Finally add the chopped coriander leaves and serve with hot steamed rice.

Mixed Veggie Uthappam

It is very simple, tasty, easy and quick to prepare. Uttapam is a south Indian Breakfast prepared from Dosa batter. Uthappam can be served plain or with toppings of our choice. This could be a perfect snack/ breakfast for your kid.

Ingredients

Dosa Batter – 3 cups

Finely Chopped Ginger – 1 tsp

Finely Chopped Green Chilli – 1 tsp

Finely Chopped Onion – 1 cup

Finely Chopped Tomato – 1

Finely Chopped Carrot – 1

Finely Chopped Cilantro – ¼ cup

Oil for toast

Method

Grease your tawa with a little oil and rub it. This is done to prevent the uthappam from sticking to the tawa.
Heat a Non stick tawa or an iron skillet, take a ladle of batter and spread it on the tawa in a circle. 

Drizzle a tsp of oil around the uthappam. Small holes will appear on the top as it gets cooked.

Sprinkle the finely chopped vegetables evenly on the top.

After the bottom is cooked (it will become golden brown in color) flip it over to the other side.

Now drizzle a little oil around the uthappam. Let the other side also get cooked.

Serve it hot with chutney or sambar.

Spiced Buttermilk

It is a perfect body cooling drink. This is very good natural drink especially for summer. It is very easy to prepare by using home ingredients. And this drink is good for health.

You can use this spiced buttermilk with hot steamed white rice.

Ingredients

Yogurt/Curd – 1 cup

Water – 2 cups

Salt to taste

Lime Juice – 1 tsp

Ice cubes - few

(To Temper)

Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp

Hing – a pinch

Chopped Curry Leaves – few

Chopped Coriander Leaves - few

Dry Red Chilli – 2

Finely Chopped Ginger – 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds – a pinch

Fennel Seeds – a pinch

Oil – ½ tsp

Method

In a blender, add yogurt (curd), salt with enough water and blend it well. Then keep it aside.

In a pan, heat oil. Add the tempering ingredients one by one and saute it for few sec. Then transfer into serving bowl.

Add lime juice and ice cube as per your taste and mix well. 

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve chilled.

Bread Besan Toast

Bored of normal bread toast? Bread BesanToast is a very popular snack. It is spicy and delicious and often served with green coriander chutney or tomato sauce.

Bread besan toast is a nice alternative to French toast for those who do not eat egg. Besan toast is prepared by dipping the toast in spicy besan batter then they are shallow fried.

Besan toast is generally eaten during breakfast or evening tea time snack, but it is great as an appetizer and it can be made for any occasion.

Ingredients

Bread Slices – 6

Finely Chopped Ginger – 1 tsp

Finely Chopped Green Chilli – 1 tsp

Finely Chopped Onion – ½ cup

Finely Chopped Tomato – 1

Finely Chopped Carrot – 1

Finely Chopped Cilantro – ¼ cup

Oil for toast

(To Batter)

Besan/Kadalai Maavu – 1 cup

Chilli Powder – ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp

Hing Powder – a pinch

Water – as required

Method

In a bowl, add all the ingredients which are under “To Batter” and mix it well. Make sure the batter should not have any lumps.

In another bowl add all the chopped veggies and mix well.

In a pan, heat oil. Take bread slices and dip in besan batter then roast it both sides get slightly golden color. Apply oil when it’s required.

Then Place it in a plate, and top it with mixed veggies. 

Serve with tomato ketchup.

Cantaloupe/Musk Melon/Kirni Juice

This is a tasty, cool, and refreshing. It is also a good source of vitamin B6, niacin, vitamin A, and folate. It is also very high in vitamin C.

Because of this, one of the main benefits is the fact that it is loaded with immune system boosting nutrients and various antioxidants .one of the most fantastic things that you can do for your health; it takes the nutrients from fresh fruit and helps to easy digestion.
Ingredients
Cantaloupe/Musk Melon-1
Lemon Juice – 2 tsp
Sugar/Honey to taste
Ice Cubes – few
Method
First cut the fruit into 2 halves. Then scrap the center seed part and discard it. Then scoop out the flesh part.
Add sugar, honey and lemon juice and blend it to a smooth mixture. If you find it too thick add little water.
Add ice cubes and serve chilled.

Carrot Fry

It’s another simple and tasty fry dish. Hopefully this works out for working women and bachelors. Normally carrot has little sweet taste by its nature. When you add spices it gives nice taste. 

This simply goes well with steamed white rice/chapatti/roti…

Ingredients

Sliced Carrots – 3

Chopped Onions – 1 (big)

Chilli Powder – 1 tsp

Coriander Powder – 1 ½ tsp

Oil – 1 tsp

Salt to taste

(To Temper)

Vengaya Vadagam – 1 tsp

Curry Leaves – few

Chopped Coriander Leaves – few

Method

In a pan, heat oil. Add the tempering ingredients which are under “to temper” one by one and saute it for few sec.

Now add the chopped onions and fry till gets slight brown in color.

Then add sliced carrots with little salt and fry for few min.

Add chilli powder, coriander powder with enough water and mix well.

Close the lid and cook the veggie till gets soft and coated well with masala.

Then switch off the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with hot steamed rice/roti…

Peanut Rice (Verkadalai Sadam)

This peanut rice (Verkadalai Sadam) is one such quick simple meal that needs only few ingredients and and also an easy way to finish off some left over rice. This Peanut rice doesn't need any great side dish.

I mostly prefer quick fix meal or some simple rice recipes for lunch. Just a chips/Papad/Fryums is enough. Very flavorful and delicious rice, some papads with a bowl of peanut rice is enough for a happy & satisfying meal.

Ingredients

Rice – 1 cup

Chopped Onions – 1 (big)

Roasted Peanuts – ½ cup

Salt to taste

Ghee – 2 tsp

For Masala Powder

Peanuts – ½ cup

Urad Dal – 2 tsp

Channa Dal – 2 tsp

Peppercorn – 1 tsp

(To Temper)

Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

Urad Dal – 1 tsp

Dry Red Chilli – 2

Curry Leaves – few

Sesame Oil – 1 tsp

To Garnish

Chopped Coriander Leaves – few

Roasted Peanuts – 2 tsp

Method

In a pan, heat sesame oil. Add the ingredients which are under “for masala Powder” and saute it for few min and let it cool down. Then grind it as fine powder.

Cook rice separately by adding a tsp of ghee and little salt. Then keep it aside.

In a pan, melt ghee. Then add the tempering items one by one and saute it for few sec.

Add the chopped onions and fry till get slight brown in color. Then add the roasted peanuts and saute it for few seconds.

Now add the cooked rice. Spread the masala powder on top of it. And give a nice mix.

Then switch off the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Turkey Berry Vatha Kuzhambu

Turkey Berry Vatha Kuzhambu is a simple and easy recipe. First thing we need to make ground masala. It’s a tasty and spicy Sundaikkai Vatral Kuzhambu. What an amazing combo with hot steamed rice with ghee, papad, Toor dal thuvaiyal…

Ingredients

Sundaikkai Vatral – 3 tsp

Peeled Garlic – 15 pods

Shallots/Small Onion/Chinna Vengayam – ½ cup

Tamarind Water – 1 cup / Tamarind – lemon sized ball

Sesame Oil/Gingelly Oil – 3 tsp

Salt to taste

(For Masala Powder)

Dry Red Chilli – 15

Coriander Seeds – 2 tsp

Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp

Peppercorn – 1 tsp

Fennel Seeds – ½ tsp

Rice – 1 tsp

Method

Soak tamarind in hot water for about 15 to 20 min. Then extract the juice.

In a pan, heat ½ tsp of sesame oil. Then roast the ingredients one by one which under”for masala powder” and let it cool completely and then grind it as a fine powder.

In a kadai, heat oil. Add tempering ingredients one by one and fry this for few sec, and add peeled garlic & shallots and sauté it for few min.

Now add tamarind water, salt, ground masala (masala powder) and required water.

Then close the lid, and let it cook for 10 to 15 min on medium flame. 

Now switch off the flame and serve with hot steamed rice.

Curry Leaf Chicken 65

Curry Leaf Chicken 65 is a spicy, deep-fried chicken dish served as a quick snack, entry. It has unique taste and goes well with any meal, roti, chapatti; naan.

 You can serve this dish as a starter. 

Here is the recipe...

Ingredients

Chicken Pieces – ½ kg

Corn Starch -2 tsp
Red Chilli Paste - 1 tsp

Chopped Coriander Leaves - 1 Cup
Curry leaf Powder – 2 tsp

Chopped Curry Leaves – few

Salt To Taste
Pepper Powder - 1 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1 ½ tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
All purpose flour - 2 tsp
Vinegar/Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
Oil for deep fry
Sliced Green chilli – 2

Egg - 1
Method

Clean and wash the chicken pieces and keep it aside.

Take a bowl add chicken pieces, add ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, pepper powder, curry leaf powder, curry leaves chopped, chopped coriander leaves, salt, mix it well, and put it into the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.

Then add red chilli paste, corn starch, all purpose flour, vinegar, mix it well.

And deep fry the chicken in the hot oil, and also deep fry green chilli, curry leaves with chicken. 

You can serve this dish as a starter. 

Chilli Gobi

It is a spicy, perfect side dish/appetizer. We love gobi and try to have different dishes of gobi. This is similar to gobi Manchurian but too spicy and good snacks at evening with hot tea/coffee.

This goes very well with hot steamed rice/fried rice/ biryani...

Here is the recipe...
Ingredients
Cauliflower Florets – 1 (big)
Turmeric Powder-1 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp
For Sauce:
Finely Chopped Ginger – 1 tsp
Finely Chopped Garlic – 1 tsp
Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
Ajinomoto -1 tsp (Optional)
Red Food Color– a pinch (Optional)
Soya Sauce – 1 tsp
Finely Chopped Capsicum / Bell Pepper – 3 tsp
Green Chilli – 2
Coriander Leaves / Cilantro - few
Oil for deep fry
Salt to taste
For Batter
All Purpose Flour / Maida – 1 cup
Corn flour / Corn Starch– ½ cup
Soya Sauce – 1 tsp
Chilli Powder -1 tsp
Salt to taste
Water as needed
Method
Take water in a sauce pan. Add turmeric powder and salt to it. Bring it to boil. Now add cauliflower and cook for 5 mins or until just cooked. Drain it and set aside.

In a bowl, take all the ingredients which are given in the batter list to a smooth paste. Dip the cauliflower in that and fry till golden brown. Drain and set aside.

Now heat 1 tsp of oil. Add ginger, garlic and green chilli and fry for 1 min. Add soy sauce, salt, chilli powder and ajinomoto and mix well. Add food color and mix well.

Now add in the fried gobi and toss well. Add in capsicum and toss again. Mix well and let it cook for 2 min. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.