Carrot Paruppu Usili (Steamed Lentils Crumbled with Carrots)

 Carrot Paruppu Usili is a traditional South Indian dish which is made with a combination of steamed crumbled lentils and chopped vegetables. Serve it along with steamed rice and rasam for a simple weekday lunch.

Ingredients 

Finely Chopped Carrots - 1 Cup 
Soaked Channa Dhal /Toor Dhal - 1/4 Cup 
Fennel Seeds  - 1 tsp 
Black Pepper -1 tsp 
Dry Red Chilli - 1
Salt to taste 

To Temper 
Oil - 1 tsp 
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp 
Urad Dhal - 1 tsp 
Channa Dhal- 1 tsp 
Chopped green Chilli - 1
Finely Chopped Onion - a handful 
Hing - 1/4 tsp 

Method 

To begin making the Carrot Paruppu Usili Recipe, wash and soak toor dal for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes drain the water from dal. Combine the soaked toor dal along with fennel seeds, dried red chillies, and salt in a mixer jar and grind to a coarse mix using a mixer grinder. Transfer to a bowl.

Heat an idli steamer on medium heat, with a cup of water. Grease the idli mould and keep it ready.

Now make small lemon sized balls of the prepared toor dal mix, and place it in the idli mould. Cover and steam cook for 10 minutes, until the dal mixture is cooked.

In a wide pan, add oil and heat it on medium heat, add the mustard seeds, asafoetida and let it splutter. Add the dried red chilli, curry leaves and let it crackle.

Add the cubed carrots, season with salt, mix well, cover and cook for 5-7 minutes until the carrots are cooked well.

Meanwhile, remove the steamed toor dal balls, crumble it with your hands so that it resembles the sandy texture.

Once the carrots are cooked well, add this crumbled toor dal mix to the pan and mix well.

Saute for 2 minutes, until the dal crumbles are nice and crispy and switch off the heat. It is ready to be served.

Basil/Tulasi Chutney

Ingredients 

Basil/ Tulsi Leaves - 2 Cup 

Peeled Garlic - 7 pods 

Chopped Chilli - 2 ( small)

Chopped Ginger - 1 tsp 

Tamarind- gooseberry sized ball 

Salt to taste 

Urad Dhal - 1 tsp 

Channa Dhal - 2 tsp 

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp 

Olive Oil / Coconut Oil/ Sesame Oil - 1 tsp 

Roughly Chopped Small Onions - 7

To Temper 

Oil - 1 tsp 

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp 

Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp 

Urad Dhal - 1 tsp 

Dry Red Chilli - 2

Method 

Heat olive oil in a pan, add channa Dhal, green chilli, urad Dhal, ginger, garlic and sauté it for few minutes.

Then add chopped onions and fry for a min, add basil leaves and fry on low flame for about 4 to 5 minutes.

Then switch off the flame and let it cool down completely.

Once it done, transfer this into blender. Then grind it as fine paste.

Basil chutney is ready to serve with idli/dosa/steamed white rice/bread.

Kerala Style Fish Fry

Ingredients 

Fish Fillets - 5 to 6 Fillets

Coconut Oil -  for

For Masala 

Small Onions/Pearl - 10 ( Peeled)

Curry Leaves- 15

Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp

Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp 

Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder  -  2 tsp 

Tamarind Paste  - 1 tbsp

Garlic - 5 pods

Salt to taste 

Method 

In a blender add all the ingredients which are under for Masala paste and grind it as fine paste.

Apply the paste to the pieces of fish and fry them in coconut oil on a medium flame. 

Serve hot and tasty fish pieces with steamed white rice!

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients
Thinly sliced Cucumber gg
Salt to taste hop

1 Make the salad: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat.

2 Serve the salad: You can serve this immediately, or make ahead (up to a couple of hours) and chill.

Foxtail Millet Sweet Pongal / தினை பொங்கல் ரெசிப்பீஸ்

Today is Aadi Velli and Aadi Pooram (ஆடி பூரம் ஆடி வெள்ளி ஸ்பெஷல் பொங்கல் ரெசிப்பீஸ் ) I wanted to give something special for this pooja. So I just tried this Pongal, it came out very well. My kids liked it. Here’s the recipe, enjoy well!

Ingredients 

Foxtail Millet - 3/4 Cup 
Moong Dhal - 1/4 Cup 
Water - 4 Cups 
Grated Jaggery/ Brown Sugar - 1 Cup 
Salt a pinch 
Cardamom Powder- 1/4 tsp 
Butter/ Ghee - 3 to 4 tsp 
Finely Chopped Nuts - 4 tsp 
Dry Grapes - 2 tsp 

Method 

Dry roast moong Dhal and foxtail millets in a pressure cooker for 5 minutes on medium flame.

Add water, 1 tsp butter, cardamom powder, and pressure cook it for 3 to 4 whistles comes out. Then switch off the flame and let it cool down completely.

Add grated Jaggery/ brown sugar and mix well.

Heat butter in a pan. Add the chopped nuts and grapes then fry for few minutes. Then transfer this into millet Pongal. Mix it well and serve hot.

Basil/Thulasi Rasam/ துளசிரசம்

Basil Rasam
This is simple and tasty Rasam. Basil is a medicinal plants. It helps to reduce your cold, digestion problems and boost your metabolism. This goes very well with steamed white rice.

Ingredients

For Masala ( Rasam Coarse Powder)

Peppercorns-1 tsp

Cumin Seeds/Jeera -1 tsp

Fennel Seeds-1/2 tsp

Coriander Seeds-1 tsp

Dry Red Chilly-2 

Garlic-4 podszz a

Ginger-1 tsp

 Ingredients

Tulsi leaves(Basil leaves)-1 cup

Tamarind extract -1/4 cup

Tomatoes -1 no

Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp

Red chillies-2 nos

Asafoetida / Hing - a pinch

Salt

Jaggery-1 tsp

Ghee -1/2 tsp

Curry leaves

Coriander leaves

Method

Grind the ingredients given for masala coarsely without adding water.

Heat ghee in a kadai add mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida and allow it to crackle.

Add tomatoes saute for a minute. Next pour the tamarind extract and turmeric powder.

Add required water and salt. Allow the rasam to come to a boil.

Now add ground masala mix well and allow it to boil for few minutes.

Add little jaggery. Finally add the Tulsi leaves and coriander leaves, immediately switch off the stove. Serve hot with steamed white rice.

Chocolate Moist Cake

Bitter Gourd Fry with Rice Flour

Restaurant Style Curry Leaf Chicken

Pottukadalai Chutney/ Roasted Gram Chutney

Spicy Potato Fry 🥔 🌶

Ingredients

Potato Fried Rice

Cabbage Chicken Recipe

Ip

Tortilla Pizza

Have you ever tried tortilla pizza? It’s really good and tasty dish . It’s loaded with your favorite veggies, cheese and corn chips.  Shanu wants to make something special for them. They’re doing different dishes and testing the taste of variety food. He made this yummy dish. It’s simple to prepare. Adding veggies are up to you. You can add meat too. I already posted the pizza sauce recipe.

This is an extremely easy/fast way to prepare a delicious pizza that is light enough to be a snack, serves well as an appetizer, or is so good that is can be devoured alone! I make this often when entertaining guests and it always goes fast. I can tell you surely, your kids love this. If you have it then it will take minimum time. So explore and enjoy your life!!!

Ingredients
Tortilla - 4
Sliced Onion - 1 cup
Chopped Onion - 1
Chopped Capsicum - 1/4 cup
Chopped Olives - 1/4 cup
Any Grated Cheese - 1 cup
Pizza Sauce as required
Crushed Corn Chips - a handful 
Salt to taste 
Pepper to taste
Italian seasoning - little 

Method 

Heat a dosa pan, add tortilla and spread with pizza sauce. 

Then add your favorite veggies or meat. 

Then fill with grated cheeses on top of veggies.

Now sprinkle little salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.

Cover the lid and wait for 5 minutes or until veggies are well blended with cheese.

Yummy tortilla pizza is ready to serve!

Mango Green Peas Gravy

This is simple and mouthwatering dish. It’s a spicy and tangy dish. Normally we prefer to eat poori with potato masala or channa masala. This is slightly variant from the regular gravy or Kurma. The key ingredient of this dish is raw mango. Mango is sautéed and cooked with green peas. Adding garlic gives nice flavor and taste to this dish. This goes very well with poori, chapatti, dosa and bread.

Ingredients

Soaked Green Peas - 1 Cup
Peeled Garlic - a handful
Finely Chopped Mango - 4 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Finely Chopped Onion - 1 ( big)
Finely Chopped Tomato - 1 (big)
Salt to taste
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Biryani Masala Powder/ Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Dried Kasoori Methi leaves - a tsp 

For Masala 
Grated Coconut - 1 tbsp 
Roasted Gram/Pottukadalai - 1 tsp
Cashew Nuts - 10
Chopped Coriander Leaves - few
Cardamom - 2
Dry Ginger Powder - 1/4 tsp 

To Temper
Ghee/ Butter  - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds : 1 tsp
Bay Leaf - 1
Cinnamon Sticks -  2 inchc
Cloves - 4

Method

In a pressure cooker add soaked green peas, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, little salt and 1/2 tsp of butter or oil along with 2 cups of water. Then cook it for 3 whistles and keep aside.

In a blender add the ingredients which are under for ground masala, then grind it as fine paste.

In a pan, melt the remaining butter, add the tempering ingredients and sauté it for few seconds.

Add onions and tomatoes then cook until it becomes mushy. Now add the finely chopped mangoes and garlic. Sauté it for 2 minutes.

Add chilli powder, coriander powder, biryani masala or garam masala, kasoori Methi leaves and salt then mix well.

Then transfer this into pressure cooker, add ground masala and required water then cook on medium flame for about 5 minutes.

Once it done, serve with hot pooris or chapatti .