Tomato Rice (Thakkali sadam)

Purnima , my friend asked me about this south Indian recipe, Hence inspired from her request I made this tasty tomato rice today. here is the easy recipe for all my friends to try it out. I made Onion raita to complement the rice dish. In Tamil Nadu they prepare varieties of mouth watering sadams. Sambar rice, curd rice, tamarind rice, lemon rice, tomato rice!




Basmati Rice  1 Cup
Onion  chopped            1
Tomatoes chopped       3
corriander leaves finely chopped A handful
Green chilli     3
Ginger garlic paste  one and a half Tablespoon
Turmeric powder   1 Tsp
Chilly powder 3/4 TSp
Garam masala powder 1/2 Tsp
Pure ghee  1 Tsp (Opttional)

For tempering
Chana Dal 1TBsp
Sombu -Fennel seeds 1 Tsp
Urad Dal 1Tsp
Curry leaves 2 Twigs
Cinnomon 1small stick
Bay leaf 1
Cloves 4-5
Cardomom 1

Preparation:

Wash basmati rice thoroughly and soak it for 15 mints. Drain it and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a kadai. Add chana dal urad dal and whole spices. Add in onions, green chillies and curry leaves. Saught them add in ginger garlic paste too. Once it turns golden brown add the powders (chilli, turmeric, garam masala etc) saute well and add chopped tomatoes. keep cooking it until oil oozes out from the mixture. now its time to add finely chopped coriander leaves. saute it and add drained rice to the mixture and combine well.
add 2 cups of water let it boil thoroughly.  cover with a lid. after 3-4 mints switch off the flame. do not open the lid. Let it remain undisturbed for at least 20 -25 mints. After 25 mints when you open the lid the tomato rice will be ready to be served. Garnish it with  fresh coriander leaves and add pure ghee.
                                                                     
                                                        Step by step pictures of cooking

Sambharam (ButterMilk)

Sambharam (moru)is a thin buttermilk based salted drink that is diluted with water and and flavoured with crushed green chilly, ginger, curry leaves. It’s a refreshing and cooling drink to beat that heat of Summer.Its a natural coolant for our body. Sambharam is often served at the end of a sumptuous meal Sadya since It is considered not only refreshing but is good for digestion.Spiced buttermilk is known by different names. The recipes may also differ in terms of spice additions to the buttermilk. In Kerala, Sambharam is also know as Morum Vellam (buttermilk and water) or Pacha Moru (raw buttermilk). It is called Neeru Moru in Tamilnadu, Chaach in Gujarat and Rajasthan, MAsala TAak / MAsala chass in Mumbai and  Majjige in Karnataka.

One serving of buttermilk is a good source of several nutrients, including protein, calcium, and riboflavin.

Buttermilk is a good source of vitamins and minerals that are known to help maintain strong bones. It also contains compounds that may improve oral and heart health.

Pasta Indian Style

This wonderful recipe is from my daughter's friend  Esha's mother. it's Bubbly's favorite dish .

Pasta   1 Cup
Onion   1 medium sized
Capsicum 1 medium sized
salt
chilli powder 1/2 Tsp
Pizza Sauce  3 Tsp
Tomato ketch up 2 Tsp
Oil (sunflower oil)

In a pan cook pasta adding 3 cups water and pinch of salt 915-20 mints required to cook.
Drain it in a strainer and keep it aside

Add oil to the wok on the fire, add finely chopped onions and salt ( as per taste), sauté until it becomes translucent. Add chopped capsicum. Cook until it  becomes soft. add red chilli powder , pizza sauce and tomato ketch up finally add cooked paste and combine well. Turn off the stove, serve hot.

Kuzhi Paniyaram

No need to get panic hearing the name. its an easy recipe. Prepare it with left over idli batter. Easy snack from south India. 

Add Oil to a kadai and temper the mustard seeds, add chopped onion, green chilly and curry leaves, hing and turmeric powder.
you can add grated coconut or carrot too. purely optional.
Add the seasoned mixture to the batter and mix well. Heat the appakarai, drizzle 1/2 tsp of gingelly oil in each mould. pour batter in each mould (3/4 th of the mould) cook it for a minute covering with a lid. Gently flip each paniyaram with a fork to cook on the other side too. thus both sides are cooked with brown spots. Eat hot with coconut chutney.

Golden Milk

 Ayurveda recommends Golden Milk for boosting the immunity.

Half teaspoon ( preferably pure homemade turmeric powder) Haldi powder in 150 ml hot milk, consume once or twice a day. its easy to prepare so please do try at home.

Pavakka Pachadi Bitter gourd pachadi ( പാവയ്ക്ക പച്ചടി)

Pavakka pachadi is a must item in any sadya in kerala. Whether its Onam, Vishu or any other festival we make this pachadi in advance. 

Pavakka  2 Medium sized
Green chilly  sliced 3-4 small
Yogurt or thick butter milk 1 steal glass
salt

For Grinding
Grated coconut 1/2
Mustard seeds 3/4 Tsp
Water

For Tempering
Mustard seeds, Curry leaves and dry red chillies

In a pan heat coconut oil and deep fry sliced bitter gourd and green chillies until it turns golden color and slightly crispy. Drain it in a tissue and keep it aside.This step will help to reduce the bitterness and also adds a flavor to the curry.
Grind together coconut and mustard adding little bit of water. Add in mustard during final step of grinding since it needs to be crushed. Keep aside the smooth paste.
In a kadai for tempering, heat oil add mustard seeds and add curry leaves and chilly after spluttering. Keep the flme on low. Add grounded paste, fried bitter gourds  and butter milk salt and combine well. switch off the stove no need to boil.

Milk vanilla sponge cake

In a sauce pan pour half cup milk , add 60 gram butter and heat it till the butter gets melted and the milk starts to boil.

In a mixing bowl  put 2 eggs and beat. Gradually Add 1 cup sugar too. keep beating until it increases in volume and light in texture. Take 1 cup Maida add 1 Tsp baking powder and sift together. Combine this with the wet mixture slowly adding into the mixing bowl. No need to beat combine it with a spatula.Add 1 Tsp Vanilla essence and gradually add boiled milk too. pour the mixture into the greased pan and bake for 30/45 mints on180 degree hot oven. check with a stick (whether its done) inserted in the centre of the cake.

Recipe courtesy Manjari's Recipe

chukku kaappi kerala style

This is a medicinal drink and can sip on during winter/ monsoon time when you have a common cold, cough or sore throat. You will get an instant relief.
Even though instant ready to make powders are available on the market, I prefer to make chukka kapi with my own traditional method which I got it from my amma and ammumma.

In Tamil houses too they prepare this and they add coffee powder and elaichi. Sukku coffee has been used as a remedy for everything from digestive issues to the common cold in tamil households for centuries.

Preparation:

Water   : 2 and 1/2 ( I measured with steel glass)
Dry Ginger Crushed with mortar and pestle  2 Tablespoon
Cumin / Jeera Crushed 1Teaspoon
Black Pepper 3/4 Teaspoon
Tulsi leaves 4-5 nos
Jaggery syrup Concentrated 2 Tablespoon Instead you can use chakkara / karuppetti too

Heat water in a sauce pan. Bring it to a boil. add all the ingredients to the boiling water and reduce the flame. Stir occassionally. Let it boil for 10-15 mints. (The key is if you want to make 1 cup take 2 cups of water and let the 1cup of water boil and evaporate then the remaining 1cup of kappi will be very tasty and will contain with the very essence of all ingredients. ) Strain it and drink it hot.

Rasam

"Rasam seems to have triggered some renewed interest of late.

‘Rasam’ is a southern Indian common liquid food item consumed by people from all sections of the society.

Tradition has it that a Brahmin priest came up with this formulation to cure a Pandya prince who was suffering from an ailment that could not be cured with any then known medicines.

Rasam in Sanskrit means ‘essence’.In Vedic literature, rasa is the living fluid essence - from the breast milk through clarified butter to the juice of the fruits - rasa is the very essence of life.

n the culinary context then, rasam becomes a very important component in Indian meals."

please read about it here https://swarajyamag.com/science/human-immunity-and-rasam-what-we-know-and-dont

Ingredients:

Tamarind Lemon Sized

Make a pulp first by adding hot water and after some time add more water and strain it. Keep it aside.

For grinding:

Coriander powder 2 teaspoon

 Whole Black peppers 6-7 no.s

Cumin Seeds jeerakam 2 teaspoon

Uluva ( fenugreek seeds) – ½ teaspoon

Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon

For sauting

Coconut Oil

Onion chopped 1 meddium sized

Garlic  1 big chopped

Green Chilli Chopped 2

Tomato chopped  1 medium sized

Salt to taste

Hing A pinch

Dry Red Chillies 2 nos

Curry Leaves

Mustard Seeds

For Garnishing:

Coriander Leaves (Chopped)

3 Cups of water

1 tsp Jaggery

Preparation :

Grind along all the ingredients like coriander powder black pepper cumin seeds fenugreek seeds and turmeric powder.

Heat coconut oil in a pan and season it first with mustard red chilly curry leaves. Once the spluttering stops, add chopped onion green chilly garlic and sauté it till it becomes brown. Add chopped tomatoes too. Saute it and after sometime add grinded masala powder too after reducing the flame, stir it well then add in 3 cups of water along with tamarind juice which is strained well,

Please add a liitle bit of jiggery too to adjust the taste. Put hing, let it boil for some time and add coriander leaves when it’s done. Serve the rasam hot if you want more spicy you can sprinkle pepper powder on top of it.

After a heavy meal, you can drink a glass of rasam for easy digestion. Immediately your stomach will be light. Also its very good for your throat and its highly recommended during winter for boosting the immunity..

Thiruvathira Puzhukku --- Kerala Traditional Recipe

Thiruvathira  (Arudhra Darsinam ) is a Festival celebrated in kerala on the month of Dhanur masam (Margazhi masam). There are many mythical stories associated with Thiruvathira.

Thiruvathira
An observance called Thiruvathira vrutham (Noyambu) is kept by women on this auspicious day. Vrutham starts on Makayiram day after offering Ettangadi to Lord. They skip rice and only eat ettangadi, koova verukiyathu Puzhukku or wheat preparations. Women wear traditional kasavu set mundu and adorn their tied hair with medicinal flowers Dashapushpam.This practice is called paathira poo choodal. The morning bath in the pond during the season while the climate is extremely cold make the women's body cool and composed.
Thiruvathira kali is performed in the night in traditional homes with Thiruvathira pattu

Ettangadi is different from puzhukku, almost all the ingredients are same but ettangadi is prepared in sharkkara pani and also add dry coconuts. In ettangadi preparation Eight different tubers are roasted in the fire first before cooking. Through this ritual, it is believed that Kamadeva's body represented by the tubers is regained.

 Here I am posting the recipe of Thiruvathira puzhukku.

 Ingredients :

Black chana (kadala)     ½ Cup  (Soak it overnight)

Red cow peas (van payar Red in color)  ¼ Cup (soaking for 4 Hrs. recommended)

Horse Gram (Muthira)     ¼ Cup (soak it along with Red peas for Hrs.) 

Elephant Yam (Chena)     800 gram approx. Half portion of the medium yam

Kachil / Cheru chembu  (coloccasia)    2 or 3 small 
Tapioca and Sweet potato    1 each

Raw Banana-1

Koorkka  big  5 nos

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder   as needed

        For seasoning:

Curry leaves- 3/4twigs
Coconut oil 

         For Grinding:

Green chilly-4
Grated coconut-1 whole coconut
Cumin seeds-1 tsp

 Method of preparation:

Pressure cook black chana (which is soaked overnight) with little salt and sufficient water till 5-6 whistles on medium flame.

Later Pressure Cook Red peas and horse gram together with little salt and sufficient water for up to 2-3 whistles. In case if we have extra water in black chana we can use it for cooking pigeon pea.

In the meantime, blend grated coconut cumin seeds and green chilly.  (do not add water)

Clean and peel all root vegetables and soak it in a vessel containing water.

Cut all the vegetables into cube pieces. Since elephant yam has got more cooking time, take care to cut into smaller size than the other vegetables. Cook all the vegetables in the same vessel in which we cooked Red pea and horse gram so that the left over water can be used for further cooking and can add more water only if required. Salt and turmeric powder can be added too. (in traditional way of cooking we don’t add red chilly powder instead we use green chilly) Cook all the vegetables till done. Add cooked black chana to the vegetables. Stir it occasionally and add coconut thick ground paste too. Cook on low flame till the raw flavor of the coconut is gone and put off the flame. Season it with fresh curry leaves and pure coconut oil. Thiruvathira puzhukku is ready to be served. We should occasionally prepare it since it’s a healthy recipe and also we are using the seasonally available (no hard and fast rules) vegetables.

Uzhunnuvada South Indian Meduvada

This easy and crispy vada recipe is from my friend Jayasree.

Ingredients Needed:

Urad dal (Uzhunnu parippu ) : 1 cup

Rawa            : 3 tablespoon

Green chilly   :3- 4 nos.(finely chopped

Ginger           : 1 inch piece (finely chopped)

Curry leaves  : 1 sprig (finely chopped0

Black Pepper : 10 nos (crushed) 
Salt to taste
Hing (Asafoetida) : 1 pinch
Coconut Oil to fry

 Preparation:

Soak urad dal for 2 hrs. Grind the urad dal In a grinder without water (sprinkle very little water if needed and finding it difficult to grind with no water) The idea is to get a thick paste which is fluffy and smooth. 

In a vessel combine this batter with all other ingredients using your hand. Adding Rawa or semolina helps to absorb the excess water in the batter so that vada will be crispy and oil free unlike restaurant vadas which absorbs too much oil while frying. Keep the batter covered for some time for setting.

Heat Oil in a kadai.Shape the vadas using your palm from a round shape to flat with a hole in the middle; wet your palm in a vessel which is full of water before shaping. this will prevent sticking of the batter and can shape without much fuss. Slide it  carefully into the hot oil in the kadai.Fry it till you get a golden brown and lay them out on a plate which is lined with tissue. Have  hot  vadas with either sambar or coconut chutney.