Crab Curry

Ingredients:

Crab - 3

Small onion (Chopped) - 1 cup

Tomato - 1 (big)

Green chilli - 3 

Garlic - 4 Cloves (finely chopped)

Tamarind paste - 1tsp

Red chilli powder- 2 ½ tsp

Corriander powder - 4 tsp

Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 1tsp

Fennel powder - 1 tsp

Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves- few

 

  

For Seasoning:

Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp

Fennel seeds - ¾ tsp

Bay leaf - 1 

Cardamom - 1 

Curry leaves - Handfull

Cumin seeds - 3/4 tsp

  

Preparation :- 

1. Clean the crabs and keep aside. 

2. Soak the tamarind in a cup of water. set aside.

3.Take a wide kadai, add oil and season with cumin seeds, fennel seeds, bay leaf, cardamom, Green chilli and curry leaves.

5. Once it splutters, add chopped onion and chopped garlic followed by ginger garlic paste and dry spice powders(Chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, fennel powder and cumin powder) and fry for few minutes.

6. Then add tomato and salt.Saute well.

7. Add crabs when tomato starts melting and mix till masala coats well .

8. Add the tamarind extract and coconut milk with little water.

9. Stir well and  allow to boil for 5 to 10 minutes till the oil floats and the mixture becomes thick in consistency.

10. Then add few curry leaves and coriander leaves before removing from stove .

11. Serve hot with steamed white rice, idli , dosa or Adai.
 

Mixed Veggie bread Sandwich Rounds

Ingredients:

Mixed veggie - 1 cup ( chopped fresh carrot, bell pepper, potato, broccoli, mushroom 1 Tbsp of each)
Sweet corn - 1 tsp
Onion - 1
 garlic - 1 nos
olive Oil - 1 tbsp
slat - 1/2 tsp
black pepper - 1/ 4 tsp
sour cream - 1 tsp
coriander leaves - for garnishing
Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup 
Bread slices - 4

Preparation:-

To Make veggie patty:-

1. Heat oil in a deep frying pan and saute onion and garlic.

2. Then add mixed vegetables ,coriander leaves, sweet corn and salt.
3. Close the pan and cook for 10 minutes in low flame and set aside to cool.
4. Add black pepper pwdr and Mix well.
5. Make lemon sized balls of the mixture ,flatten and coat with breadcrumbs and shallow fry in medium hot till golden brown on both sides.

To make Sandwich:-

1. You can cut your bread into any shape you would like to, if you want round shapes, just use a biscuit cutter, or different cookies shape cutters. 

2. One sandwich will make two rounds of this size.

3. Sandwich the veggie patty in between bread slices and place the sour cream and coriander leaves on top of the veggie patty and then press slightly so that it sticks to bread. 

Potato puff Lollipops

Ingredients:
2 frozen puff pastry sheets (available in the grocery store)
4 medium potatoes
1 Tomato
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
curry leaves, chopped
2 green chilies
1 medium onion
1/2 teaspoon salt

ginger garlic paste

2 teaspoons coriander powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
cilantro chopped
lollipop sticks or skewers

Method:-

To prepare the stuffing:

1.Boil the potatoes until soft, 2-3 whistles for a pressure cooker (10 minutes). Once  boiled, drain the  potatoes  then peel and mash.

2. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let them splutter then add chopped curry leaves, onion, tomato, green chilli, and salt and cook for 3 or  4 minutes.

3.Add the ginger garlic paste,coriander powder,red chili powder and turmeric to the pan.  Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
4.And add mashed potatoes and stir till all the spices are mixed in well.

Make Lollipops:-

1. Take Puff pastry sheets, and cut it like a squares.

2. Press a lollipop stick . skewers onto the center of the squares.

3. Mound 1 tsp of the  potato filling on top of the squares with the lollipop sticks. 

4. Cover these with the other squares of puff pastry.

5. Seal all the sides using the tongs of a fork.Make sure they are sealed well. (Look at photos below).

6. place all the puffs on a baking sheet  .

7. Bake in a 350f oven, for 25 minutes or till puff pastry is golden brown.

Butter Murukku

Ingredients:-

Rice flour - 4 cups
Besan flour - 1 cup 
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Omam - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp, optional
Butter - 3 tbsps, melted
Salt - 1 tsp
Oil for deep frying

Preparation:-

1. Mix all the ingredients (except oil) together by adding warm water to make a chappathi dough-like consistency.

2. Squeeze the dough through a murukku mould (utensil with a hole) into the oil. Deep-fry the Murukku, till crisp and golden brown.

BeetRoot Poriyal

Ingredients:- 

Beetroot - 2 nos
Onion - 1
Green chilli - 2
Curry leaves - 3
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Moong dal - 1 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Minced garlic - 1 tsp
Coconut - 2 tsp
Chilli pwd - 1 tsp
Coriander pwd - 1tsp
Turmeric pwd - 1/2 tsp
salt
Oil

Preparation: -

1. In a bowl mix grated coconut , chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, Minced garlic and salt. Mix well. keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a frypan.Splutter mustard seeds.
3. Add urad dal, Channa Dhal , Moong dhal and cumin and saute for few seconds.
4. Add finely chopped green chilly, Curry leaves  and onion.
5. Add the diced beetroot.
6. Add salt, sprinkle some water and cover the vessel. Allow to cook on a medium flame.
7. Beetroot is cooked . Now add Coconut mix.
8. Turn off flame and sprinkle freshly chopped coriander leaves.

Methi (Vendhaya ) Leaves Poriyal

Ingredients:-

1 bunch -Fresh Methi leaves (Vendhaya keerai) 

7 or 8 nos -Small Onion (chopped)

2 clove  - Garlic (crushed) 

2 tbsp  - Fresh grated coconut (or use dry desicated coconut flakes ) 

a pinch  - Sugar 

2 pinch - Turmeric 

1 no  - Dry red chili 

¼ tsp  - Mustard 

¼ tsp  - Cumin seeds 

¼ tsp  - Asafoetida 

4 nos  - Curry laeaves 

½ tsp  - Salt (or to taste) 

2 tsp  - Oil 

1 tsp - Moong dhal
1 tsp - urad dhal

Preparation:-

1. Methi leaves tender stalks are edible, so cut off the hard stalks along with the roots and discard. Wash them thoroughly in cold water and rinse for a couple of times. Chop them finely and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan splutter mustard, Moong dhal , urad dhal, cumin seeds, dry red chili and curry leaves. 
3. Add the chopped onions and garlic, fry for a minute over medium flame.
4. Now add the chopped Methi leaves along with sugar, turmeric and asafoetida.
5. Saute till it wilts slightly, add salt and grated coconut.
6. Fry for 2 minutes and switch off. Serve hot as a side for rice.

Cluster Beans(Kothavarangai) Kara Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

Cluster beans( Kothavarangai) -  1/4 kilo
Tamarind paste - 1 cup
Red onion 1 large finely chopped
Garlic 1 large peeled and semi crushed
Tomato 1 large chopped
Jaggery or brown sugar 1 spoon
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Coriander seeds 2 spoons – toasted and powdered
Sesame oil 1 cup
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Fenugreek seeds 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1/2 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
Dry red chilies 3-5
Curry leaves few
Salt

Preparation:-

1. Wash and clean the beans, remove the strings and cut into tiny pieces.
2. In a  pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, fenugreek, chana dal, urad dal, dry red chilies and curry leaves. Let them pop and splutter well. 
3. Add garlic,  fry till its raw smell leaves the pan. Further add onions, fry till golden brown. Now add tomatoes and continue frying.
4. Now add the beans  to get half the way cooked.
5. Then add tamarind paste and 2 cups of water. 
6. Add salt, turmeric, chili powder and coriander powder.Cover and cook over medium flame.
7. Once the curry thickens, add the cumin seeds powder to it, bring this to a boil…its done.
8. Serve to go with plain steamed rice. Run a spoon of seasame oil over it, just before serving. 

Gulab Jamun

Ingredients:-

• MTR ready made gulab jamun mix
• water – little
• milk – little
• ghee – 1/2 tsp
• Cardamom powder a pinch
• Oil for frying

Preparation:-

 Sugar Syrup:  water – 1  cup  , sugar  – 1 cup

1. Heat the pan and add water ,when it starts boiling add sugar and mix well.
2. Keep stirring, till you get a thread-like consistency.
3. Add cardamom powder to this and mix well.

Making Jamun:-

1. Knead the mix gently with little water and little milk.
2. Grease your hands with ghee and start making small balls of the mix .Be sure no cracks forms and the balls are smooth.
3. Fry in  low to medium heat oil.
4. Fry all the balls till golden brown.
5. Add the fried gulab jamun into the  warm sugar syrup.

OmaPodi

Ingredients:

1 cup besan (kadala maavu)
1/4 cup rice flour
1 tsp ajwain (omam) soaked in 1/4 cup hot water
1 tsp ghee
Salt to taste
Pinch of turmeric
Asafoetida
Oil to deep fry

Preparation:

1. Soak Omam in hot water for an hour.
2. We have to extract the water. For this mash the omama with a spoon to get the flavors.
3. Then strain using a tea strainer. Keep the strained water aside.
4. Take besan and rice flour in a bowl.
5. Add asafoetida and turmeric powder.
6. Add salt and ghee.
7. Add the omam water little by little and form a stiff dough.
8. Heat oil in a vessel and load the murukku maker with the dough. Directly press the murukku maker over the hot oil allowing the strands to fall into the oil. Keep moving the murukku press to form a circle.
9. When the oma podi is done. Remove from oil. It hardly takes time to cook because it is thin.
10. Now oma podi is ready.

Methi Leaves Adai

Ingredients :-

Methi Leaves - 2 bunches
Bengal Gram dal - 150 gms
Toor Dal  - 150gms
Raw Rice - 250 gms
Green Chilli (chopped) - 2
Onion ( chopped) - 2Salt to taste
Oil and Ghee for cooking
fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Garlic - 5 nos
Red chilli - 2 or 3 nos.

How to make the Adai:-

1. Wash and soak Rice and Dals together for about 2 hrs. Change water and grind along with other ingredients(fennel seeds, garlic, Red chilli).
2. Clean and finely chop the methi leaves , onion, Green chilli and mix them with the dall batter.
3. Heat a pan on a low fire, grease it with oil. Then pour the batter like a thick dosa, adding ghee on all sides.
4. Flip the adai and when the sides are brown and crisp, remove it from the fire.
5. Eat the adai with Coconut chutney or Garlic chutney.

Ashoka Halwa

Ingredients:

1 cup – Paasi paruppu / Moong dhal / Split green gram
2 tbsp – Wheat flour / Kothumai maavu
2 cup – Sugar
1/4 cup – Ghee (as needed)
3 pinches – Cardamom powder
5 pinches – Orange food color
1/2 cup – Water (for making sugar syrup)
Cashew nuts - 5 or 6 nos
  

Preparation:- 

1. Wash and pressure cook paasi paruppu / moong dhal with enough water until soft or well cooked. Allow them to cool and grind them to a fine paste. Set aside.
2. Heat a tsp of ghee in a pan, add 2 tbsp of wheat flour and roast it until slightly golden brown in color. Set aside.
3. Heat a pan, add in 2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water, bring it to boil and cook until sugar dissolves completely. Set aside.
4. Heat a wide pan, add a tbsp of ghee and add  paasi paruppu / moong dhal paste, mix well and cook over medium flame for 2 mins. Then add roasted wheat flour and keep stirring until both blend well.
5. Now add in sugar syrup and slowly mix everything well together like a paste . Keep stirring continuously adding ghee in intervals to avoid drying.
6. Add orange food color and mix well completely. Stir continuously until it thickens slightly. 
7. Then add cardamom powder and after 10 - 15 minutes, you will see the halwa becomes glossy, comes together and it no longer sticks to the bottom. 
8. Finally add the fried cashews and mix it well.
9. Tasty ashoka halwa is ready.

  

Raw Banana Bajji / Vazhaikkai Bajji

Ingredients:

• Vazhakkai (Raw Bananas/plantain) : 2
• Besan  flour : 2 Cups
• Rice Flour : 1 tbsp (for crispiness)
• Baking soda : a pinch (optional)
• Asafoetida : a pinch
• Red Chili Powder : 2 tsp (according to your spice level)
• Salt : to taste
• Water : to make thick batter
• Oil : to deep fry

Preparation:

1. Slice the raw bananas lengthwise into long and thin slices. Slice them atleast 4-5 inches long.
2. In a wide bowl mix besan  flour, rice flour, red chili powder, asafoetida and add water into it little by little to make a loose batter. The batter shouldn’t be too thick but should be a little loose.
3. Heat oil in a wide pan, dip the sliced bananas in the batter and just make sure it’s coated well on all the sides.
4. Drop them into the oil and after 2 minutes gently turn them over.
5. Fry them till bajji’s become golden brown. (see picture).
6. Serve them with hot tea and mint chutney, coconut chutney etc.  

Vegetable Fried Bread

Ingredients:

Onion - 1/2 medium
Green Chili - 2
Bell Pepper(red , green and yellow - 1 cup
Carrot - 1/2 cup
Whole Grain Bread Slice-4 or 6
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
black pepper - 1/2 tsp
garlic - 2 cloves
soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Hot chili Sauce - 1 tsp

parsley flakes - a pinch
spring onions - 1 Tbsp ( for garnish)

Method:-

• Cut bread slices in to small bite size cubes and keep aside.     

•  Heat oil in a pan .Once the oil is hot , Put bread cubes into the oil for frying.  

• Chop all the vegetables and keep ready.  

• Heat oil in a pan,  add garlic and fry lightly.

• Then add onions and saute for a minute and add green, red and yellow capsicum and carrot saute for 2 minutes.

  

• Now add soy sauce, chili sauce and mix everything well and fry for a minute.

• Then add cubed bread pieces and mix everything well and add salt and pepper and toss it well with the veggie masala.

• Lastly add the parsley flakes and mix everything gently and turn off the stove.

• Now top with Spring Onions and cilantro.

Cauliflower Kurma

Ingredients:-
1 medium sized Cauliflower(cut into bite size florets)
Oil – 3 tbsp
cumin seeds – a pinch

Fennel seeds - a pinchOnion – 1 cup + 1/4 cup
Curry leaves – 6
Ginger garlic paste – 1″ ginger + 3 big cloves of garlic
Tomato – 1/4 cup, chopped
Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp
Chilli Powder – 1 + 1/2 tbsp
Water – 1 cup + 1/4 cup,
Salt – to taste

Corn flour - 1 tsp  (adjust according to the thickness of the kurma)

Coriander leaves - handfull 

Bay leaf - 1

Grind to a fine paste(using water):

Coconut  – 1/4 cup
Cinnamon stick – 1 inch
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp
Cloves – 1

cardamom - 1

poppy seeds - 1 tsp

Preparation:-

1. Heat oil in a  pan.
2. Add cumin seeds, fennel seeds and wait till it splutters.
3. Add the chopped onions , green chilli and curry leaves.
4. Saute until the onions turn golden brown.
5. Add the ginger garlic paste and let it cook for few minutes.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes loose shape.
7. Add the turmeric powder, chopped cauliflower and salt. Mix well.
8. Add chilli powder and the ground coconut paste .
9. Let it cook for 2 minutes.
10. Add water and salt to taste.
11. Mix well and Serve it hot with Rotis.