Raw Mango and coconut chutney

 Here is a chutney without tamarind! When Raw mangoes are in season, just add mango for that tangy taste! It is a perfect accompaniment for idlis, dosas, upma or kozhakattais! It is easy and yummy!

Ingredients

Grated coconut 1 cup

Raw mango chopped 1/4 cup ( make sure the raw mango is not too sour.. you can use less if it is a sour variety) I chose the Totapuri mango that is not sour.

Green Chillies 4 or 5

Oil for tempering 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp

Udad dal 1/2 tsp

Hing powder a tiny pinch

Curry leaves for tempering

Salt to taste

Grind all the ingredients together and temper the chutney!! It is super easy and delicious!! You can add curry leaves and coriander while grinding too..the flavour will be different though!! 

Moong sprouts and carrots upma kozhakkattai

 Back to my cooking blog after a couple of years! This is a slight variation of my earlier recipe of Rice Rava Upma Kozhakkattai!

Ingredients

Idli Rava 2 cups

Moong sprouts 200 gms

Grated carrots 1 cup

Green chillies -4 finely chopped

Curry leaves- a few

Coconut for garnishing 2 tbsp

Oil 1 tsp for tempering

Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

Hing powder a tiny pinch

Udad dal 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Method

In a kadai, add 1 tsp oil and add mustard seeds..once it splutters, add finely chopped green chillies,

udad dal and curry leaves . Once the udad dal turns golden brown,  add the grated carrots and moong sprouts. Add 5 cups of water to this, add salt and hing powder and let it come to a boil. When the water is boiling, reduce the flame and add the rava. Take care to keep stirring it till the water is absorbed as it may stick to the bottom of the pan. You can now add the grated coconut and mix well. Let it cool a bit.

You can now shape them into tiny balls and steam them in a steamer or idli cooker. Soft and healthy rice kozhakkattais are ready. Serve hot with chutney. 

Ash gourd Mor Kuzhambu

 I am back with a family favourite. Read the recipe carefully..I have given some useful tips to make creamy mor Kuzhambu!!

Ash gourd 1/2 kg

One cup grated coconut( you can use desiccated coconut too)

Green chillies 4

Dried red chillies 4

Fenugreek seeds 1 tsp

Jeera 1tsp

Curd 3f cups

coconut oil 1 tbsp

refined oil 1tsp

mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

curry leaves

Salt to taste

Wash, peel and dice the ash gourd. You can steam it for 5 minutes. Heat a small kadai and add one tsp refined oil and roast the dried red chillies and fenugreek seeds in it. Take care to keep the flame low so the fenugreek doesn't burn ( it ruins the taste) . In a mixer jar, grind the grated coconut, green chillies, cumin, the roasted red chillies and fenugreek. Grind it to a fine paste. Keep aside.

Whisk the fresh curd till it becomes smooth. One important tip for tasty mor Kuzhambu is the quality of curd used. If you use old, sour curd it doesn't taste very good. Always use fresh curd..any set curd is great. Keep aside. In a kadai, take the steamed ash gourd , add a little water ( you can use turmeric if you want. I haven't used it in this recipe.) Add some salt and let it cook completely..the ash gourd turns transparent. Now add the coconut paste and stir it well and let it almost boil. Now add the whisked curd ( do not add too much water) The flame should be low. Stir it well. When bubbles start appearing in the sides, you can switch off the gas. The most important tip here is that if the flame is kept high, the curd will break and ruin the taste and consistency of the Kuzhambu. Once it is done, it is time for tempering. Adding coconut oil for the tempering gives a great fragrance!! Temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves. You can keep all the elements ready and heat just before you serve with hot rice or Sevai!!

Puli vitta poricha Kuzhambu( Mixed vegetables sambar)

 This is my take on the traditional puli vitta poricha Kuzhambu. I have made some changes to the recipe to make it more interesting!!! So here it is...This is a dish I make when I have a little bit of many vegetables. It is a sambar with loads of veggies..just have it with steaming hot rice ..chips or appalam if you like!!

In today's recipe the vegetables I used are

Ash gourd 1/4 kg

Red pumpkin 1/4 kg

carrots 2

Broad beans/avarakkai 10 numbers

Bhindi (Okhra) 10 numbers

finely chopped coriander.  We also need...

1/4 tsp methi seeds

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Tamarind.. a lemon sized ball

1 tsp Jaggery

Hing powder 1/4 tsp

2 tsp oil to roast masalas

1 tbsp coconut oil for tempering 

Tuvar dal /Moong dal . I have used tuvar dal but you can make it with moong dal too.

Salt to taste

To roast

2 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp chana dal

4 Kashmiri red chillies ( they give fantastic colour and are mildly spicy.) You may add regular red chillies too

1 inch piece cinnamon

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp jeera

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp methi seeds

half a cup grated coconut/ desiccated coconut is fine too.

Preparation.

Soak the tuvar dal/moong dal with 1/4 tsp methi seeds ( adding methi to the dal gives amazing flavour and the sambar will not get spoilt even in hot weather conditions). Soak the lemon sized ball of tamarind ( You can use tamarind paste too) in hot water for 10 minutes. Extract the juice completely and keep aside. Wash and dice the vegetables. Cook the tuvar/moong dal in a pressure cooker for 4 to 5 whistles and keep aside. You can make this in a pressure pan or in a regular kadai. Cook the vegetables in the tamarind extract, turmeric and salt. In a kadai, pour two tbsp oil and roast channa dal, coriander seeds cinnamon,bay leaf, jeera, pepper , methi seeds. Roast it in medium flame and take care not to burn it. Add the grated coconut and stir it a couple of times. Cool it completely and blend it smooth in a mixie adding water . Once the vegetables are completely cooked, add the cooked and mashed dal to it and bring it to a boil. Add the blended masalas and let it simmer for a minute in low flame. Do not boil it too much. In a kadai, add some coconut oil and and put some mustard seeds, curry leaves and add it to the sambar. Garnish it generously with finely chopped coriander. You can serve this hot with rice.

 You can add potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas. Cauliflower, broccoli turns mushy and tastes weird..so you can avoid.

 

Strawberry thokku

Strawberry thokku? I am not joking!! When strawberries are very very sour, jams are not the only thing you can make. Here is a simple pickle...use it as a spread for sandwiches or pizzas too!

Strawberries 1/4 kg

Red chilli powder 2 tbsp

Hing powder 1/2 tsp

Oil 3 tbsp

mustard seeds 1 tsp

turmeric powder 1/4 tsp

Wash and chop strawberries. If they are very sour, they will need more chilli powder. In a kadai, add 2 tbsp oil and add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the chopped strawberries and sauté them. Add the salt, chilli powder , turmeric and hing powder  and cook on medium flame. Keep the kadai covered with a glass lid so it doesn't splatter everywhere and you can see how it is cooking. Take care not to let it stick to the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring it and add one teaspoon oil. Cook till oil separates. You can mash the strawberries with the ladle. You can serve this thokku as a pickle, or mix it with rice. It is also a good side-dish for puris, roti , idli or dosas!!

Comfort food 3- Broken Matta rice kanji

 This is my favourite comfort food when I feel like having something light !!

Broken Matta rice ( broken red rice) 1 cup

Jeera 1 tbsp

salt

Ghee 1/2 tsp

Wash and cook a cup of broken red rice in 4 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Pressure cook it for 3 whistles. The rice becomes very soft. Add another cup of water. In a kadai, add half a tsp of ghee and add jeera. You may add curry leaves if you wish. Pour it into the watery rice kanji. This kanji tastes awesome with hot rasam or vegetables. Best for rainy days or when you feel under the weather!!!

Comfort food 2- Nellikkai thayir pachadi ( Amla raita

 This is an amazing side-dish that is extremely rich in Vitamin C and is an immunity booster!

Amla (gooseberry) 4 

One inch piece ginger

green chilli 2 (to taste)

Salt

curd 1 cup

1/2 tsp oil for tempering

Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

Udad dal 1/2 tsp

curry leaves

Wash and cut Amla, de-seed and blend it in the mixer along with ginger, green chilli and salt. Beat curds smooth and add the blended amla mix. Temper it with mustard, udad dal and curry leaves. Add the curds just before serving. This chill raita tastes awesome with any spicy pulao or rice.