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. 

Comfort food- 1 Milagukshiyam

 Today I am posting recipes of my favourite comfort food for a rainy day!! They are extremely healthy and Sathvik. Milagukshiyam is made of traditional 'naattu kaaykaris' ( vegetables that are not from the west like carrots, cauliflower, peas etc) Also, unlike other koottu recipes, this does not involve any grinding of masalas. So let's get on with the recipes. Do try them and let me know if you enjoyed it. 

Milagukshiyam

Vegetables you can use..Ash gourd, red pumpkin, snake gourd, ridge gourd, sponge gourd, broad beans(avarakkai) drumstick, Yam, sweet potato . Do not use beans, carrots, cauliflower etc as they change the flavour. In this recipe, I have used ash gourd, red pumpkin, broad beans, yam, sweet potato.

Yellow Moong dal one cup 

spices

Turmeric powder 1 tsp

Pepper powder 1 tablespoon

Jeera 1 tbsp

salt to taste

Grated coconut 2 tablespoons

curry leaves for garnish

Coconut oil/ghee for tempering

Dice the vegetables, cut broad beans into small pieces. Cook them in a pan with a cup of yellow moong dal,  salt, turmeric powder and pepper powder. In a kadai add 1 tbsp jeera to 2 tbsp coconut oil/ghee ..once the jeera turns fragrant, add a sprig of curry leaves and two tablespoons of grated coconut. Stir it till the coconut turns golden brown. Add to the cooked vegetables and give it a boil. Serve hot with rice or Matta rice kanji. You can have it as a soup too!

Tomato Paneer Pulao with Carrot and cucumber raita

 Back to blogging after a long long time!!

Tomato Paneer pulao

Ingredients

Tomato 5 

Onion 3

Paneer 250 gas

Capsicum 2

Basmati rice 2 cups

Spices 

Cinnamon 1 inch piece

Bay leaf 1

cumin seeds 1 tbsp

Cardamom 2

Turmeric powder 1 tsp

coriander powder 1 tbsp

Jeera powder 1 tsp

chilli powder

curd 1/2 cup

oil for shallow frying

garam masala one pinch

Kasuri methi 2 tbsp

Fresh coriander for garnish

Wash and soak basmati rice for half an hour in 4 cups of water. Slit tomatoes and put in boiling water for about 3 minutes..remove the skin, cool and blend it in a mixer. Finely chop onions. In a kadai, take 2 tsp oil and add cinnamon, jeera, bay leaf, elaichi, add the onions and sauté till light brown. Add some kasuri methi . Add the tomato puree, turmeric powder, chilli powder , salt , coriander powder and jeera powder and cook till oil separates.  Cut paneer into cubes and marinate it in a mixture of beaten curd with chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, jeera powder , salt and kasuri methi. After half an hour shallow fry the paneer cubes till light brown and keep aside. Take care not to break them. Sauté diced capsicum and keep aside.

When the rice is cooked 3/4th, add the tomato onion mixture and stir gently..cook in on a low flame till it is done. Add a spoon of ghee (optional) Garnish with fresh, finely cut coriander. Top it with the crisp paneer and serve hot with raita.

Carrot and Cucumber raita

Ingredients

Carrot 4 grated

Cucumber 4 diced into tiny pieces

Thick, fresh curd 2 cups

Salt to taste

Sugar 1/2 tsp

Coriander finely cut 2 tbsp

Oil 1 tsp

Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

udad dal 1/2 tsp

Mix the grated carrots and cucumber. Temper the mustard and udad dal and add it to the vegetables. In a bowl whisk the thick curd with sugar and salt till smooth and add it to the vegetables. Garnish it with fresh coriander. Add the curds just before serving, otherwise the raita will get watery. 

Banana, apple smoothie

Ingredients

Banana 1/2
Apple Peeled and chopped 1
Dates 2
Raisins 2
Flax seeds 1 teaspoon
Almonds 10
Milk/ Almond milk 1 cup



Blend all the ingredients except milk. Add milk slowly and blend it till smooth. Serve chilled!

Rice Rava Upma Kozhakattai with coconut and coriander chutney

Recipe for Rice Rava Upma Kozhakattai

Ingredients:

Idli Rava 2 cups
Grated coconut half a cup
Water 5 cups
Salt to taste
Olive oil 2 tbsp
Pepper powder half a teaspoon
Jeera powder 1/4 teaspoon
Hing powder a pinch


For tempering:
Mustard half teaspoon
Jeera one teaspoon
Udad dal half teaspoon
Black pepper half a teaspoon
curry leaves optional

Method

Pour two tablespoons Olive oil in a Kadai and heat it. Add Mustard. When it splutters, add jeera, Udad dal, pepper, curry leaves and hing powder. When the Udad dal turns golden brown, add water . Add salt to taste and the grated coconut. When the water boils fully, turn the stove to simmer and add the rice rava carefully, stirring all the time so lumps are not formed. Once the whole mixture has solidified, turn off the stove and let it cool. Roll the warm mixture into balls or oblong shape and steam them for 12 minutes in the idli cooker. The Rice rava kozhakkatai is ready to be served hot with chutney/sambar/ pickle.

Recipe for Coconut chutney
Grated coconut  one cup
Green chillies 4 or 5
Coriander leaves 1/4 cup cleaned and chopped
ginger a tiny piece grated
unsalted peanuts 2 tablespoon
tamarind paste 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil 1/4 teaspoon

For tempering
Mustard 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves
Hing powder a pinch

Blend the grated coconut , coriander, peanuts, green chillies, tamarind paste and ginger to a smooth paste. Add salt to taste. Temper it with mustard, curry leaves and a pinch of hing. This chutney can be used for Idlis, dosas, upma etc.

Pumpkin and Carrot pulao

Ingredients

Rice - 1 glass
Grated red pumpkin- half a cup
Grated carrot- half a cup
Turmeric powder- a pinch
coriander powder- 1/2 spoon
Jeera powder- 1/4 spoon
Ghee- half a spoon
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash rice and cook it with a pinch of salt. Once cooked, spread it on a plate to separate the grains. Steam grated pumpkin and carrots with jeera powder, coriander powder salt and turmeric powder for 5 minutes. In a hot kadai, add half a spoon ghee and jeera, switch off the stove and add the steamed vegetables. Mix well. Toss this with the cooked rice. Pumpkin and carrot pulao is ready to serve with raita or curd.

Pumpkin and capsicum millet pulao

Ingredients

Barnyard Millet 1/2 glass
Green Capsicum-1 chopped fine
Red Capsicum -1 chopped fine
Red pumpkin 250gms grated
Ghee 1/2 spoon
Jeera 1/2 spoon
Coriander powder 1/4 teaspoon
Jeera powder 1/4 spoon
Red chilli powder.. 1/4 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Cook millet in the cooker with 1 and 1/2 glasses of water and a pinch of salt. Keep aside and use a fork to separate it. Steam capsicum, red pumpkin for around 5 minutes. Add coriander powder, jeera powder, chilli powder and salt to it and mix well. In a hot kadai pour half a  spoon ghee and switch off the stove and add Jeera to it. Add the steamed vegetables to it and mix well. Add the cooked millet to it and toss well. Serve hot with raita. 

Sprouts and Millet Adai with Tomato Coriander chutney

Recipe for Sprouts and Millet adai

Ingredients

Moong and Chana sprouts 250 gm

Barnyard Millet one glass

Chopped coriander

Green chilli 2

Red chilli 2

Salt to taste

Hing powder..a pinch

Curry leaves

Soak millet for 2 hours and grind it into a coarse paste with sprouts, coriander, green chillies, red chillies and curry leaves. Add salt and hing. Mix well. In a hot , greased tawa, pour and spread the batter. Add a few drops of oil on the edges. Cook on medium flame till the adai is cooked evenly on both sides. Leave it for a few more minutes to make it crisp. Serve hot with Chutney/jaggery/sambar/ avial.

Recipe for tomato coriander chutney

Ingredients

Ripe tomatoes 2

coriander leaves - a small bunch

Chana dal 1 tablespoon

Udad dal 1 tablespoon

Red chillies 3

Grated coconut 1 tablespoon

Oil one teaspoon

Tamarind pulp..one spoon

Salt to taste

Chop tomatoes. In a kadai add a spoon of oil and shallow roast chana dal, udad dal and red chillies. Once it is evenly roasted, add chopped tomatoes to it. Add salt and tamarind pulp. Cook it by stirring occasionally. Once done, cool the mixture and blend it in a mixie with grated coconut. Garnish with more coriander. 

Lapsi Khichdi with vegetables

Ingredients

Lapsi/broken wheat/bulgur wheat  1 cup
Yellow moong dal 1/2 cup
Chopped vegetables ( carrots, capsicum, peas)
Finely chopped coriander
Half a glass of skimmed milk
Half a teaspoon red chilli powder
Half a spoon cumin seeds
A small stick of cinnamon
A couple of cloves
A pinch of turmeric powder
One tablespoon ghee
Salt to taste
Lemon juice to taste

Cooking Method:

Wash and soak a cup of lapsi and moong dal in 3 cups of water for half an hour. Wash, peel and cut vegetables. Pour the soaked lapsi with moong dal and water in a pressure cooker. Add the chopped vegetables, half a glass of milk, turmeric powder and salt and cook it for a couple of whistles till it becomes soft. If you do not want to pressure cook, you can steam them in the cooker till vegetables are soft( steaming is the healthier option). Once it is soft, you could mash it up a little if you like. In a kadai, heat ghee, switch off the flame and add cumin seeds, a small stick of cinnamon, cloves and a little chilli powder. Pour it into the khichdi. Add lemon juice to taste and garnish it with coriander. Serve hot with pickle and curd.

Cooking straight from my heart!

Hi everyone!

Here I am with my cooking blog with tasty and healthy recipes! These are simple, healthy sathvik recipes that you will enjoy cooking and eating as well.

Would love to hear feedback from you all!

Saras