Pulicha Keerai Thogayal

Pulicha Keerai (Sour leaf) known better as Gongura is nature's blessing to us. It is packed with iron,vitamins,folic acid and anti oxidants. If there is one simple way to take better care of ourselves have this as part of your diet as much as possible. It is so tasty and so easy to make too. One can make this in just 10 minutes. My mom used to make this a lot but without garlic and onions. My version comes with garlic and onion as they take the taste to a different level. Try this out...

Ingredients 
Pulicha Keerai/Sour leaf - 1 Bunch
Garlic - 4 cloves
Onion - 1 medium size
Oil - 2 table spoons
Coriander Seeds - 1 tbsp
Red chillies - 3 
Salt - As required


Preparation Method 
Add 1 table spoon of oil to a pan . Now add the coriander seeds , garlic, red chillies.
Fry them well and keep them aside.

In the same pan fry the sour leaf(No extra oil required) . The leaves would shrink to almost half and change their color. The color change is due to the iron content in the leaves.

Cool the roasted spices and the sour leaves and grind them in a blender.I usually make a fine paste similar to a chutney.

Now add the remaining oil and saute the onions till they become translucent. Once the onions are cooked add the blended mixture along with the required salt and fry them well for about 5 mins.
If you would like to have it like a gravy you can add some more water

Pulicha keerai thogayal is ready to be served with hot rice. It is an excellent combination with curd rice too...

Rajapalayam KaraKuzhambu

Kara kuzhambu a south indian speciality is one of my favorite dishes as it has got such a tangy taste to it.Any special meal is incomplete without this .Kara kuzhambu with potato curry is the ultimate combination. Adding eggplant or drumstick makes it even more tasty but this version doesn't have these vegetables. It tastes heavenly with curd rice. This can be refrigerated for more than a week as it doesn't have any dal added to it. If you would like to store it for even more days you can add more oil to it to stay fresh. Its easy to make too. Once you add all the ingredients you are done when the gravy reaches the right consistency.
Here comes the recipe

Ingredients

• Small onion - a handful
• Tomato - 1 medium size
• Garlic - 6-7 cloves Red chillies - 3
• Tamarind juice - 2 cups
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Fenugreek - Half a tsp
• Hing - a pinch
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - a handful
• Sambar powder - 2 tbsp
• Salt - 1 and half tbsp
• Oil - 4 tbsp

Preparation method

• Heat oil in a pan and once its hot add mustard seeds. Let it splutter.
• Now add Red chillies,fenugreek seeds,garlic and fry them well.
• Add onions and fry them well.
• Add tomatoes,turmeric powder and curry leaves .
• Add the tamarind pulp, sambar powder and salt.
• Allow it to boil for 15 - 20 mins. Now the gravy would have thickened and the quantity would have reduced to half of its original quantity. This is the right consistency. This gravy wouldn't be so loose like sambar but would be of the consistency of a thokku. Now Rajapalayam Karakuzhambu is ready to serve..

Pudina paruppu(Mint dal)

I love mint for its color, flavor and its nutritional value. I end up making mint pulao or chutney all the time. Suddenly I had this idea of making a dal with mint. I couldn't wait to try this out. People who like a lot of flavor in their food would love this. Its an easy way to make kids eat mint too.This goes well with rotis and rice...... check it out!!!

Ingredients
Mint - 1 cup
Moong dal - 1 cup
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Garlic - 2 cloves
Green chillies - 3
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Hing - A pinch
oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - As required

Preparation Method

• Pressure cook mint and moong dal and keep it aside.
• Now heat the oil, add mustard seeds, fennel, garlic, onion and tomato and fry them well.
• Now add green chillies and the turmeric powder and fry them till the rawness goes off.
• Add the cooked dal to the tadka.
• Add hing and salt as required.
• Allow it to boil for 5 minutes and the dal is ready...

Indian butter biscuit

Indian butter biscuit(Ghee biscuit)

This biscuit was inspired from the ghee biscuit my mom used to make when I was a small kid. She managed it so well to bake a cookie without an oven. She used to make it in a tava with hot sand on it. I still remember eating so many of them once she makes it. Having said enough about my love for these biscuits I love to make these yummy ones for my daughter now. She loves the heart shaped ones hence I make more of them.
Here comes my version of butter biscuit.

Ingredients
All purpose flour/maida - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4th of a cup
A pinch of salt
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Butter - 3/4th of a cup
oil for greasing the baking tray


Preparation Method

• Mix all purpose flour,salt,baking soda and baking powder together.

• Now add sugar to a bowl and cream the butter. Now add this mixture to the flour little by little and make it into a soft dough by kneading it.

• Make balls out of this and flatten them out. You can make them small as it doubles in size when you bake it.

• If you like to make different shapes roll the dough thick and use a cookie cutter to cut them out.

• I usually start to preheat the oven at 350 degrees when I am done with making the cookies.

• Keep it in the refrigerator for 4-5 mins.

• Now place it in a greased baking tray and bake them for about 15-20 mins.

• After 20 mins switch the oven off and keep it inside for 10 more mins.

Now you can take them cool them off.Yummy crispy cookies are ready. I usually sprinkle dried coconut powder on the cookies after I arrange them on the baking tray.. Its optional though..

Mysore Pak

Mysore pak a South Indian delicacy was first created in the kitchens of the mysore palace by a palace cook. It tops the list when you think of south indian sweets. Its easy to make once you get the feel of how to make it.
Ingredients
Besan - 1 cup ( This gives you around 10 pieces)
Water - Half cup
Sugar - 2 cups
Ghee - 1 cup
Oil - Half cup
Method
First pour a little of the ghee and fry the besan well until the raw smell goes off. You can sieve the besan after frying so that you can avoid lumps in the Mysore pak.
Now make the sugar syrup by mixing the sugar and water together. It has to reach the single string consistency. Otherwise you can test the syrup for readiness by pouring a little of this syrup into water. If the syrup dissolves in water and you can make a ball out of this thats the right time to mix the besan.
You have to heat the ghee simultaneously while making this. You can also add some oil to the ghee and keep it hot
Now add the besan slowly and start mixing it. Its time to add the hot ghee and oil to this mixture slowly. Add them little by little in different intervals.
Keep stirring it continously . The mixture would start giving out bubbles and it would reach a consistency where it doesn't stick with the pan any more. Now pour this into a plate smeared with ghee and cut it when it is moderately hot and allow it to cool. When it is cooled you can cut them into pieces.

Beetroot Pulao

Beetroot one of nature's gift is packed with sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iodine, iron, copper, Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and C. It is also a natural blood purifier. Infact it tastes really good when it is eaten in the form of pulao. Here comes my version of beetroot pulao where we cook beets with some Indian spices!!!

Ingredients
Beetroot grated - 1
Basmati rice - 1 cup
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Garlic pods - 4
Chillies - 3
Cilantro - Half a cup
Cloves - 2
Bay leaf - 3
Anise - 2
Oil as required

Soak the basmati rice in water for half an hour. Now add a little oil and fry it until it becomes dry.
Fry the garlic, half the onion and half the tomato and keep it aside. Now add the chillies to this and grind it.
Now fry the spices with the half cut onion and tomato well. Now add the ground mixture and fry it well. Now add the grated beets and mix it well.
Add the basmati rice and required amount of salt .
Add 2 cups of water and mix the ingredients well. Now add cilantro and cook it closed for about 20 mins. I usually keep the gas at low.
When you see that the rice is cooked turn it off and leave it for another 30 mins. Now Beetroot pulao is ready!

Pudina/Mint Thogayal

For centuries, Mint has been enjoyed for its wonderful aroma, its great taste, and its healing power.Mint has a special flavor that adds great taste wherever you add it.Mint is well known for its ability to sooth the digestive tract and reduce the severity and length of stomach aches.Thogayal/Chutney made out of this tastes great when mixed with hot rice. Its an easy recipe to make and stays good even if refrigerated.

Ingredients
Mint - 1 Bunch
Coconut - Half a cup
Urad dal - 3 table spoons
Red chillies - 3
Asafoetida - A pinch
Tamarind paste - 1 tea spoon
Salt as required
Oil - 3 table spoons
Method
Pour 2 table spoons of oil and fry the urad dal, red chillies ,coconut and keep it aside.Add asafoetida to this.
Again pour 1 table spoon of oil and fry the mint for a while till the mint get shrinked into half.
Allow this to cool . Now add the tamamrind paste and salt to this mixture and grind it coarsely.