Thavana podi

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thavanai

Preparation Time : 30 minutes + 1 day to dry in the sun

Cooking Time : 10 minutes to grind to get a coarse powder

Serving : more than 20 helpings

Description

I did my schooling in a boarding school.my friends from kerela used to bring a lovely aromatic powder called chammanthi podi .i used to love it.after i left school also i did crave to eat chammandhi podi .once my brother in law was married ,problem was solved as my co- sister was from nagarcoil .a town in the border of kerela and tamil nadu .she once got the same chammandhi podi from her mothers place tasted the same but with a different name .THAVANA PODI .CHAMMANDHI PODI or THAVANA PODI i got my long lost craveing podi back.

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Dried coconut (the coconut we use to make coconut oil .in tamil we call it kopara thenga)2 cups
black gram dal1 cup
coriander seeds1/4 cup
curry leaves1 1/4 cup
hing1 table spoon
tamarindgoose burry sized ball
saltto taste
dried red chillies8 to 10
garlic5 flakes
coconut oil4 table spoons

Method

  1. Fry all the ingredients in coconut oil seperately till crisp and golden brown.
  2. Mix the fried ingredients together and dry  it in the sun for a day.
  3. blend the fried,dried ingredients together to a finely coarse powder .taste and adjust.
  4. store in an air tight containeri in room temperature.keeps for more than two months.
  5. serve with idli,dosa or boiled rice.

Mutta Paal Aada

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IMG_4842-1

IMG_4841-1

IMG_4840-1

mutta

Preparation Time : 35 minutes

Cooking Time : 5 minutes

Serving : 6 members

Description

This is my grandmas special . Every holidays myself n my brother spent time mostly with our grand parents in Palghat , kerala . This dish is one among the favourite dishes . Now it’s my sons favourite too . As a kid he used to ask me to make thousand Mutta paal aada’s

Ingredients
Ingredients
Quantity
Rice flour1 cup
maida 1 cup
small onions5
egg1
salta pinch
soda- bi – carbonatea pinch
water3 cups
cumin seeds1/4 tea spoon
Method
  1. Blend all the ingredients together in a food processer.Keep aside for half an hour .
  2. Make thin crapes using a non stick pan .
  3. Place the crapes , inside part out to get a polished looking Mutta paal aada Spread 2 table spoons of grated coconut over the crape .
  4. Sprinkle sugar over the coconut to taste .
  5. Roll tightly and serve hot or cold .

Samosa

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samosa

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time : 10 minutes

Serving : 10 members

Description

The best Indian snak loved by all . This is a punjabi samosa , which has a potato filling inside usually and a soft lightly crisp cover . The South Indian samosa that we serve during the fasting time , always with non – veg filling that is very spicy and has a crisp cover . In my hubby’s place they call the punjabi samosa as somas and the South Indian samosa as samsa . ( funny isn’t it , no offence Nellai people ) when I was newly married had a terrible time understanding the Tamil spoken at my hubby’s place . At moms place our Tamil is 3/4 Malayam and 1/4 Tamil as we hail from Palghat and live in Coimbatore . I used to be teased a lot about my Tamil back then . The Tamil that they talk in tirunelveli is the purest form of Tamil ( that’s what my mother – in – law says ) . What ever I have improved a lot of my Tamil only after I got married from talking , reading and writing . Thanks to tirunelveli for that .

Ingredients
Ingredients for Dough
Quantity
maida(refined flour)500 gm
ghee or oil1/2 cup
ajwain5gm
saltto tatse
waterneeded
oilto deep fry samosa
Ingredients for Tempering
Quantity
cumin seeds1 teaspoon
turmeric powder1/2 teaspoon
red chilli powder1/4 teaspoon
green chillies2-3
ginger2 teaspoon
lime1
coriander leaves1 tablespoon
saltto taste
green peas1/3 cup
chaat masala powder2 teaspoon
fennel seeds1 teaspoon
garam masala1/2 teaspoon
cashew nuts2 tablespoon (chopped)
potatoes500gm (boiled and peeled)
ghee2 tablespoon
Method 
  1. Chop the green chillies, ginger and the coriander leaves.
  2. Mix all the ingredients for the dough except water and rub thoroughly.
  3. Sprinkle water and make a hard dough. Set aside for about 10 minutes.
  4. Divide the dough into round portions as per the size of the samosas required.
  5. Heat the ghee and add cumin, when crackling add ginger and saute.
  6. Add the rest of the ingredients excluding the final four and sauté for five minutes.
  7. Mix in the rest of the ingredients, including the potatoes and mix well.
  8. Roll each portion of dough into a thin oval shape cut into 2 semi-circles.
  9. Take a semi-circle. Apply water on the straight edge of the semi-circle. Hold the semi-circle in your hand, fold the straight edge, bringing together the watered edges, seal the watered edges into a triangular pocket.
  10.  Stuff the potato mixture and then seal the upper edges. 
  11. Repeat with the rest. Deep fry in oil till golden brown and serve.

 

 

Fish Pickle

fish

This is an authentic malabar dish as we ravuthars don’t make pickle with fish . This ricepi is my moms . Don’t know from where she got the recipe . Even this fish pickle in the picture was prepared by her . She had gone to Cochin for a cousins reception and came bake with 10 kgs of fish and prawns together . Results I was made to clean the entire 10 kgs of fish duringmy holiday visit to moms place Loads of work done in hubby’s placeis not a problem at all ( wonderfrom where Iget the energy and streanth )but when at moms place I hate to even move a cup from here to there . I guess every woman has the same motto in them .

Ingredients
Bone less fish – 1 kg cut into small pieces , turmeric powder -1/2 teaspoon , chilli powder – 1 teaspoon + 1 1/4 cup , salt – to taste , gingily oil – 2 cups , vinegar -2 cups , ginger juliens – 100 grams , garlic juliens or whole – 100 grams , green chillies -3 juliens , fenugreek – 1 tablespoon , mustard seeds -1 table spoon , curry leaves -1 strand , hing powder -1 tablespoon , hot water -1 1/4 cup .

Method
Marinate cleaned drained fish with turmeric powder , chilli powder 1 teaspoon and salt to taste for 1/2 an hour . Heat the gingily oil and fry the fish , drain and put it into the vinegar to soak . In the same fish fried oil fry the ginger juliens , garlic and green chillies separately to golden colour and add to the fish marinating in the vinegar . Mix well . In the same fried oil add mustard seeds , fenugreek seeds and curry leaves . Fry to splatter add hing powder switch of the flame and add the remaining red chilli powder . Mix well adding the hot water . Put it back on flame and bring to boil . Add the marinating fish , ginger , garlic , green chillies , vinegar mixture and mix well . Lower the flame , once the oil floats on top remove from heat . ( about 2-3 minutes not more than that as the fish might break ) cool and store in a dry clean air tight container . Best served with boiled rice for lunch .  

Instant Milk Kova

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milk

Preparation Time : 1 minute

Cooking Time : 9 to 10 minutes

Serving : 4 members

Description

We call it tharatti pal in Tamil . As a kid I have tasted milk kova ( pal kova ) , only after my marriage did I know there was something called tharatti pal . when I was newly married my in laws place they had cows at home . Milk , curd and butter milk was always around the house . tharatti pal is made from the milk of a cow which has delivered and the first milk is reduced to a grainy texture ,pale yellow colour adding sugar to taste . Very rerely we get to eat tharatti pal as we can prepar it only when a cow delivers . It was the time when microwaves were newly introduced in India . Knowledge about cooking or useing a microwave was nil then . There was a cooking work shop conducted in tirunelveli by mallika badrinath ( my favourite ) on microwave cooking . I did attend the class and this was the first dish she demonstrated to us . So easy and simple , ready in 10 minutes . I did share this recipe with my aunt nazeem , who did this in a cooking competition in tirupur and won the first prize . Now a days any time any day tharatti pal is made instantly at home when ever wanted .

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Condensed Milk
 
1 tin  (  200 ml) 
Curd3 tablespoons
Ghee1 teaspoon

Method

  1. Take a large microwave safe bowl. Pour in the condensed milk and curd . mix well.  microwave for two minutes . Take it out and mix well.
  2. Microwave for two more minutes . Take it out , add ghee and mix well . microwave for another six minutes .
  3. Making sure to remove the bowl out of the microwave oven to give it a good mix in every two minute interval  time .
  4. Once you get a grainy textured white mixture , milk kova is ready .
  5. Serve hot , warm , chill or at room temperature .

Notes

  1. Every microwave is different, so keep an eye on it and always mix it at regular interval of two minutes.
  2. Make sure not to burn the kova as we have to get a pale yellowish white grainy mixture once done.
  3. As the kova cools it will thicken a lot more, So adjust the timing accordingly.

Dates and Biscuit Rolls

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dates

Preparation Time : 10 minutes 

Cooking Time :  5 minutes + 1/2 an hour in the refrigerator

Serving : 6 members 

Description

An easy dessert made with very few ingredients . I took note of it from the page it’s yummy , yummy to the tummy . check out the page flocks has a lot of authentic malabar recipes and easy to make dessert recipes at home . Biscuit and dates were 2 things I hate to eat . during fasting time while breaking our fast , we have to break it by eating dates first . But I rarely used to do that instead just drink water and biscuits were a big no no . Buying snaks to school biscuits were never in the list . but now a days there is nothing as I hate or don’t want . I eat anything and every thing . ( poor me and my weight problem )

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
butter60 grams 
Condensed milk 5 tablespoon or more
Pitted dates250 grams (chopped)
Marie biscuits1 1/2 packets (crushed)
Nuts of choice 100 grams  (chopped)
Ghee1 tablespoon

Method
  1. Crush the biscuits and powder them . Add butter and mix well .
  2. Pour condensed milk over and knead into a dough . Keep aside .
  3. Heat a non stick pan with ghee in it . Fry the nuts and dates to get a paste consistency . Add little water if required .
  4. Place a long sheet of foil paper on a flat surface . Place the dough over and flatten and spread out with a rolling pin evenly .
  5. Then spread the nuts and dates mixture over the biscuit dough base . Roll the biscuit dough base tightly with the foil paper .
  6. Place in the refrigerator for 1/2 an hour to set . Cut into one inch thick pieces and serve .
  7. Fun to eat by removing the foil that is all rolled up .

 

Katharikai katta

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katharikkai

Preparation Time : 5 minutes

Cooking Time : 25 to 30 members

Serving : 6 to 8 members

Description

A tasty , tangy , hot and sweet dish served as a side dish for biriyani in the ravuthar community of Tamil Nadu . Deepa Almaz requested me to post the recipe but my hubby’s place they serve a similar dish called ennai katharikai . I know to prepare the ennai katharikai dish not the katharikai katta . I very vaguely remembered going through the recipe of katharikai katta from my friend fathimas mother – in – laws from salem (meher amma ) hand written recipe book ( which I had taken a xerox of the entire book ) . I tried it out and it was tasteing exactelly as served at the weddings . One of the best treasures I own to date is the hand written xerox of Mehar ammas recipe book . It is filled with all authentic dishes which are fading away .

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
To dry roast and grind to a smooth paste – mustard seeds 3/4 teaspoon
cumin seed3/4 teaspoon
fenugreek seeds1/4 teaspoon
pepper corns 3/4 teaspoon
sesame seeds 3/4 teaspoon

Ingredients for Main Dish

Ingredients
Quantity
Small onion15 crushed
ginger1 /2 inch piece crushed
garlic5 flakes crushed
brinjals12 whole slit at the into 4
gingily oil1/2 cup
coriander powder1 tablespoon
chilli powder2 teaspoons
turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
saltto taste
tamarind pulp1/2 cup
jaggery1 teaspoon

Method 

  1. Heat a non stick pan with oil in it . Add 1/2 of the crushed small onions , ginger and garlic .
  2. Top with half of the ground masala and add the brinjals . Fry till the colour of the brinjal changed and becomes a bit soft for about 10 minutes .
  3. Add the other 1/2 of crushed things and the ground masala . Stir well , top with coriander powder , chilli powder , turmeric powder and salt to taste .
  4. Sauté for 2 minutes adding the tamarind pulp and very little water just enough to cook the brinjal and to get a thick flowing gravy .
  5. Simmer and cook till oil floats on top and brinjals are soft and cooked through . Add the jaggery finally , mix well . Taste and adjust .
  6. Serve hot with biriyani .


Oven Fried Deviled Chicken

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ovenchicken

Preparation Time : 20 minutes + 2 hours for marination

Cooking Time : 30 to 35 minutes

Serving : 6 members

Description

A healthy dish which I took note from the magazine prevention . My gym buddy jaya Bharathi passed it over to me . I have made some changes as the original recipe seemed to be very bland . yummy dish , been into a lot of experimenting recently for tasty healthy dishes . This is one among them . Give it a try flocks . Recipe and picture courtacy prevention magazine .

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Chicken pieces8
chilli powder1 teaspoon
ginger garlic paste1 teaspoon
saltto taste
vinegar1/2 teaspoon
wheat bread crumbs2 cups
pepper powderto taste
chilli flakes1/2 teaspoon
cumin powder1 teaspoon
chopped coriander leaves1 tablespoon
olive oil spray

Method

  1. Marinate chicken pieces in chilli powder , ginger garlic paste , vinegar and salt to taste for 2 hours or more .
  2. Preheat oven to 230 degree Celsius . Mix wheat bread crumbs , pepper powder , chilli flakes , salt to taste , cumin powder and coriander leaves together and set aside .
  3. Dredge chicken in bread crumbs mixture , patting to coat all around . Line a shallow baking pan with foil paper and coat with olive oil .
  4. Arrange the chicken pieces in single layer over the greased foil . Coat the top of the chicken with olive oil spray .( just sprinkle a few drops of olive oil over in case you don’t have a oil spray ) bake for 20 minutes .
  5. Increase the heat to 400 degree Celsius and bake until golden brown and cooked through for another 10 to 15 minutes longer .
  6. Serve hot with salad , tomato ketchup .

Ginger Chicken

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ginger

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time : 12 to 15 minutes

Serving : 4 members

Description

A yummy not so spicy , light to the tummy Chinese style ginger chicken . Here in my hubby’s place in tirunelveli , we had very few Restaurants in the beginning when I was newly married . All the restaurants were not worth going and eating there as the ambiance was such . So when ever we want restaurant food it was ordered as take away and had at home . My hubby used to bring butter chicken and ginger chicken mostly for dinner as a surprise from a restaurant called chettinad . The ginger chicken was my favourite . It used to taste so yum . I tried it out at home as to my taste buds and wolla it was just like the one from chettinad restaurant . So no more ginger chicken from chettinad restaurant instead it’s made at home .foolish me should have had the restaurant ginger chicken itself , now it’s an added responsibility in my kitchen .

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Boneless chicken1/4 kg
egg whites2
Flour ( maida )4 tablespoons
cornflour4 table spoons + 1 teaspoon diluted in 1/4 cup water
white pepper powder1/4 teaspoon
saltto taste
ajinomoto2 pinches
green chillies2 crushed
garlic flake1 crushed
onion2 big cut into stripes
capsicum2 cut into stripes
oil4 tablespoons + to deep fry
ginger25 grams ground and strained to get 1/4 cup juice( do not add more than mentioned as the chicken might Taste to gingery )
green chilli sauce2 table spoons
vinegar1/4 teaspoon

Method

  1. Marinate cleaned chicken pieces in egg whites , maida , 4 tablespoons cornflour , white pepper powder , salt to taste and a pinch of ajinomoto along with little water if needed . Keep aside for one hour .
  2. Deep fry the chicken pieces in hot oil over medium heat to a light golden brown colour and crisp . Drain and set aside .
  3. Heat a wok with 4 tablespoons of oil . Add crushed garlic and green chillies , top with onions and capsicum .
  4. Saute for 4 minutes . Pour the ginger juice , green chilli sauce , vinegar , salt to taste and a pinch of ajinomoto . Mix well .
  5. Add one cup of water and bring to boil . Taste and adjust , add the fried chicken pieces and simmer for 2 minutes for all the flavours to infuse together .
  6. Pour the diluted corn flour over and bring to boil stirring constantly .to get a semi thick saucy running gravy coated over the chicken pieces . Add more water if wanted .
  7. Serve hot for lunch or dinner.

Snake gourd (Podalangkai ) Fry

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snake

Description

As a kid at home we were always fed a lot with Indian vegetables like brinjal , all types of potatoes , all types of gourds , Pumpkins etc . English vegetables like carrots , capsicum , green peas ect were rarely served as my dad didn’t like them much . But at boarding school most of our vegetables like carrots , beet roots , potatoes , green peas , cabbage were grown in school itself and we were fed a lot with the grown English vegetables . So my liking towards vegetables got balanced between Indian vegetables and English vegetables . This recipe of snake gourd  my mother – in – law and myself took note of from a regional satellite channel when the satellite channels were newly launched in India . Since the first try of this recipe it’s a regular dish at home.

Ingredients
Ingredients
Quantity
Snake gourd1 long one cleaned and cut into rings
tomato1 medium size (ground)
small onions3 (ground)
Ginger garlic paste1/4 teaspoon
rice flour3 tablespoons
chick pea flour1/2 cup
Maida 1 tablespoon
chilli powder1 teaspoon
thymol seeds ( ajwaan in Hindhi , omam in Tamil )1/4 teaspoon
saltto taste
red food coloura pinch
oilto deep fry
Method
  1. Mix ground tomato , ground small onions , ginger garlic paste , rice flour , chick pea flour , maida , chilli powder , salt , thymol seeds and red food colouring together .
  2. Mix well to get a smooth paste consistency by adding a little water . Taste and adjust .
  3. Add the round cut snake guard to the mixed paste and gently toss well so that the paste gets coated around the cut snake gourds.
  4. Set aside to marinate for 1 hour or more . Heat oil to deep fry in a kadai .
  5. Drop one round of snake guard at a time into the hot oil so that they dont stick together.
  6. Fry to crisp , drain and serve hot as a side dish for lunch or as a starter at parties for vegetarians .