Pazlam Pori

Share Button

Pazlam pori

Preparation : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 8 to 10 minutes

Serving : 8 members

Description

Pazlam varuthathu or pazlam pori as we call it at home . A regular snack in all the house holds in Palghat . It is so tasty that it needs no sauce or chuntny To accompany . As it gets fried , we eat it then and there even before it comes to the table to be served . My native place is Palghat .my mother is from Palghat and dads native is a small village called puthunaram near Palghat ( but my grand father migrated to Coimbatore even before my dad was born to start textile business ) my roots are stuck with Palghat a lot . We are a confused lot of people as we talk Tamil at home but live in Kerala . The Tamils call us mallu (kanji) as we live in Palghat but people in Kerala call us tamilians ( pandy ) as we talk Tamil at home . Have to mention about the Tamil spoken in Palghat as it is 3/4 Malayalam and 1/4 Tamil . In any case we are tamilians from Kerala .

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Kerala plantain ( netharam palazlam as known in Tamil ) 2 peeled , cut into 2 and sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices long
maida2 cups
rice flour1/4 cup
sugar 100 gm
soda- bi- carbonatea pinch
salta pinch
water 1 cup or more
oilto deep fry

Method

  1. Mix maida , rice flour , sugar, salt and soda – bi – carbonate together .
  2. Add water gradually to get a thick batter of bajji batter consistency .
  3. Make sure no lumps are formed and the sugar is dissolved completely . Set aside for 15 minutes .
  4. Heat oil to deep fry in a deep kadai . Dip the plantain slice into the batter making sure the batter has coated the plantain slice all around well and deep fry to a pale golden colour to crisp .
  5. Drain on absorbent paper and serve hot

Sothi

Share Button

Sothi

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 15 minutes

Serving : 4 to 6 members

Description

A mind bobbling yummy vegetarian gravy dish very own to the Pillai community people of tirunelveli . I first had this dish at my father – in – laws Elder brothers house . This dish is usually served with iddiappam or boiled rice . The side dish for Sothi is enggi pachadi ( ginger chuntny ) . I am a very bad vegetarian . I used to hate the sight of vegetables on my plate . I did my schooling in a boarding school . Our diet was so balanced so the amount of vegetables served to us was a lot . Every table of 10 children had a teacher sitting with us to check if we ate well and right . To add upon this check we had a duty teacher who used come at the end of every meal to check if any thing was not consumed by us . Was way too much irritating then but I thank all my teachers and mam ellasama thomas specially who did this to us . Now , even I follow a diet chart at home very similar to school with 2 vegetables for lunch and a fruit after lunch .

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Carrot 1 big cubied
potato1 big cubied
beans5 cut into 1 inch long pieces
drum stick1 cut into finger length pieces
small onions1 hand full cut into half
green chillies6 slit
moong dal 50 gm
thin coconut milk2 cups
thick coconut milk1 cup
roasted chick pea powder ( chuntny dal or pottu kadalai as we call in Tamil )4 teaspoons
salt to taste
coconut oil4 tablespoons
cummin seeds1 teaspoon
curry leaves1 strand

Method

  1. Pressure cook carrot , potato , beans , small onion , green chillies , moong dal along with little water enough to cook the vegetable and dal for one whistle .
  2. Boil the drum stick with salt seperately . Add boiled drum stick to the vegetables .
  3. Pour think coconut milk and simmer mixing well . Mix roasted chick pea powder with thick coconut milk making sure no lumps are formed .
  4. Pour over the simmering vegetables and mix well to get a thick pouring consistency gravy of pale yellow colour .
  5. Add salt to taste . Taste and adjust . Remove from heat .
  6. Do not boil the gravy as the coconut milk might curdle . Heat coconut oil add cumin seeds and curry leaves .
  7. Once they crackle , pour over the Sothi and mix well .
  8. Serve hot with iddiappam or boiled rice .

Prawn Roast

Share Button

prwanroast

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 10 minutes

Serving : 6 members

Description

This is a fabulous yummy dish liked by every one at home . Specially my son Afzar , son – in – law Riyaz and cousins Ashibha and Shabu . I learnt this dish from my friend Fathima from Salem who is a very good host and a cook . Happy bites to all .

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
prawn(devained and cleaned)1 kg
small onions1 hand full crushed
tomato1 big chopped
coriander powder 3 tea spoons
chilli powder 2 tea spoons
turmeric powder 1/4 tea spoon
coriander leaves 1 tea spoon chopped
saltto taste
cumin powder1/2 tea spoon
pepper powder1/2 tea spoon
cinnamon 1 small stick
clove 1
cardamom 1 ( powder the cinnamon , clove and cardamom together )
ginger paste 1 tea spoon
garlic paste 1 tea spoon
coconut oil 3 1/2 table spoon
onion 1 big chopped
curry leves few

Method

  1. Mix prawns , small onion , ginger garlic paste , coriander powder , chilli powder , turmeric powder , tomato , salt to taste , cumin powder , pepper powder , spice powder , coriander leaves together in a pressure cooker .
  2. Pressure cook with out adding water for one whistle . Reduce the water to a gravy consistency .
  3. Then heat a non stick pan with coconut oil .
  4. Add the chopped onion and curry leaves fry to brown and pour the prawn gravy in and roast till you get a caramelised dry roast .
  5. Should be careful that you don’t roast to much as the prawn tends to get rubbery if over cooked . Serve hot .  

Arisi maavu Rotti

Share Button

arisimaavurotti

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 3 minutes

Serving : 6 to 8 members

Description

That is how we call it in my moms place . This dish is an authentic dish very own to the Muslim speaking Tamils who hail from Palghat And Coimbatore region . In Malayalam the same dish is known as ari pathiri or just pathiri . I remember my grand mom ( dads mom balkees perima ) used to tell me that at her times of being young any one wanting a girl to be married to their family would be asked 3 questions. One if they finished reading the holy Quran , two , do they pray five times a day and third Do you know to make arusi maavu rotti ? This dish is that important to the Muslims of the Palghat , Coimbatore region . Thank god I got married to a Tamil family because I didn’t know how to make pathiri till very recently . I made it a point to learn as I love the dish and didn’t want the dish to fade away from my daily cooking .

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Rice flour 2 cups( heaped , 350 gm )
saltto taste
water2 1/2 cups

 Rice flour is the flour you use to make ediappams with  .

Method

  1. Heat water with salt to taste in a heavy bottomed vessel .
  2. Once it boils , reduce the heat and pour the rice flour as one lump in the Center of the boiling water .
  3. Insert a ladle in the middle , close with a lid and cook in reduced flame for 5 minutes . Remove from fire and mix quickly with the ladle .
  4. Make a smooth dough by wetting your hands in water as the dough will be hot . Make small tomato size balls and roll flat thin chapathis using rice flour powder .
  5. Heat a tawa , place the pathiri wait for 20 seconds turn over , wait for another 20 seconds then turn over again . The pathiri will puff .
  6. Remove and apply ghee lightly on one side . Do the same with all the rice flour balls .
  7. Serve hot with any non veg gravy.

Vermicelli Biriyani

Share Button

image1 (2)

IMG_3695

IMG_3696

IMG_3697

IMG_3698

IMG_3701

IMG_3702

IMG_3705

IMG_3709

FullSizeRender (5)

IMG_3712

IMG_3713

FullSizeRender (4)

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time : 35 minutes

Serving : 6 to 8 members

Description

We call it semiya biriyani . This is an authentic dish from the Tamil speaking Muslims who are addressed as rawvthars . Both my grandmoms and my mom are perfect in preparing this dish . I remember my grandmom ( dads mom ) balkees perima used to make this in a huge vessel for us in at least 10 to 12 kg of meat . As we cousins only were 29 members . Recently I made this for my friend Sindhu and her daughters . The gals went bonkers over the samiya biriyani . She got the recipe from me as her second daughter oozy wanted samiya biriyani for her birthday . My sons favourite dish and it has to be made by my mom for sure .

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Mutton or chicken3/4 kg
fried vermicelli600 gm ( better if we fry in ghee to golden brown in colour )
ginger garlic paste2 table spoon
onion5 sliced
tomato4 big chopped
coriander leaves4 table spoon chopped
mint leaves3 table spoon
green chillies6 slit
curd1 cup
small onionsone hand crushed
cinnamon stick5 pieces
Cloves4
Cardamom4
ghee1 1/4 cup ( can mix oil with ghee instead of useing ghee alone )
chilli powder1 1/2 table spoon ( add to taste as I prefer the spicy version )
lime1/2 juice
water (ratio)Measure  vermicelli  and add water equal to the measurement of the vermicelli

Method

  1. Heat ghee adding cinnamon , cloves , cardamom with onions .fry onions to dark brown in colour .
  2. Add crushed small onion, green chillies , ginger garlic paste to brown.
  3. Top with tomato , mint , coriander leaves , curd , salt to taste , meat and chilli powder . Stir well till it forms a thick gravy.
  4. Pour measured water to cook the meat . Once cooked add lime juice.
  5. Taste and adjust.
  6. Bring to boil and add vermicelli . Once the vermicelli is half cooked and water has reduced Lower the flame and keep in dum for 5 to 8 minutes . The vermicelli biriyani is ready.
  7. Serve hot with onion Raitha.

Note

At times curd added might give a lot of gravy out before adding water to cook the meat . In that case , just reduce 1 cup of water and cook the meat . Add the fried vermicelli and you find the water is not enough , boil the one cup of water and add as required.

Appam and Veg Stew

Share Button
appamvegstew
Appam :

Preparation Time : 12 Hours

Cooking Time : 5 minutes

Serving : 10 members

Description

I have been fed and pampered a lot with this dish as a kid , by my grand mom ( moms mom ) . My other grand mom ( dads mom ) used to hate me liking appam and stew , mainly because my moms mom used to make it for me . grand moms rivelare for me .My kids love it when ever appam And stew is on the table . Stew is best served with appam but goes well with bread also .

Ingredients

Ingredients for Appam
Quantity
raw rice 2 cups
par boiled rice1/2 cup
urad dhal1/2 cup
salt to taste
fenugreek seeds 5
boiled riceone hand
coconut1/2 cup
yeast1 teaspoon
soda salt 1/4 tea spoon
sugar 1/2 tea spoon

Method
  1. Soak raw rice , par boiled rice , urad dhal and fenugreek seeds together for 3 hours . Grind to a thick smooth paste .
  2. Grind coconut and boiled rice together in a blender . Add it to the grinding soaked rice mixture along with salt towards the end of grinding and grind for 5 minutes . Mix well . Allow to ferment for 18 to 20 hours .
  3. Mix yeast , soda salt and sugar in little water . Pour into the fermented batter and mix well to a runny consistency batter .
  4. Heat a non stick small kadai . Pour a ladle full of batter in the Center of the hot kadai . Lift the kadai from fire and tilt it in circular motion so that appam is formed .
  5. Center of appam should be thicker than the sides . Close  with a lid and cook in medium heat . Cook on one side only .
  6. When there is no uncooked batter and forms a lace around the Center . Remove carefully with a  flat ladle .
  7. Serve hot with stew or any curry of your choice .

 

Veg Stew :

Preparation time : 30 minutes

Cooking time : 30 minutes

Serving : 8 members

Ingredients
Ingredients for Veg Stew
Quantity
coconut oil 4 table spoons
cinnamon 1
clove 2
onion 1 sliced
garlic flakes2 crushed
green chillies8 to 10 slit
carrot1 cup cubes
potato 1/2 cup cubes
beans1/4 cup cut into 1 inch long pieces
very thin coconut milk ( second extract )2 cups ( make sure the coconut milk is very thin as the stew might curdle if the coconut milk is a bit thick )
thick coconut milk 1 cup (first extract )
rice flour1 table spoon heaped
saltto taste
lime 1/2 a squeeze
Method
  1. Heat coconut oil , add cinnamon and cloves . Once they crackle , add sliced onions and crushed garlic . Fry till translucent .
  2. Top with green chillies , carrots , potatoes and beans . Toss well adding salt to taste . Fry for 5 minutes in medium heat .
  3. Pour the thin coconut milk and cook till vegetables are cooked through . Dilute the rice flour with the thick coconut milk .
  4. Pour over the cooked vegetables and lower the flame . Keep stirring till it gets to a smooth saucy consistency gravy .
  5. Pour water if necessary according to the required consistency . Squeez lime . Mix well . Taste and adjust .
  6. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves . Serve hot with appam or bread .

Notes

Can do the same with chicken or mutton along with potatoes alone for the non veg  version. Mutton or chicken -1/4 kg cut into small pieces , potatoes – 1 cup cubes . All the other ingredients as for veg stew . Follow the same recipe as for veg stew . Add mutton or chicken along with potatoes instead of vegetables.

Palazm Koolu

Share Button

koolu

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 10 minutes

Serving : 6 members

Description

Palazm kachinathu or palazm koolu as we call it at home . This is a typical ravuthar dish from Palghat region . Both my grand mothers are experts in making this dish . It is usually served with arusi maavu rotti ( rice flour pathiri , recipe posted already ) or iddiappam . But can be had as it is as a payasam in the end of any meal

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Ripe Kerala plantain4 cut into 2 inch thick circles
cinnamon1
clove1
ghee2 tablespoons
thick coconut milk1 cup
very thin coconut milk 2 cups
sugarto taste
salta pinch
rice flour1 table spoon heaped

Method

  1. Cook the Kerala plantain in thin coconut milk and salt .
  2. Cook till the plantains are soft but firm . Add sugar to taste and mix well .
  3. Dilute rice flour in the thick coconut milk .
  4. Pour over the cooked Kerala plantains and keep stirring in low flame till it gets to a thick flowing consistency .
  5. Make sure the coconut milk does not curdle . Add water if required , in case it is too thick . Taste and adjust . Remove from heat .
  6. Heat ghee add cinnamon and clove . Pour over the cooked plantains mixture and mix well .
  7. Serve hot with rice flour pathiri ,iddiappam or as a dessert as it is .

Thavana podi

Share Button

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.

Kotthu parota

Share Button

Preparation Time : 40 minutes

Cooking Time : 15 minutes

Serving : 6 to 8 members

Description

A mouth watering dish which i make mainly with left over parota,chapathi or tandori rotis.there was a restaurent opposite our shop called irani .they had a counter in the front which they used to make kotthu parota.the entire place use to have the aroma of kotthu parota.they use to have two flat long spatulas to cut and mix the kotthu parota .a loud noise was made every time they cut the parota in the hot huge tawa.so myself and my brother would call it don don parota as the sound was so .

Ingredients 

Ingredients
Quantity
Parota10 shredded
onion3 big chopped
green chillies3 minced
curry leavesfew minced
coriander leaves2 table spoons (chopped)
ginger1/4 inch piece grated
tomato1 big chopped
chilli powder1 tea spoon
saltto taste
garam masala powder 1/4 tea spoon
pepper powder1/4 Tea spoon
oil4 table spoons
egg2 ( seasoned with salt n pepper and scrambled )
bone less chicken4 table spoon (cooked and shredded )
lime1/2 – a squeez

Method
  1. Heat oil in a non stick kadai . Add onion and sauté till translucent .
  2. Top with green chillies , tomato, curry leaves , half of coriander leaves and ginger . Stir for a minute .
  3. Add chilli powder , salt to taste , pepper powder , garam masala powder and chicken . Mix well .
  4. Add the shredded parota and toss well on medium heat for five minutes until all the flavours infuse together .
  5. Finally add a squeez of lime , coriander leaves and scrambled eggs . Mix well . Taste and adjust .
  6. Serve hot wit onion raitha or tomato sauce .

Panai oolai kozhukattai ( palm leaf kozhukattai )

Share Button

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 15 minutes

Serving : 8 members

Description

This is an authentic dish very own to the southern region of Tamil Nadu mainly in the districts of tirunelveli , tuticorin and kanyakumari . It is served mainly during Thiru karthigai deepam days . The palm trees play an important role in the life of the people of tirunelveli region . As coconut trees are to kerela , palm trees are to tirunelveli . The palm Jaggery is used in many dishes and in medicines too . I first got to know about this dish when my neighbour served me this dish when I dropped in to her place .tirunelveli being home to me for the past 24 years I felt bad that my recipe posts were not mostly based on this region . So today’s post is dedicated to tirunelveli .

Ingredients 

Ingredients
Quantity
Rice flour1 cup
coconut grated1/4 cup
Dry ginger powder1/2 teaspoon
palm jaggery1/2 cup ( boiled in water to get a syrup , can use normal jaggery instead of palm jaggery )
water1/2 cup
cardamom powder1 teaspoon
black sesame seeds1/2 teaspoon
salta pinch
Threadsfew made out of palm leaves
palm leavesfew cut into 6 inch pieces , the middle portion of leaf

Method
  1. Mix rice flour , cardamom powder , coconut grated , dry ginger powder , black sesame seeds and a pinch of salt together in a big bowl .
  2. Strain the palm jaggery syrup and cool to warm . Add the syrup to the rice flour mixture and knead well to get a loose dough ( dough should be a bit more loose than of roti dough ) using little water if needed .
  3. Place little dough in the Center of the cleaned and cut palm leaves .
  4. Tie them on each side with a thread made from the palm leaves .
  5. Do the same with the remaining dough and palm leaves .
  6. Steam them for 10 -15 minutes .
  7. Remove and serve hot or at room temperature .