Kancheepuram Idli

Ingredients (Translation)

1 cup Boiled rice
1 cup raw rice
1 cup blackgram dal
1 tsp cumin seeds
Few curry leaves
Little grated ginger
2 tbsp ghee
1 tsp pepper
A bit of asafoetida
Salt to taste

Soak both the rice and dal together for atleast 2 hours. Grind it to get a coarse batter.

Add salt, asafoetida and allow it to ferment for atleast 8 to 10 hours.

Before making idlis, add the cumin seeds, pepper, finely chopped curry leaves, ginger and ghee.

Steam them in an idli cooker, preferably in a plate. When the idli is done, cut them into pieces and serve with chutneys and sambhar.

Decorative wall hanging/ gift item made from matchsticks
idli variety, how to make kanchipuram idli, kancheepuram idli recipe, how to make idli
Affiliate of 100% microwave cooking, Ideas money, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore, Time Pass

Navratri Celebrations - Golu at Chandigarh

Snaps of golu and soft toys during Navratri at our house in Chandigarh during year 2004. Got this snap now.

Check out other Navratri Special Dishes
golu photo, navratri, navaratri, decorations
Affiliate of 100% microwave cooking, Ideas money, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore, Time Pass

Jevarisi (sabudana) payasam

Ingredients (Translation)

1 cup sago (sabudana, jevarisi)
3/4 cup sugar (adjust as per needs)
Few cashews
1 cup milk
2 tsp ghee

Wash the sago and keep it close for a while. Sprinkle some water in between and keep it closed for about 15-20 minutes.

Heat the ghee, add the cashews. When it starts changing colour, add the sago and some water. Keep mixing it else it will stick to the vessel. Keep adding some water till sago gets cooked.

Add sugar and mix well. Allow it to cool for some time. Add the milk.

Just a thought

sabudana kheer, how to make payasam, sago kheer recipe
Affiliate of 100% microwave cooking, Ideas money, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore, Time Pass

Saffron Cashew Halwa

Ingredients (Translation)

1 cup cashews
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup ghee
1/4 tsp elaichi powder
Few strands of saffron

Soak the cashews in hot water for about 2 hours. Grind to a fine paste.

Soak the saffron in a little milk for some time.

In a nonstick pan, add the paste, sugar, saffron, elaichi powder and mix well. Add the ghee little by little and keep mixing it well. You could even add a pinch of red orange colour if required as i did.

When it starts leaving the sides of the vessel, transfer the contents to a greased bowl. Either you can serve it that way or else, spread them out on a greased plate and cut them into pieces.

This is my entry to Think Spice : Saffron event hosted by Sunita

Tirumala Darshan

saffron, kesar, halwa with kaju, how to make kaju halwa, mundri halwa recipe
Affiliate of

100% microwave cooking, Ideas money, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore, Time Pass

RCI - Festival Cuisine Special

Pongal is a very important festival for the people of Tamilnadu. It falls during mid January and the celebrations are spread over four days.

The first day special food includes vada, payasam, moru kuzhambu and boli.

On the second day Sakkarai Pongal, Ven Pongal, Medhu Vada and Payasam is prepared.

On the third day, varieties of mixed rice like curd rice, tomato rice, puliyogare, aviyal, coconut rice and lemon rice is prepared.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tamil New year falls during mid April and Medhu Vada, Payasam and mango pachadi are the main food items prepared.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Krishnajayanti festival is also known as janmasthami or gokulasthami. It falls during the months of July and August. Various sweets and savouries are prepared. The most important items are butter, sukku vellam, sugiyan, uppu seedai, vella seedai and vada.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ganesh chaturthi or pillaiyar chaturthi celebrates Lord Ganesha's presence on earth for 11 days. It falls during the months of August and September. Kozhakattai, Sundal, Payasam and vada are prepared for this festival.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Navratri festival is spread over 9 days and each day a different kind of sundal is prepared. For saraswati pooja, vada, Payasam and black chick peas sundal is prepared. Here's the recipe for white chick peas sundal and payaru (whole moong) sundal. Check out other navratri related tips and golu snaps here.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Diwali is the festival of lights and various sweets and savouries are prepared apart from vadai, Payasam. Check out sweets and savouries recipes here for diwali.

This is my entry to the RCI-Festival Cuisine event of Viji.

Affiliate of 100% microwave cooking, Ideas money, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore, Time Pass

Payaru (Whole Moong) Kuzhambu

Ingredients (Translation)

1/2 cup whole Moong
1 small cup Red gram dal
¼ tsp Turmeric powder
½ lemon size Tamarind
Sambar powder- 2 tsp
¼ tsp Mustard seeds
¼ tsp Fenugreek
Salt to taste
Asafoetida- a pinch
2 tsp oil
Curry leaves and coriander leaves

Pressure cook whole moong or payaru and red gram dal. Soak tamarind in water and extract the juice.

Heat oil, add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. When it starts spluttering, add the tamarind juice, turmeric powder, sambar powder, salt, curry leaves and asafoetida.

When it starts boiling, add cooked dal and whole moong.

If required add dilute paste of rice flour to make the kuzhambu thick.

You could also use sprouts instead of moong.

how to make sambhar, sambar, whole moong sambar recipe

Affiliate of 100% Microwave Cooking, Ideas money, Time Pass, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore

Veg Burger

Ingredients

Burger Buns
4 Boiled potatoes
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
1/4 tsp Garam masala powder
Salt to taste
2 tsp oil
Cabbage Leaves
Tomato Sauce
Cheese slice
1 small tomato

This is my simple version of veg burger.

Mash the boiled potatoes. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and garam masala powder. Mix well and make big balls and flatten them to make cutlets.

Heat tava, place cutlets on them and add few drops of oil. When it turns golden brown, change sides and cook on other side also.

Cut the burger bun into two pieces. Spread some tomato sauce on both sides. Place the cutlet on the lower half. Spread out the cheese slice. Cut tomatoes into thin slices and place them on the cutlet. Finally place a cabbage leaf on it and cover it with the upper half of the burger bun.

Serve hot with tomato sauce.

how to make burger, vegetable burger recipe
Affiliate of 100% Microwave Cooking, Ideas money, Time Pass, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore

Pesarat Dosa

Ingredients

2 cups Whole Moong (green)
A handful of raw rice
A medium piece of ginger
2 Green chillies
Salt to taste
2 tsp Oil to cook

Soak the moong and rice together for atleast 8 hours.

Grind it along with salt, ginger and green chillies.

Make dosa from the batter, but slightly thicker.

Serve with any chutney, sambhar.

how to make pesrat dosa, pesarat dosa recipe, dosa variety, dosa without fermentation
Affiliate of 100% Microwave Cooking, Ideas money, Time Pass, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore

Sesame Seeds Rice (Ellu hora)

Ingredients (Translation)

1 cup cooked rice

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Black sesame seeds

1 tbsp Gingelly oil

2 tbsp blackgram dal

2 Red chillies

A pinch of asafoetida

Dry roast the sesame seeds. In a little oil, seperately roast the blackgram dal and red chillies. Grind all the three together with asafoetida.

Spread out the rice to cook, add this powder, salt and gingelly oil. Mix lightly.

Elluhora is ready to serve.

These go to PJ for her Think Spice:Think sesame event, the event series about spices started by Sunita

til chawal, how to make ellu rice, yellu rice recipe
Affiliate of 100% Microwave Cooking, Ideas money, Time Pass, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore

Navratri Special Series - Golu at my relative's house

A very elegant arrangement of dolls...click on the snap to see full image

All the Navratri Special Series Posts are my entries to Viji's RCI - Tamil Festival Cuisine and JFS - Dassera event hosted by Vee

golu photos, navaratri, navratri in tamilnadu
Affiliate of 100% Microwave Cooking, Ideas money, Time Pass, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore

Navratri Special Series - Tip 5

Use the leftover sundal as stuffing for parathas.

Just add some ajwain powder, red chilli powder, salt and boiled potatoes if any, mash well and make parathas the usual way.

Enjoy with curd and pickles.

leftover food recipe, sundal

Quick Rava Ladoo

Ingredients (Translation)

1 cup fine rava (dry roasted chiroti rava)
1 cup sugar
Ghee - as per requirement
1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
Few cashews broken into small pieces
Few dry grapes

Grind the rava and sugar together in the mixie to get a fine powder.

Roast the cashews in little ghee and add it to the powder. Add dry grapes and cardamom powder.

Melt ghee (you will require between 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup, depending on how you prefer it) and mix well with the dry powder.

Make small round balls. Quick rava ladoo ready in five minutes flat.

how to make rava ladoo, easy rava ladoo recipe, ladu
Affiliate of 100% Microwave Cooking, Ideas money, Time Pass, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore

Navratri Special Series: Tip 4

Refrigerate the leftover sundal and use it while making sambhar the next day.

Navratri Special : Chick Peas (Kabuli Channa) Sundal

Ingredients (Translation)

1 cup chick peas
2 tbsp masala powder
4 tbsp grated coconut
Salt to taste
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp bengalgram dal
1/2 tsp blackgram dal
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Soak the chick peas overnight and pressure cook to make it soft.

Grind the coconut and masala powder together.

Heat oil, add mustard seeds, bengalgram dal and black gram dal. When it starts spluttering, add the cooked chick peas, turmeric powder, salt and masala powder.

Mix well.

chick peas recipe, how to make sundal for navaratri, navratri

Affiliate of 100% Microwave Cooking, Ideas money, Time Pass, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore

Navratri Special Series- Another golu, Kolams and Sundal

View individual rangolis Here... one for Goddess Laxmi, one for Goddess Saraswati and one for Goddess Durga.

Whole Moong Sundal recipe in microwave here ......

Affiliate of 100% Microwave Cooking, Ideas money, Time Pass, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore

Navratri Special Series-Tip 3

Chaat......with leftover sundal is the tip 3 of the season

Ingredients (Translation)

Leftover sundal
1 small lemon size tamarind
1/2 tsp cumin seeds powder
1/2 tsp coriander seeds powder
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp oil
Salt to taste
Sweet chutney
Green chutney
Nylon sev

1 Grated carrot
Finely chopped tomatoes, onions and coriander leaves for garnishing

Heat oil and add cumin seeds. When it starts spluttering add the leftover sundal and tamarind juice to give it a gravy consistency.

Add the red chilli powder, cumin seeds powder, coriander seeds powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder and salt. Remember to adjust salt as the sundal already has some.

When it boils to become a little thick, transfer to serving bowl.

Add the finely chopped tomatoes, onions, carrot, sweet chutney, green chutney and nylon sev as per individual taste.

Serve hot.

The majestic Shivanasamudram Falls

how to make chaat, easy chat recipe
Affiliate of 100% Microwave Cooking, Ideas money, Time Pass, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore

Navratri Special Series -Tips 2

Wondering what to do with the excess sundal that you made expecting more guests who finally did not turn up-

Here is the special leftover tip-

For almost all the varieties of sundals --

Ingredients (Translation)

Leftover Sundal

1 big tomato

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ghee

1/2 tsp cumin seeds powder

1/2 tsp coriander seeds powder

A bit of ginger

Salt to taste

Finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Grind tomato along with ginger, cumin seeds powder, coriander seeds powder. Add salt and cook on low flame for five minutes. Add the leftover sundal.

Heat a little ghee and add some cumin seeds. When it splutters, add it to the paste and cook on medium flame till everything gets well mixed.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with hot chapatis or rice.

Please dont wonder why i am not posting the snap.....no leftover sundal for me today :)

Watch out the space tommorrow for the next interesting tip to utilise leftover sundal.

The majestic Shivanasamudram Falls

Affiliate of 100% Microwave Cooking, Ideas money, Time Pass, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore

Navratri Special Series- Tips 1

Navratri is here and all of us make sundal at home.

Make this masala powder at once for the entire Navratri festival and store it in an airtight container. All you have to do daily is to cook the sundal first with salt, curry leaves and asafoetida and then add this masala powder to it after grinding it with some coconut.

All your sundals will definetely taste great and different too....

Ingredients for the masala powder (Translation)

1 portion of bengalgram dal
1 portion of blackgram dal
1 portion of coriander seeds
Proportionate quantity of red chillies as per taste

Roast all of them without oil till colour changes, cool them and grind to a coarse powder.

Dont worry if you end up with more powder, you can always add them to the vegetables you prepare daily.

Affiliate of 100% Microwave Cooking, Ideas money, Time Pass, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore

Navratri Special Series- Payathamparuppu (Green gram Dal) Payasam

Navratri Festival starts today and Payathamparuppu or Green gram dal payasam is the dish of the day...





Ingredients (Translation)

1 cup Green gram dal
2 tbsp Bengalgram dal
3/4 cup grated jaggery
1/4 tsp Cardamom powder
Few cashews and raisins
2 tbsp Ghee

Roast the cashews and raisins in ghee and keep them aside.

Cook both the dals together with adequate water. Once cooked, add the jaggery to it and stir well

When it mixes well with the dals, add the dryfruits and cardamom powder

Tasty and easy to make payasam is ready

Add some hot milk before serving.
green gram dal kheer, how to make payasam, kheer recipe
Affiliate of 100% Microwave Cooking, Ideas money, Time Pass, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore

Vazhapoo (Banana Flower) Thuvaiyal

Ingredients (Translation)

1 small banana flower
2 tbsp blackgram dal
1/2 tbsp bengalgram dal
3 Red chillies (add more if required)
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
Salt to taste

Dry roast the dals and red chillies.

Remove the thread inside each banana flower petal and cook with little water for about 10 minutes. Allow it to cool.

Grind it along with asafoetida and salt to get a coarse paste. Add water if required.

This goes well with rice and can also be a good substitute for the normal chutneys for dosas and idlis.

Although it would be slightly bitter in taste, it is very good for health.
thuvaiyal with banana flower, how to make thuvaiyal, vazhapoo recipes
Affiliate of 100% Microwave Cooking, Ideas money, Time Pass, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore

Hot Crispy Jalebis

Ingredients (Translation)

1 cup Maida
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp Rice flour
1/2 cup Curd
Oil to fry
Lemon Yellow Colour-a pinch

For sugar syrup

1 1/2 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Water

Mix maida, baking powder, rice flour, lemon yellow colour and curd well. The batter should be of drop-down consistency. If required add little water.

Make a cone using some thick plastic sheet like that of milk covers.

Mix the sugar and water and heat it to get a sticky syrup.

Add the batter to the cone and make jalebis directly in hot oil.

Turn to get golden brown colour on both sides. Remove and directly put it into the sugar syrup and let it soak in it for about a minute.

Remove and serve hot.

It tastes good even with a scoop of icecream.

100th post on Personal Finance Blog

100th Post of Easycrafts

how to make jalebis, jilebi recipe, crisp jalebis at home
Affiliate of 100% Microwave Cooking, Ideas money, Time Pass, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore

Colacasia Roast

Ingredients (Translation)

1/2 kg Colacasia
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Red chilli powder
Salt to taste
A bit of asafoetida
3-4 tbsp oil

For first version only-

1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1/2 tsp bengalgram dal
1/2 tsp blackgram dal
1 Big spoon Bengalgram flour
2 tsp Rice flour

Pressure cook Colacasia and remove the skin. Cut into medium sized pieces.

Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and asafoetida to it and mix well.

Now there are two versions to follow-

First version:

Add the bengalgram flour and rice flour to the colacasia and deep fry them. This consumes more oil.

Second Version:

Heat the oil, add some mustard seeds, bengalgram dal and blackgram dal. When it starts spluttering, add the colacasia (mixed with spices) and cook covered for some time. Keep mixing it well in between. In about 10 minutes, you will get the roasted look.

You could also add a little bit of tamarind paste to the second version to give it a tangy taste.

This goes very well with rice varieties.
chepankazhugu roast, how to make colacassia fry, colacasia recipes
Affiliate of 100% Microwave Cooking, Ideas money, Time Pass, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore

Simple Indian Food

Simple Indian Food is now a part of the growing Food Blogroll of Queen.

It helps me to connect to other food bloggers throughout the world.

Karuvaipalai (Curry Leaves) Podi

Ingredients (Translation)

Curry Leaves- A big bunch
2 tbsp Blackgram dal
2 tbsp redgram dal
2 Red chillies
A bit of asafoetida
Salt to taste

Wash the curry leaves and dry them well.

Roast the dals and red chillies and grind to a coarse powder. Add the curry leaves, salt and asafoetida and grind well again to get coarse powder.

Mix with rice and serve. It is very nutritious too.

Alternatively you can even omit the red chillies, salt and asafoetida, grind the rest and use it for everyday cooking. This way you can make sure that curry leaves is consumed as many people tend to remove it from food.

Sending this over to Roma for her Long Live the shelf event.

how to make curry leaves powder, podi to mix with rice recipes
Affiliate of 100% Microwave Cooking, Ideas money, Time Pass, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore

Carrot-Peas Masala

Ingredients (Translation)

4 boiled carrots (cut into little long pieces)
1/2 cup boiled peas
1 Tomato
Small piece of ginger
1/2 tsp cumin seeds powder
1/2 tsp coriander seeds powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
Finely chopped coriander leaves to garnish


Grind the tomato and ginger to a fine paste.

Heat oil, add cumin seeds. Add the tomato paste, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin seeds powder, coriander seeds powder and garam masala and allow it to cook for five minutes.

Add the boiled carrots and peas and bring it to a boil. If the gravy is very thick, add some water and if it is too watery, add a paste of bengalgram dal powder and water and stir well.

Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve with chapatis and puris.

The tangy taste of tomato and sweetness of peas and carrot make a unique combination.

Ramanuja and Tondanur

how to make carrot-peas side dish for chapatis, rotis, north indian side dish recipe

Affiliate of 100% Microwave Cooking, Ideas money, Time Pass, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore

Coconut (Thengai) Thuvaiyal

Ingredients (Translation)

1/2 coconut (scraped)
2 tbsp blackgram dal
1/2 tbsp bengalgram dal
3 Red chillies (add more if required)
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
Salt to taste

Dry roast the dals and red chillies.

Grind it along with coconut, asafoetida and salt to get a coarse paste.

This goes very well with rice and can also be a good substitute for the normal chutneys for dosas and idlis.
coconut side dish, how to make thuvaiyal, recipe for mixing with rice

Affiliate of 100% Microwave Cooking, Ideas money, Time Pass, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore

Quick Tomato Rice and Potato Curry

This is an easy recipe that can be made in a jiffy and makes a good packed lunch too.

Ingredients: (Translation)

Cooked Rice- 1 cup

Tomatoes- 4 (Medium sized)
Onions -1 chopped

Green Chillies- 1(slit in-between)

Oil- 1-2 spoons

Mustard seeds-1/2 spoon

Udad Dal- 1/2 spoon

Chana Dal-1/2 spoon

Asafotedia

Chilly powder-as per taste

Coriander leaves- 1-2 spoons (finely chopped)

Salt to taste

Grind the tomatoes to a fine paste in the blender. Heat a spoon of oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds splutter, add both the dals and green chilly and fry and add asafotedia. Add onions and fry for 2 mins. Add the tomato paste and salt to taste. Let the paste cook for some time till the raw smell disappears. By this time, the paste would have turned thick and become bright red in colour. Add chilly powder if required. Cool the paste.

Spread the cooked rice on a plate and add a spoon of oil to the rice and mix well. Add salt as per the quantity of rice. Next mix in the tomato paste and adjust the salt/spicy flavors. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Potato Curry

Ingredients: (Translation)
Potatoes- 4 (Medium sized)
Oil- 1-2 spoons
Mustard seeds-1/2 spoon
Udad Dal- 1/2 spoon
Chana Dal-1/2 spoon
Asafotedia
Chilly powder-as per taste
Jeera Powder-1/2 spoon

Garam Masala-1/2 spoon

Coriander leaves- 1-2 spoons (finely chopped)
Salt to taste

Wash the potatoes, cut into small pieces (without peeling the skin) and put the same in water. Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, both dals and asafotedia. Take fistfuls of cut potatoes in your hand, squeeze the excess water and add in the kadai. Add salt and masala powders and mix well. You will notice that some water is present in the kadai inspite of squeezing off the same from the potatoes. Cover the kadai with a lid and cook for sometime. As the potatoes are cut into small pieces, they will get cooked soon, so keep checking frequently. When the potatoes are cooked and the water has evaporated, garnish with coriander leaves and serve. This curry gets ready in a short time.

how to make tomato rice, thakali saadam recipe, potato side dish
Affiliate of 100% Microwave Cooking, Ideas money, Time Pass, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore

Pulippu Kootu

Ingredients (Translation)

Boiled Vegetables like potato, carrot, peas, beans, plantain, yam, sweet potato
A small piece of tamarind soaked in water
Salt to taste
Few Curry Leaves
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
2 tbsp Oil

For Masala
2 tsp bengalgram dal
1 tsp coriander seeds
4 Red chillies
3 tbsp grated coconut

Roast the masala ingredients and grind it to a fine paste using water.

Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When it starts spluttering, add turmeric powder, curry leaves and tamarind juice.

Allow it to boil. Add the boiled vegetables. If too thick add some water.

Add salt and asafoetida and allow it to boil.

It should be a bit thick consistency. If very watery, add some rice flour paste to the kootu.

Serve with rice or chapatis.
kootu recipe, how to make puli kootu, side dish for rice
Affiliate of 100% Microwave Cooking, Ideas money, Time Pass, Inspirations for life, Easy crafts, Earn a Crore