Sambar-TamilNadu Style

This Sambar recipe is one of the most loved dishes in South Indian cuisine. It accompanies most every meal. In South India, there are variations to this sambar recipe, but this is the o

Ingredients:
1 cup Toor Dal (or red lentils)
1/2 lime sized ball Tamarind
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
2 teaspoons oil
Salt to taste
5 small dry red chilies (or to taste)
8 Curry Leaves
1 medium onion
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida (optional)
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 large tomato
2 tablespoons sambar powder
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
1 large drum stick
Method:

Soak the tamarind in 1 cup water for 20 minutes. Squeeze it out, adding water little by little to prepare 1 cup of juice.
Choose a heavy cooking pot. Wash and clean the dal. Boil 2 cups of water and add the dal, turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon of oil. As the dal boils, skim off the foam and discard. Boil until the dal is soft and then mash it coarsely. If needed, add more water as it is boiling but do not let it get too watery. If you use a pressure cooker it will take about 5 minutes.
In a separate pan, heat to medium and pour in the remaining oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chilies, mustard seeds, fenugreek and curry leaves and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the onion ,tomatos and drumstick pieces let them cook Add the tamarind extract and let boil lightly . Add this mixture to the dal with asafoetida,  and sambar powder. Allow this to boil for 5 to 10 minutes and remove from the heat. Garnish with coriander leaves
Sambar Powder:
High quality Sambar powders can be bought pre-mixed at the store. If you do not have that available you can make it yourself by adding the following ingredients:
1/2 cups coriander seeds
1/2 cups red chilies (or to taste)
1/8 cup Bengal gram
1 Tbsp. cumin seeds
1 Tbsp. pepper corn
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tbsp raw rice
1/2 tsp. Turmeric powder
Traditionally, these ingredients would be roast in dry kadai separately and ground and stored. Use pre-ground if you desire.

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If you want happy skin, cucumber is your answer


Cucumber beauty tips:


Puffy Eyes.. Just lie down, relax, and place a thick pack of grated cucumber over each eye. The coolness of the cucumber will sooth your eyes, ...

Facial Toner:grate cucumber with hand vegetable grater 1/2 cup, refrigerate for 15min.keep cotton balls into ears,lie down&relax,just put a thick pack of the grated cucumber with the juice&relax for 30mins.  

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai

Months

Pappula podi (Putnala podi) ,Vorchakadalai podi.Spicey ChickPea Powder.

Paruppu Podi/Pappula Podi an authentic Andhra delicacy,termed as Parrupu podi in Tamil and Pappula Podi in Telugu.Bascially a dry powder that's prepared using chickpea /dalia ,which acts as a major ingredient and few other spices.In some parts of Andhra this is also called gunpowder. We add it to season the curries and also to prepare chutneys and to spread on dosas, idly, pongal and upma. Pappula Podi not only spicey but also adds a mild sweetness to the preparation.  If you are used to tur dhal &gram flour preparations, try this one instead. You will be delighted.

Ingrediants:
1 cup - Pappulu
6 to 8 - dried red chillies
½ tsp- salt or to taste
4 garlic cloves

Method:

Take pappulu, chillies,  garlic and salt in a clean and dry mixer jar or food processor. Grind to fine powder. This is a dry preparation and do not add water. Store the powder in a clean, dry, airtight container. This will stay fresh as long as it remains dry.

The following are the most common ways you can relish the Pappula Podi:
* Add  Podi to  cooked rice. Add a teaspoon of ghee. Mix and make small rounds.Eat.
* Add a tablespoon of Podi to cooked rice and dal (tomato or spinach etc). Add a teaspoon of ghee. Mix and eat.
* Prepare dosas and spread the pappula Podi on the dosa for podi Dosa.....very tasty!!!
* coat the Idly, Upma and pongal morsels in Pappula Podi, and eat.

*  add pappula Podi to vegetable curries. Cabbage, bell pepper, green beans, with these vegetables taste great spiced with pappula Podi. sprinkle one tablespoon of this powder before turning off the heat.

pappula podi chutney:
 Add roasted onion, garlic and few branches of fresh coriander leaves to Pappula Podi, along with about half glass of water. Grind to smooth to make an instant chutney.

Instant pappula podi chutney:
mix pappula podi with curd and make it to a chutney consistensy it tastes good with chapathi,dosa,idly.....yummy........

Tip:in a dry kadai slightly heat the pappulu&red chillies.to get a very fine dry powder.

Wheat Rava upma.

Even though Wheat Rava upma is very easy to prepare, there is no compromise in its taste. Its melt-in-the-mouth, soft texture and the great aromas will be a great treat to your taste buds. The dish tastes best when it is served hot.So don’t miss this one out  Its a true South-India dish.

                                                                 

Wheat Rava Upma Ingredients :

WheatRava : 1 cup
Channa dal : 1 tsp
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
Green chillies : 2-3
Onions (chopped) : 1/2 cup
Curry leaves : 1 strand
Coriander leaves (chopped) :2tsp
Oil : 2 tbs
Water : 2 1/2 cup
Salt to taste


Preparation Method :Place a pan on the stove and heat the oil
Add mustard seeds,  channa dal  fry til golden brown, Be careful here as the mustard seeds start to splutter as soon as they are dropped in oil.To this, add chopped green chillies and fry for another minute.Now, add chopped onions and fry it till the onions start turning transperent. , add water ,salt and let the mixture boil for 5 more minutes (approx.). Now add the wheat rava  to this liquid  mixture and start stirring briskly. Also make sure that no lumps are formed during the stirring process.Cover the vessel with a lid for about 6-8 minutes or till it is fully cooked. Next, reduce the flame and add the chopped coriander leaves and some curry leaves and mix it a little. Turn off the flame.
 Rava upma is ready. Serve hot with pappula podi(paruppu podi)&lime,chutney or sugar.

optional:if required add finely sliced tomatos, fresh green peas,carrots cut into small cubes,french beans cut into small pieces to the oil after adding onions.&follow the same procedure after that. 

 

Tip:this recipe is highly recommended for diabetic patient&diet concious people.                                                                                                       

Egg with Spicy Coconut Masala

A.P Special Egg Fry with Coconut Masala is a  Spicy dish with the real taste of fresh coconut. Shallow Fried masala topped with cooked eggs always gives a different aroma& flavour.

Ingredients

eggs:3 boil in water and remove the outer cover
fresh coconut:1/4 cup sliced
chickpea:1tbs
chilli powder:3 tbs
turmeric powder:1/2 tsp
ginger:1/2"
garlic:6 flakes
coriender leaves:1tbs
salt as required.

Method:
Grind all ingredients with little water in a mixer.Make a very fine paste,cut the boiled eggs into two apply a thick paste to the inner side of the egg(do not remove the yolk),add oil to thava heat it,arrange the inner side of the egg with the paste on to the thava,shallow fry till the masala truns golden brown in sim flame with good aroma...served as a side dish with white rice,sambar,rasam,curd.....

Tip: boil eggs in a pressure cooker for one whistle, to get soft&tender eggs.

   

Raw Banana-Shallow fry in least oil

Raw Banana shallow Fry in least oil,Instant Simple side dish with least ingredients. My grandmom's recipe which helps me when i feel lazy to cook a long menu.

Ingredients:
Raw banana 2

red chilly powder 1 tbs
turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
tamarind pulp 1 tbs
salt as per taste
oil- 3 tbs
Method:

1. Wash  raw banana and cut it into round circles

2. Boil these circles in a bowl by adding salt and turmeric
3. When the raw banana circless are cooked, drain the water and keep them aside.
4.Mix tamarind pulp,salt,red chilly powderit to a thick paste and soak the circles in it for 10min
5.Take tava and add oil. Let it heat up and arrange all the banana circles.
6. fry till the circles turns golden brown on both the sides.
7. Serve hot with plain white rice,sambar or rasam.
Tips:

Raw banana should not be ripen as it will not be nice to cook.
Bananas must be soaked in water before boiling because it will become dark in colour if kept outside after peeling the skin.
Boiled banana circles can be refrigeriated for two days when stored in air tight container..