Spinach Kootu

Happy New Year to you all!I am starting this year with a very simple recepie.
Kootu is one of the fundamentals of Tamil cooking...Whenever if you go to any parties/Marriages you will see this kootu..Everyone will have thier own recepie of making kootu..Mine is little time consuming but the end result will make no one resist to eating it..I love Spinach,I think I said it in many post..But thats true not only Spinach all the green Leafy vegetables..You can have this with either rice/chappathi.

Thing you Need

1.spinach- 1 bag
2.toor dhal/Moong dhal-3/4 cup
3.turmeric-1/2 tsp
4.salt
5.oil-1/2 tbsp
6.mustard seeds-1 tsp
7.zeera-1tsp
8.dry chillies-2-4(split it into half)
9.shredded coconut-1 tbsp(optional)
10.shallots/small onion-3(finely chopped)
11.garlic-1 pod(finely chopped)

Recepie

Cook and Mash the dhal along with salt and turmeric and keep it aside.

Cook the Spinach in a microwave high for 8-10 min with very little water.(by cooking the spinach in the microwave it will retains its color and freshness).

In a kadai add some oil and add the mustard,zeera,drychillies,garlic,shallots fry it for few mnts.

Add the Mashed dhal and spinach with the water then close the lid and cook it in a medium flame for just 2 mnts.

If you want you can finally top it of with the shredded coconut.

Okra in buttermilk gravy(Vendakkai morkulambu)

I always need onion and tomato to cook..Whenever I start cooking my first step is cutting the onion..If I dont have onion/tomato in pantry/refridgerator I feel like like there is nothing to cook.At those time morkulambu is one of my saviour,it doesnt require onion/tomato.You can add vegetables like white pumkin/arvi to this gravy..Even carrot is good.This gravy is tamilnadu speciality..This goes well with the rice,you dont even need any side dish just a pickle will work good..

You need
Dhania-1/2 tbsp
chana dhal-1 tbsp
toor dhal-1 tbsp
Salt
curd-2 cups
turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

To Grind
Green chillies-4(small)
Ginger- a small piece
cumin-1 tsp
Coconut-2 tbsp


For tempering

mustard seeds-1/2tsp
Cumin-1/2 tsp
Dry chillies-2
Curry leaves
oil-2tsp

Method

Soak the Dhal and dhania in water for 30 minutes and grind it along with the ingridient given under the grinding section

Beat the curd well with water and add the grided mixture to it.

In a kadai fry the okra until it slightly turns slightly brown,now add the curd mixture to it and add salt and turmeric powder

Boil the mixture until the bubbles comes out switch off the stove,and tempered it..


Viola your morkulambu is ready...Enjoy it with Hot rice and hot pickle...

Onion and Tomato chutney

This is my throwdown recepie.Actually I got this recepie from my hubby,He made it for my birthday,all of my friends over here started loveing it.All south indians especially tamilians will crave for this chutney with soft idlis.This is very easy to prepare and it will be good for 3-4 days when you store it in a refrigerator.I have used the round(fat) dry chillies,which we used in most of the madurai style cooking.As this chillie is very hot you can add either two/three is enough.Some of my friends tried this recepie,but they said its very hard for them to replicate same color,texture and taste as mine,so thats why I called it as my throwdown recepie.

You need
Onion-2(medium roughly chopped)
Tomato-2(medium roughly chopped)
Dry chillies-3
Garlic-1 cloves
Ginger- same size as garlic
Mustard seeds-1 tsp
Urad dhal-1 tsp
Channna dhal-2 tsp
Oil-1 tbsp

Method:

Heat the oil in the kadai add the mustard seeds,urad dhal,channa dhaland dry chillies and fry it until it is sligthly brown(dont turn it into black/dont pass to next step until is golden brown)

Add the onion,garlic,ginger fry it until itis translucent and then add the tomatoes and fry it for few mnts,no need to fry it like paste.

cool little bit and grind it.

Enjoy!!

Hema pass this award to me,thanks a lot Hema.

Asparagus venthaiya kulambu

This venthaiya kulambu is the base,venthaiyam is actually methi/fenugreek seed. I tried adding different vegetables like brocolli,brussel sprouts to it.This time I tried it with asparagus,it was good.This ventaiya kulambu is senthil favorite.Whenever I am making this curry I will make little bit more rice orelse we will run out of rice. Any poriyal or kootu goes well with this along with some rice.

You need:

1.Asparagus - 9(cut into medium pieces)

2.onion-1(big dice into small pieces)

3.tomato-2(small finely diced)

4.Tamrind-lemon size(soak it in hot water and make the extract)

5.garlic-2pods(finely chopped)

6.oil-2 tbsp

7.sambar powder-2 tbsp

for tempering

1.mustard seeds-1/2 tsp

2.cumin seeds-1/2 tsp

3.fenugreek seed-1/4 tsp

4.curry leaves-a lil

5.asofedetia-a lil

To grind

1.coconut-3 tbsp

2.shallots-2

3.garlic-1 pod

4.dry chillies-2

5.fenugreek seeds-1/2 tsp

Method:

1.In a medium size pot add the oil add the items for temering when it started spluttering add the garlic and onion.when it is translucent add the tomato.

2.When it is nicely fried add the sambar powder and lower the flame.

3.when the oil started oozes out add the asparagus and add the tamrind extract.

4.when the asparagus fully cooked.(cook it lil bit tender not mushy).add the grinded mixture and some salt and water.

5.let it boil for few minutes in high flame.

6.when it reaches the desired consistency switch off and add some heated sesame oil(optional).

Serve it with rice!!Enjoy!!

Egg kothu parotta

This is one of madurai special,when you see some of the busy streets in madurai you can notice a lot of parotta masters making some music by preparing this parotta ..you know with the metal spoons..Actually you dont need any side dish for this parotta..if you feel its spicy you can have some raita..I didnt use any chalna in this..Actual recepie will use some chalna...I want mine to be lil dry..

You need:

1.parotta -4 (shredded finally using hands)
2.onion-1 big(finely diced)
3.tomato-1+1/2 (finely chopped)
4.green chilli-3(finely chopped)
5.egg-2
6.chilli powder-1tsp
7.turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
8.oil-2tbsp
9.mustard-1/2 tsp
10.zeera seeds-1/2 tsp
11.curry leaves-2 stalk
12.coriander leaves for garnishing
13.ginger and garlic paste-1 tsp

Method

1.In a skillet add oil when it is hot add the mustard,curry leaves and zeera seeds.
2.Add onion fry it until it turns lil brown add the g&g paste tomato and green chilles .
3.Add the chillie poder and turmeric powder
4.add the egg at this stage turn stove to low flame,orelse the egg will stick to the bottom immidiately and creates a eggy smell..
5.Add the parotta and toss well and close the lid in a low flame for few minuts
6.finally garnish it with coriander leaves..

Enjoy!!

Madurai style pepper chicken

This madurai style pepper chicken is soo tasty...its a party pleaser,you can have it with chappathi or with parotta.the main flavor for this dish actually comes from the dry red chillies and curry leaves..offcourse from pepper too..My hubby loves this as side for beer...Try it you will love it..

you need:

chicken thighs-1 lb(cut into desired sizes preferrably small)

onion-1 big(cut into very small pices)

tomato-1 big(cut into versmall pieces)

curry leaves-2 stalk

dry chillies-3(broken it into three pices)

curd-2 tbsp

lemon juice-1 tbsp

sambarpowder/kulambu powder-2tbsp

pepper powder-1tsp

ginger garlic paste-1tsp

oil-2tbsp

pepper seeds &zeera for seasoning.

Method

1.Marinate the chicken with curd and lemon juice, ginger garlic paste and 1 tbsp of sambar powder/kulambu powder for 1 hour

2.heat the oil in the pressure pan add pepper seed and zeera seed,curry leaves and dry chillies.

3.add the onion when it is transparent add the tomato fry until it becomes like paste and then add the sambar powder.

when the oil seperates add the chicken and fry it for 4 mnts

4.add some water close the lid and give two whistles and swith off the stoves

5.when the pressure goes off sitch on the stove let it boil till the water completely evaporates finally add the pepper pwder garnish with coriander leaves..

Enjoy it with some drinks!!

keerai kadanchathu and vatha kulambu combo

This is one of my favorite combo.when you see this you feel like you have to add kulambu to the rice and keerai kadanchathu as a side right...but thats not the perfect combo actually add the keerai kadanchathu to the rice and the vathal kulambu as the side is the perfect combo...you can also have this vatha kulambu as a side for the thick homemade curd rice..I like both the manathakali vathal and sundakai vathal..so I will add both the vathal to the kulambu...I like the rice lil bit overcooked for this combo..For me this is one of my comfort food...

Keerai kadanchathu

you need:

1.baby spinach-3 cups

2.garlic pods-1

3.tamrind- a pinch

4.salt as per taste

for tempering:

1.mustard-1/4 tsp

2.urid dhal-1/4 tsp

3.dry chillies-3

4.shallots-2(chopped finely)

5.oil-1/2 tbsp

Method:

1.Boil the baby spinach and garlic pods with water in microwave for 8 minutes.

2.mash well using blender along with salt and tamrind.

3.In the Kadai add the items for tempering then add the blended spinach mix.let it boil for two minutes.

Vatha Kulambu:

you need:

1.onion-1(big finely chopped)

2.tomato-1+1/2(small finely chopped)

3.tamrind-extract from big lemon size.

4.manathakali vathal-1 tbsp

5.sundakai vathal-1 tbsp

6.sambar powder-3 tsp

for tempering

1.ginely oil-2+1/2 tbsp

2.mustard-1/2 tsp

3.zeera-1/2tsp

4.asofedetia

5.curry leaves

6.fenugreek seed-1/4 tsp

Method:

In a heavy bottom vessel add the 2 tbsp of oil add the the items for tempering.

Add the onion fry it until it is transparent.Then add the tomato fry it until it completly became a paste .

Add the sambar powder and salt.when the oil seperates add the tamrind extract and salt and some water let it boil for 5 mnts.

In the mean time add the the 1/2 tbsp of oil in a small kadai add the vathals when it splutters the add the vathal to the kulambu..

Finally add some asofedata to the kulambu and immidiately close it with the lid(so that the flavor gets locked up)

your kulambu is ready..

enjoy both of these dishes with hot rice and papadam...

Shallots/chinna vengayam uthappam

I think people from tamilnadu knows about murugan idly shop.Did anybody know wher its orgin its Madurai.I know this shop when I was kid.My dad take us to this very small shop which is like little bit bigger than the roadside restaurant .by saying he usually have his fourth meal(late night meal) in this shop while in his college days.He said that this shop is still same.they usually give like very very spongy idly..with four different chutneys..Those idly is not just like the idly you usally have it in the restaurants..these idly are more than the home made idllies...these shops can hold min 8-10 people...I am saying this situation some 10 years ago...but now this shops was everywhere even some outside india...I am so happy that one of my fav restaurant came up to this level...I am waiting for them to open a branch in newjersey...

My all time fav in this restaurant is shallots uthappam...I will get one dollop of butter on top of my uthappam...some idly podi with sesame oil...they will four different chutney with it...not the regular onion or coconut chutney... those are very different..but all of them are finger licking good.Here comes my shaloots uthappam.

you need:

1.Idly rice(preferred)/pulingal rice-4 cup

2.whole urad dhall-1 cup

3.fenugreek-1 tbsp

4.salt-as per taste

5.pearl onion/shallots-8

Method:

Soak the rice and the urad dhall along with the fenugreek seed seperately for 5 hrs.

Gring them seperately and mix it together and add salt.you need mix it very nicely with your hands only for atleast 3 min.

Set aside for whole night let it ferment.you need 12 hours to ferment in cold weather.

Heat the tava add a ladder of batter to it lightly spread it.

add the peral onion immidiately.add oil and cover it.

once it is cooked.turn the dosa. and cook it for 1 min.

Thats it... your pearl onion uthappam is ready....

Egg salna for parotta

Salna is very famous in the road side restaurants alais kai endhi bhavan in madurai. The days still I can remember while I used to travel in the weekends from from my college which is in thirunelveli to madurai my hometown usually I will reach madurai at night I can see lot of road side restaurants with this salna.Eventhough guys if you are not in a mood to eat,whenever you feel aroma from these restaurants you will immitidately feel like ..I want to eat...Ok I cant able to reproduce the exact same taste which we usually have in madurai..but I am sure this will somehow near to it.

you need:

boiled eggs -4

onion-2(medium finely chopped)

tomato-2(medium finely chopped)

green chilli-3(slited lengthwise)

sambar powder-2 1/2 tsp

oil-2 tbsp

ghee 1 tbsp

ginger&garlic paste-1tbsp

for tempering:

cinnamon-1/2 inch piece

fennel seed-1/4 tsp

elaichi-1

anistar-1

bay leaves-2

To grind:

coconut-1/4 cup

cashews-1 tbsp

Procedure:

In a deep skillet add one teaspoon of oil and ghee add thetempering items.

when they turn brown add onion when it turns lil brown add tomatoes and green chilli,and finally add some ginger and garlic paste.

add the sambar powder and salt.when the oil seperates add the grinded masala and one cup of water.let it boil for some minutes.add the remaining oil while it was boiling.

finally add some coriander leaves and the boiled eggs.you cut the eggs into half or make some holes in whole egg using fork and add to it.let it stand for 2 min.

viola your salna is ready!!!