Ami kozakottai

This is a recipe that is normally made with leftover dough during Ganesh Chaturti. I made it for lunch and loved it.

3/4 cup rice flour

Salt to taste 

1 cup water 

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

A pinch of hing

Cooking oil

Method:

Bring the water to boil. Add salt and let it dissolve. Reduce the flame. 

Carefully add the rice flour, stirring continuously so no lumps are formed. Cook till the mixture comes together and starts leaving the side of the vessel. 

Cool. Knead it for a minute or two. Roll into marble sized balls (I got about 25). 

Grease a steaming plate and place the balls on it. Steam for 7 to 10 minutes. 

Heat about 1 tbsp oil. Add mustard seeds, and when they stop spluttering, add hing and curry leaves. 

Add the steamed balls and toss around for a minute. 

Serve hot. 

Karupillai tohayal/ curry leaves chutney

We have a virtual forest of curry leaf plants in the backyard, and I asked my mother what I could do with them. After expressing her jealousy in no uncertain terms, she gave me this traditional recipe.

1 cup curry leaves (tight packed)

2 tbsp urad dal

1 tsp mustard seeds

2 red chillis

3 pods garlic 

2 lemon sized ball tamarind

1 tsp cooking oil

Method:

Heat the oil, add mustard seeds and wait till they stop spluttering. 

Add garlic, chilli and urad dal and sauté till it turns brown

Add curry leaves and fry lightly (you can skip this if you like the taste of raw curry leaves)

Grind with tamarind, salt and a little water. 

Serve with dosa or use as a sandwich spread. 

Tomato rice- Tamilian meets Continental

Just before we were leaving Bombay, my sons' friend threw them a party, where he cooked himself. The main dish was what my son called tomato rice, and I decided to rustle it up for lunch today. Ideally, I would have used fresh basil, but since the only herbs I have is kaddipatta, it became a fusion dish. With potato wafers, it was quite a tasty dish.

1 cup rice soaked

3 large tomatoes

4 pods garlic

Kaddipatta

1 tsp paprika powder

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Oil 

Salt to taste

3 tbdp grated cheese

Method:

Heat 2 tsp oil, splitter the mustard seeds. 

Add garlic and sauté till browned

Add kaddipatta and tomatoes and sauté till mushy. Add paprika powder and mix well. 

Add soaked rice and double the quantity of water and salt to taste. Cover and let it cook till rice is done. 

Add half the grated cheese and mix well. Sprinkle the other half over the dish and grill in an oven for 2-3 minutes. 

Kosimbir- with green mangoes

Kosimbir was often made at my place, and come summer and I start making it for myself. This is a slight variation on the old favourite, with green mango slices for the sour taste.

1 cup split moong dal
1 cucumber
1/2 green mango
salt to taste

For tempering (optional)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 green chilli
1 sprig curry leaves
a little cooking oil


Method
Soak the split moong dal overnight (or at least for 4 hours)
Cut the cucumber and the mango into tiny pieces and mix well with the dal
Add salt to taste, and mix well
If you like, you can make the tempering and pour it over the kosimbir, or you can avoid it with no change in taste.
Serve chilled, either as a stand alone snack, or with rotis.

Sambar- with sambar powder

While in most ways, I am a rebel, in some ways I am a purist. Sambar, for me, has to be the traditional aracha vitta sambar. But the other day, while cleaning the freezer, I came across a bottle of really good sambar powder, and decided to use it to make sambar.

1 cup tur dal
250 gms small onions, peeled*
2 cloves garlic - crushed lightly with the peels
1 lime sized ball of tamarind
1.5 tbsp sambar powder
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp haldi powder
A pinch of hing
1 tsp jaggery
Salt to taste

For tempering:
2-3 tbsp oil
2 to 3 dry red chillies
1 tsp mustard seeds/rai
1/2 tsp methi seeds
A pinch of hing
1 sprig curry leaves

Method:
Heat 1/2 cup water, and soak the tamarind for 30 minutes. Squeeze out the pulp and discard the tamarind.
Wash the dal well, and pressure cook with haldi powder till soft. Once the pressure settles, remove lid, mash and keep aside.
Meanwhile, heat the oil, add mustard seeds, and let it splutter. Once it stops spluttering, add the other ingredients listed under tempering and the onions, and garlic and saute till the onions turn transparent.
Dilute the tamarind pulp to 2 cups quantity, add sambar powder and bring to a boil. Add the onions and tempering, reduce the flame, and  let it boil for 2-3 minutes.
Add the mashed dal, dilute if required, bring to a boil, and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve hot.

*- rubbing with oil, and keeping aside for 10 minutes makes it easier to peel

Masala dosa

The Hubby will be joining a new job in Hyderabad, and I wanted to cook him a meal he likes on his last day at home. Since he had mentioned wanting masala dosa a few days back, that became my obvious choice. The recipe was a mix and match of various tried and tested ones, and it tasted lovely because it was made with love.

For the potato filling

5 large potatoes
1 medium onion chopped fine
1 green chillie
1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp flax seeds

1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp haldi powder
salt to taste
1 tbsp oil

Method:

Chop the potatoes into eighths, and pressure cook till soft. Peel, and keep aside 

Heat the oil, and temper mustard seeds. Once the seeds have stopped popping, add the onions, flax seeds, green chillies and curry leaves, and saute till transparent.

Add the ginger paste, salt and haldi powder and stir for about a minute.

Mash the potatoes with the fingers, and add to the masala. Mix well, cover and let it cook for about 2 minutes.

Dosa batter
2 measures boiled rice
1 measure urad dal
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
Salt to taste

Method:
Wash the rice well, and soak overnight.
In another container, wash the urad dal and soak overnight, with the fenugreek seeds.
Remove most of the water, and grind separately till smooth.
Mix well, add salt to taste, and let it ferment for 6 hours. 

Assembling the masala dosa
Heat the tawa, till well heated. Sprinkle some water on the surface, reduce the flame, and after the water evaporates, pour in two ladle-fulls of batter*, and twirl it into a circle.
Pour about 1/2 tsp oil around the edges, and let it cook on a low flame. Once the ends start rising, flip it over, and after a minute flip it back.
Arrange the potato masala in half a semi-circle, fold in half and take off the tawa.
Serve with chutney and sambar.

*- I used store bought dosa batter.

Kovil Sakkarai Pongal

We have an optional holiday today, and I was in two minds whether to take a day off or not. One of the strongest things in favour of me taking a day off was that I could then make Shakarai Pongal as I had done the previous two years. The recipe I follow is my mother's, and it cannot be whipped up in a hurry. But a little bit of searching led me to a couple of recipes for "Kovil Sakkarai Pongal", which seemed much easier. I adapted them to my taste, and did come out really well. (That I ended up taking a day off is a different story altogether).

1/2 cup raw rice

3 tbsp moong dal

1/2 cup jaggery

2 1/2 cups water

3 tbsp ghee

A pinch of salt

Cashews

Raisin

Cardamon powder

Nutmeg powder

 

Method

Heat 1 tbsp ghee, and roast the moong dal till brown.

Add washed rice, salt and water, and pressure cook till the rice gets really mushy. Mash it well.

Powder jaggery, and dissolve it in just enough water to make a syrup (gently heat the water to make it dissolve).
Remove any impurities that may be floating on the surface, and add to the mashed rice. Mix well. Stir in 1 tbsp ghee, and cook on very low flame for 5 minutes.
Seperately, heat the ghee, roast cashewnuts till golden, then add raisins. Once it fluffs up, turn off flame, and keep aside.
Add nuts and cardamon powder and nutmeg powder. Mix well and serve.

Teratipal

Growing up, Teratipal was one if the few traditional Tamilian desserts I liked. Over the years, the taste waned, but lately, I have been wanting to taste it. 

Since it is not easily available in sweet shops, and because leaving things to slow cook is not something I shy away from, I decided to make it myself. 

Now, my mother makes the second best Teratipal in the world (the best being her mother), so I am spoilt. But, this wasn't too bad, if I say so myself!

1 litre milk

1/3 cup sugar*

Method:

In a thick bottomed vessel, bring the milk to boil. 

Reduce the flame, and keep it cooking till the volume reduces to 1/4th. In the meantime, every time the top thickens, mix it well to bring it back to the centre. 

When volume reduces, add sugar, and continue cooking till the water released by the sugar dries up completely. 

Serve hot or cold. 

*- I used a bit less

Kapi

The best way to spend a lazy Sunday is with a davara tumbler of filter kapi, and a good book (or magazine). Bliss!!!!

Kozakottai

The first time I made kozakottai, it came out really well. The next time, it was an unmitigated disaster. So it was with trepidation that I even took on the challenge this year. As it is, I was slightly rushed because I had to go to work in the morning, but once I started grating the coconut everything fell into place.
I followed a slightly different recipe this time, and it came out really well.

1 cup rice flour
1.5 cups water
¼ tsp oil or ghee
a pinch of salt

For the inner sweet filling:

1 cup fresh grated coconut
¾ cup powdered or grated jaggery (slightly less would be better)
3 to 4 cardamoms, powdered in a mortar-pestle, about ¼ tsp cardamom powder
a pinch of nutmeg powder or grated numeg
½ tsp poppy seeds
½ tsp ghee or oil

Method:
For the filling:
Heat ghee in a pan. add poppy seeds, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder. saute for a minute.
Add grated fresh coconut and powdered/grated jaggery, mix well and cook this coconut-jaggery mixture on a low flame. Keep stirring till the jaggery melts, but do not overcook, because it will then harden. Keep this coconut-jaggery filling aside.

Making the outer cover:Heat the water, with salt and oil, and let it come to a boil.
Reduce the flame and add the rice flour gradually. quickly stir and mix the flour with the water. Keep stirring till all the rice flour is mixed with the water.
Switch off the flame. remove the pan from the stove top and then cover this pan with a lid for 4 to 5 minutes. Knead the dough well for a few minutes.
Make small balls from the dough, so they are smooth in appearance and don't have any cracks.
Grease the steamer well.
Take a ball and flatten it with your fingers to a round disc or a shallow bowl shape. you can apply ghee/oil in your palms, while flattening. Place the filling in the centre
Press the edges together and shape into the traditional shape. Place on the steamer and repeat with the other balls.
Place the steamer on the water, cover, and let it steam for 10 to 15 minutes till done

Rasam vadai

I had the most amazing rasam vadai at a restaurant a few weeks back, and have been craving it since. Once I found a recipe for takali (tomato) rasam, I whipped up a batch of vadais, and have been in food heaven since!

Takali rasam- tomato rasam

I've been craving rasam vada for a couple of weeks, but have been putting off making it, because I thought you needed rasam powder to pull off a rasam. Then I stumbled upon this recipe that doesn't require rasam powder, and I whipped this up before I could change my mind. It tasted much better than it looked, actually.

6 tomatoes
1/2 cup coriander stems (with or without leaves)
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
8-10 peppercorns
1 tsp jeera

Salt to taste

For tempering
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
a pinch of hing
1/2 tsp urad dal
1 sprig curry leaves
2 red chillis
1 tbsp oil or ghee

Method:
Blanche the tomatoes by soaking in boiling water for about 15 minutes. Peel the skin, chop into quarters and puree in a grinder.
Grind the coriander, peppercorns and jeera to a coarse paste, either using the grinder or a mortar and pestle. Mix the ginger garlic paste and keep aside.
Heat the oil/ ghee, and add mustard seeds. Once they start spluttering, add the rest of the tempering ingredients and fry for about a minute.
Add the ground masala and saute for a minute, then add the tomato puree, salt and about 2 cups of water.
Bring to a boil, reduce the flame, and let it cook for 10 minutes.
Serve hot.

Tomato onion chutney

Once I had decided to make upma kozakattai for lunch, I had to find something to go with it. Too lazy to make sambar, I settled on this traditional tomato-onion chutney instead. Next time, I'll make it with shallots.

3 tomatoes
1 onion*
6 pods garlic
1 red chilli

1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal
1 sprig curry leaves, chopped
A pinch of hing
Salt to taste
1 tsp cooking oil

Method:
Chop the onions, and keep half aside for tempering.
Grind together tomatoes, 1/2 onion, garlic and the red chilli.
Heat the oil, temper with mustard seeds, and once it stops spluttering add urad dal, 1/2 onion, curry leaves and hing.
When the onions start turning transparent, add the ground masala, and cook on a low heat, till the oil starts seperating.
Serve with dosas, idli, paniyaram or upma kozakuttai.

*- you can replace with 1/2 onion and some shallots.

Upma kozhukattai

A couple of weeks back, a couple of Tam Bram friends were talking about popular "tiffin" items, and the name upma kozhukattai came up. It looked interesting, and I immediately wanted to make it, but I put it off, and other things took over. Yesterday, I saw the dish again, and since both the kids were home for lunch today, I made it right away.
My mother tells me that this is not the authentic version, but it works for me, and I am sticking to it.

¾ cups rice flour
1 cup plus 2 tbsp of water
1 tsp gingelly oil
1 mor mozhaga
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp urad dal
1 large pinch jeera
1 large pinch hing pwd
1 green chilli – chopped
Curry leaves – 1 sprig chopped
Salt to taste
 
Method: 
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard, wait till it splutters, add all the other ingredients except rice flour, salt and water. 
Once the dal starts to turn brown, add water and salt, then pour in the rice flour, stirring all the while. 
Switch off the fire and continue to stir till the rice forms a ball around the spoon. Let cool a bit and then shape into tiny balls (I made 36 balls from this amount). 
Place in a greased colander and steam for 7-8 mins on high till soft but springy. Serve hot with sambar, rasam or chutney.

Filter coffee

The Monsoons have finally arrived, and what better way to celebrate than with a steaming mug of filter coffee?

1 tbsp ground coffee powder
1/3 cup hot milk
Sugar to taste
Coffee filter

Method:
Bring 1 cup water to boil.
Layer the top of the filter with the coffee powder, and press lightly with your fingers to pack it in. Cover with the press.
Pour the water into the filter, close and let it stand for 10 minutes till all the water drips down.
This is the first draw. You can also pour another cupful of water to get a second draw, or pour the first draw into the filter again to distill more of the coffee out.
Add milk, and pour into a container from a height, alternating containers till the froath is built up. Add sugar and serve.

Lemon rasam

Though I have never had lemon rasam at home (at least, not that I remember), I have been wanting to make it for a fairly long time. When I asked my mother for the recipe, she gave me a very non-commital answer, so I took to google, and found this recipe that I used. Liked it sufficiently for me to put it on my 'tried and tested' list.

2 tbsp Moong Dal
1 Tomato
2 Green Chillies
1 inch piece ginger
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
4 cups Water
1 large Lemon
Salt    To Taste

For Seasoning:
1 tsp Ghee
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 sprig Curry Leaves

Method:
Heat ghee in a pan and add slit green chillies and crushed ginger and saute it for 2 minutes. Then add chopped tomatoes and stir-fry for a minutes. Remove this from flame.
Take a vessel and add moong dal, sauted tomatoes, green chillies and ginger and add 2 cups of water and allow the moong dal to cook completely. After the tomatoes and dal are cooked completely add another 2 cups of water and bring it to boil. When the froth starts froming on top of the rasam remove from flame
Heat ghee in a pan and add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds starts to sputter, add curry leaves and fry for 10 seconds. Add these seasoned ingredients to the rasam. Allow the rasam to cool off and then add the lemon juice extract. Adjust the lemon juice for your taste.
Serve with plain rice.

Milagu Jeera Rasam/ Pepper Rasam

When you have a cold, few things can beat the comfort of hot milagu rasam. Unfortunately, I had moved out of home before I really started appreciating a milagu rasam, well made. Which is why I got this recipe from my mother- the next time I fall sick, I will be able to nurse myself with a taste of home.

For first ground masala:3/4 tsp peppercorns
4 red chillis (I reduce to 2)
2 tsp dhania
1 tsp dhania
1 tsp oil

For second ground masala:3/4 tsp jeera
1 sprig curry leaves

1 lime sized ball of tamarind
Salt to taste

For tempering:
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 red chilli
1 tbsp ghee

Method:Fry the ingredients listed under 'first ground masala' in a little oil, and grind to paste.
Gring curry leaves and jeera with a little water.
Soak the tamarind in water, remove and discard the pulp, then dilute with water to get 1 glass of tamarind extract.
Boil tamarind extract with salt and first ground masala till the raw smell goes.
Add second ground masala and 2 glasses of water, bring to boiling point, but do not boil.
Season ghee with mustard and red chilli. After the mustard stops spluttering, pour over the rasam and close.
This is particularly good for treating colds.

Carrot Curry

There are days when you just don't feel like spending more than the minimum time required in the kitchen, and when you also need to feed a family on those days, you have no choice but to turn to the simplest dishes there are. Whether this is a Traditional Dish or not, I do not know, but this is exactly how my mother and her mother made carrot curry.

250 gms carrot, diced

Mustard seeds
Urad dal
Curry leaves
Gingerly oil
1/2 lime
1/2 tsp haldi powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powdera pinch of hing
salt to taste

Method:
Heat the oil, and add mustard seeds. When they stop spluttering, add urad dal and curry leaves and saute till the dal is browned lightly.
Add chopped carrots, and the dry masalas, and saute for 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water, cover and let it cook in its own steam till soft.
Squeeze lime juice before serving.

Mixed vegetable quick kootu

We Tamilians love a balanced diet at every meal, so what better than if you can combine proteins and vitamins in the same dish? Mixed vegetable kootu is a stable lunch item for my mother, and while I don't swear by it the way she does, I have to admit it makes cooking easy on hot summer days.

250 gms carrots diced
100 gms potatoes cut into small pieces
1 measure dhuli moong dal
1/3 tsp haldi powder
1 tsp sambar powder
Salt per taste

For tempering
Mustard seeds
Jeera seeds
Urad dal
A pinch of hing
Curry leaves
Cooking oil

Method
Put the cut vegetables, green gram dal and turmeric powder in a pressure cooker. Add enough water to cover the vegetables. Pressure cook for two to three whistles.
After few minutes, remove the lid from the cooker and slightly mash the vegetables.
Heat the oil, temper with mustard seeds. When it stops popping, add urad dha, jeera, hing, curry leaves and fry for about half a minute. Add sambar powder and immediately add the cooked vegetables.
Add salt and mix well.
Serve hot with chappatis.

Parupu shadam with Vatha Kuzhambu

Parupu shadam with Vatha Kuzhambu used to be a classic combination at my grandmother's place. Since she made the vatha kuzhambu with dried vegetables, it would be accompanied by cucumber pachadi. I used fresh drumsticks, so did without!