Plaintain(Vazhakai) Poriyal

Ingredients:
Plaintain - 2
Onion - 1 medium sized
Curry leaves - few
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Ural dal - 1 teaspoon
Ginger, garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Pepper powder - 1 or 2 teaspoon (as spicy required)
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 or 2 tablespoons
Grated coconut - 2 tablespoons

Method:
Cut plaintain into small cubes. Chop onions. Heat pan, add oil. Add mustard seeds, once they start to split, add urad dal and fry. Then add ginger garlic paste, curry leaves, onions and fry until they are pale brown. Add plaintain to it and stir for 5-10 minutes. Once they are cooked, add pepper powder, salt and keep stiring for 5 minutes. Garnish with grated coconut and serve hot with rice.

Cooking time : 25 minutes
Serves - 3-4 persons

Hot & Sour Veg Soup (Microwave cooking)

Ingredients
Finely chopped Vegetables - 3/4 cup (Carrot, Beans, baby corn, cabbage, peas, fresh corn kernels, etc)
Coriander leaves - few
Tomato sauce - 1 tablespoon
Chilli sauce - 1 or 2 tablespoon (as hot required)
Pepper powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Water - 2 cups
Corn flour - 1 or 2 tablespoons (as soup thickness required)
Oil - 2-3 drops

Method :
Add oil and garlic paste to a microwave container and heat it in microwave for 30 seconds. Then add vegetables, tomato sauce, chilli sauce and sprinke water and cook for 3 minutes. Once it is done, mix corn flour with water, add salt and add it to the vegetables and cook for 1 minute. If it is more watery, cook it for 1 or 2 minutes more . Garnish with coriander leaves and pepper powder. Serve hot with garlic bread. Very healthy and delicious recipe.

Cooking time : 10 minutes
Serves 2 persons.

Pudhina(Mint leaves) Chutney

Ingredients:
Mint leaves (Pudhina) - 50 gms
Urad dal (Ulunthu) - 1 or 2 tablespoon
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Curry leaves - few
Green chillies - 3 small sized
Coriander leaves - few
Tamarind - a pinch
Grated cocnut - 2 or 3 tablespoons
Salt to taste
Oil - 1/2 teaspoon

Method:
Heat pan, fry urad dal for 2-3 minutes, until they are brown and keep aside. Add few drops of oil, fry chopped ginger, green chillies, curry leaves and mint leaves for 5 minutes. Add these to a mixer, with urad dal, grated coconut, coriander leaves, tamarind, salt and grind to a paste(add water if required). Delicious chutney is ready. Can be served with rice, idli, dosa or spread on a toasted bread.

Cooking time : 15 minutes
Serves 4 persons.

Mutton Kheema

Ingredients :

Mutton (Lamb/Goat) Kheema - 250 g

Onions - 3 or 4 finely chopped

Tomatoes - 1 or 2 finely chopped

Curry leaves - few

Coriander leaves - few

Cinnamon - 1 small stick

Bay leaf - 1

Cardamom - 2

Cloves - 2

Ginger - 1.5 inch long

Garlic - 5 cloves

Fennel seeds - 2 teaspoons

Chilli powder - 2 tablespoons

Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tablespoons

Method :

Grind ginger, garlic, fennel seeds to a nice paste, without water.

Heat oil in the pan. Add cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves, cardamom and fry. Add the paste and fry for 2 minutes. Add chopped onions, curry leaves and fry until they are brown. Add tomatoes, turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder. Fry for 2 minutes and add mutton to it. Let it cook for 20/30 minutes on a slow fire. Once the mutton is cooked, add salt. Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or chappathi or toasted bread.

Cooking time : 45 minutes

Serves 4-5 persons.

Fried Idlies

Very quick and easy recipe.

Ingredients:
Left over idlies - 2
Oil for frying

For sauce:
Yoghurt - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 or 2 tablespoons

Method:
Cut the idli into small cubes. Deep fry it in oil. Place them on kitchen towel to drain excess oil.

Mix yoghurt and sugar. This makes the sauce.
Very easy to make and a good starter.

Cooking time : 10 minutes
Serves 2 persons

Potato fry

Ingredients:
Potato - 2
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Cury leaves - few
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Asafoetida powder (Perungayam) - 1/4 teaspoon
Chilli powder, Coriander powder - as required
Salt to taste
Oil - 1/2 tablespoons

Method :
Wash potatoes, peel off the skin and cut into small cubes. Heat pan and add oil. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida powder, potatoes and fry them. Stir constantly. Add turmeric powder and fry them. Once the potatoes are half cooked add chilli and coriander powder. Add salt and saute it until they are cooked well. Serve hot with rice or chappathi.

Cooking time : 15-20 minutes
Serves 2 persons

Vadakari (Vada Curry)

Suitable side dish for Idli, dosa & Appam.

Ingredients:
Bengal gram (Kadalai paruppu) - 1 cup
Onion - finely chopped - 1 cup
Tomato - finely chopped - 1
Green chillies - 2 or 3 as required
Garlic - 5 cloves
Ginger - 1 inch size
Cloves - 2
Chilli powder, Coriander powder - as required
Cinnamon - 1 small stick
Fennel seeds(Sombu) - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander leaves - finely chopped
Salt to taste
Oil - 2/3 teaspoons

Method :
Paste : Make a paste of garlic, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds, green chillies coarsely and keep it aside.

Vada : Soak channa dal in water for 2 hours. Drain excess water and grind it coarsely. Add 1/2 cup of chopped onions, coriander leaves, half of the above paste, salt and mix it well. Make it into small balls and steam it like we do for idli.

Curry : Heat oil in pan, fry the leftover paste. Add onions and fry them until they are brown. Add tomatoes, chilli powder, coriander powder and fry until they are cooked. Smash the steamed balls, add to it. Add salt to taste. Pour half cup of water to make it gravy. Once it cooks, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Cooking time : 30-45 minutes
Servers 4-5 persons

Capsicum Sandwich

Very easy to make, delicious and healthy recipe......

Ingredients:
Bread slice - 2
Capsicum - 1 cup finely chopped
Onions - 1/2 finely chopped
Garlic - 1 clove finely chopped
Green chillies(optional) - 1 or 2, as required - finely chopped
Tomato sauce - 2 teaspoons
Coriander leaves - finely chopped for garnishing
Salt to taste
Oil - 1/2 teaspoon

Method :
Heat oil in pan. Add garlic, chillies, onion, capsicum one after another and cook for 8-10 minutes. Once they are cooked add salt, tomato sauce and saute them. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Toast bread, spread cooked capsicum and enjoy........

Cooking time : 15 minutes.
Serves 1 person.

Murukku Kolangal

Murukku Kolangal




The above designs ae also available at the below location:
http://picasaweb.google.com/illatharasi/MurukkuKolangal

Rangoli for Xmas

Dots : 15 (3 times) : 3

Pongal Kolangal

1. Dots : 16 x 16

2. Dots : 19 (3 times) : 3

3. Dots : 19 : 1

Rangoli designs

1. Dots : 29 x 29

2. Dots : 21 : 11 - in between

3. Dots : 13 : 7 - in between

4. Draw 3 0r 4 0r 5 lines in swastik style and join