Luffa Rice

Ingredients:
Luffa (Peerkankai or Ridge Gourd) - 2 medium sized
Onions - 2 medium sized
Tomatoes - 2 medium sized
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Chilli powder - 1 tablespoon
Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon
Curry leaves - few
Corinader leaves - few
Cooked rice - 4 cups
Salt to taste
Oil - 2/3 tablespoons

Method :
Peel off the skin of luffa. Cut the flesh into small cubes. No need to remove the seeds as they are very soft and easily digestible and good for health too.

Heat pan and add oil once it is hot. Split mustard seeds, add cumin seeds and add chopped onions, curry leaves and garlic paste. Once onions turn golden brown add chopped tomatoes. Add chilli powder and coriander powder. Fry them for 2 minutes and add cut luffa pieces. Cook them for 5-10 minutes. Add salt and garnish with coriander leaves. Once they are cooked well, add cooked rice and keep frying for 2 minutes. Serve hot with Onion raitha.

Cooking time : 30 minutes
Serves 1-2 persons

More Kolam (Rangoli) designs

More Rangoli(Kolam) designs




The above designs ae also available at the below location:
http://picasaweb.google.com/illatharasi/RangoliKolamSet2

Mango Sambhar

Ingredients:

Lentils (Toor dal) - 1 cup

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Asafoetida powder - 2 pinch

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Onion - 2 medium sized

Tomato - 2 medium sized

Garlic paste - 1 tablespoon

Red chillies - 2

Fenugreek - 1/2 teaspoon

Curry leaves - few

Corinader leaves - few

Raw Mango - 1 medium sized

Chilli powder - 1 tablespoon

Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tablespoon

Method :

Cook lentils with 2 1/2 cups of water, Asafoetida powder, turmeric powder & cumin seeds, until they become soft. Smash them and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan, once it is hot add mustard seeds and allow them to split, in a slow flame. Add cumin seeds, red chillies, garlic paste and curry leaves. Fry them and add chopped onions. Fry until they are golden brown. Cut mango into pieces and add to it. Fry for 2 minutes and add finely chopped tomatoes. Keep frying until tomatoes become soft. Then add this to the smashed lentils. If it is thick, you can add 2 cups of water or thick as desired. Keep it in flame and add chilli powder and coriander powder. Allow the mangoes to cook. Add salt and allow it to boil once. Switch off the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Tasty sambhar is ready for serving with rice or idli or dosa.

Note :

Instead of chilli powder & corinader powder, you can also use 2 tablespoons of sambhar powder.

Instead of Mango, we can also use vegetables like drumstick, brinjal, ladies finger, radhish, etc. But a small lemon sized tamarind extract should be added, once the vegetables are cooked.

Cooking time : 45 minutes

Serves 4-5 persons.

Prawn n Tomato gravy

Ingredients :

Prawns (medium sized) - 1/2 kg

Ginger garlic paste - 2 tablespoons

Onions (medium sized) - 4

Tomatoes (medium sized) - 5

Coriander leaves - few

Curry leaves - few

Chilli powder - 1 tablespoon (2 tbspns can be added if u want it spicy)

Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon

Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon

Yoghurt (curd) - 1/2 cup

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Oil - 3 tablespoons

Method :

Peel off the skin and head from the prawns. Wash them well and marinate them with turmeric powder and curd.

Finely chop onions and tomatoes. If more gravy is required, you can add more onions and tomatoes. If tomato puree is used, take 1-2 cups of it.

Take a heavy bottomed pan and heat it. Add oil, once it is hot, add mustard seeds. Then add ginger garlic paste. Fry them for 1 minute, add curry leaves and chopped onions. Fry them until onions become golden brown. Then add chopped tomatoes or puree, chilli powder, coriander powder and fry them for 10 minutes. Then add marinated prawns, mix them well, cook it in a slow flame for 15 minutes with a closed lid. Then add salt and fry them for 10 more minutes. Garnish with corinader leaves and serve hot with rice or bread.

Cooking time - 45 minutes

Serves - 4-5 persons

Verunkari (Kanyakumari Special)

Ingredients :

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Cumin seeds - 2 teaspoons

Small onions - 4

Tamarind - small lemon sized

Salt to taste

Oil - 1 tablespoon

Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Curry leaves - few

Red chilli - 2

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Method :

Soak tamarind in 2 cups of water. Extract the juice and keep it aside. Grind coconut, onions, cumin seeds to a very fine paste, in a mixer. Add extracted tamarind water and mix it well.

Heat pan, add oil. Once it is hot, add mustard seeds, red chillies and curry leaves. Once it is fried add the mixture to it and stir well. Add salt and turmeric powder. Once it is about to boil, put off the flame. Verukari is ready. Very easy, quick and tasty recipe. Serve hot with rice and fish fry or potato fry.

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Serves - 3 persons

Recipe Courtesy : Mrs.Miniga JeyaSingh

Saffron Rice with Coriander chutney (Microwave cooking)

Ingredients:

For rice:

Long grain rice (Basmathi) - 2 cups

Saffron - a pinch or Saffron powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Milk - 2 tablespoons

Fennel seeds - 1/4 teaspoon

Cloves - 2

Cardamom - 2

Salt to taste

Ghee - 2 tablespoons(optional)

For chutney:

Grated coconut - 1 1/2 cup

Coriander leaves - 1 bunch (30 gms)

Curry leaves - few

Ginger - 1 inch long

Green chillies - 2 small sized

Tamarind - very little, pea sized

Salt to taste

Method:

Rice:

Soak saffron in milk and leave it for 10 minutes. Wash rice, add 3 cups of water and keep it in the microwave bowl. Add saffron milk (or if saffron powder is used, add to it) to it. Add gloves, cardamom, fennel seeds, salt and cook it in microwave for 20 minutes. Once it is cooked, add ghee to it and mix gently.

Note : Cooking time differs from microwave to microwave, so follow timings and temperature accordingly for cooking rice.

Chutney :

Wash coriander leaves. Add all ingredients to a mixer, and grind it to a paste. Sprinkle little water if needed. Delicious coriander chutney is ready.

Serve rice hot with coriander chutney and crackers.

Cooking time : 30 minutes

Serves - 2-3 persons

Beetroot Halwa

Ingredients:

Grated Beetroot - 3 cups

Sugar - 6 tablespoons (Can add more accordingly for sweetness)

Milk - 1/4 cup

Cardamom powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Cashew nuts - 5

Ghee - 2-3 tablespoons

Method:

Add milk and grated beetroot in a heavy pan on a medium fire. Keep stirring and boil them until they are thick. Add sugar and keep stirring further until it thickens. Once it is cooked and thickened, put off the fire, add cardamom powder and mix well.

Heat a small pan, add ghee. Cut cashew nuts into small pieces and fry them in ghee until they are golden brown. Add this to the cooked beetroot. Delicious Halwa is ready to serve.

Cooking time - 60 minutes
Serves 2-3 persons

Onion Samosa

Ingredients:
For Dough ::

Plain flour or Maida - 3 cups

Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

Oil or Ghee - 1 tablespoon (optional)

For filling ::

Onions - 3 medium sized, finely chopped

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon

Fennel seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Coriander leaves - few

Salt to taste

Oil - 1 tablespoon

Oil for deep frying.

Method :

Dough ::

Add salt to flour, ghee/oil, add little water in steps and knead it well so that it becomes soft dough. Close and keep it aside for sometime.

Filling ::

Heat pan and add one tablespoon of oil. Add ginger garlic paste, fennel seeds and onions. Fry them until they turn golden brown. Add salt and chopped coriander leaves. Allow the filling to cool.

Making samosas ::

Make the dough into small balls. Using a rolling pin, flatten the balls, make it round and flat. Cut it into 2 semicircles. Keep 1 tablespoon of the filling in the centre of one half. Along the diameter, you can run your moist finger and fold it in the shape of cones. Close it well so that the filling is not seen outside. Continue the same with the remaining dough and make the cones.

Deep fry them in oil, in medium heat until they are golden brown. Serve hot with chutney or sauce.

Cooking time : 60 minutes

Makes 12-15 samosas.

Sweet Corn Soup (Microwave cooking)

Ingredients:

Fresh corn kernels - 3-4 tablespoons

Coriander leaves - few

Pepper powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Garlic paste - 1-2 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Water - 2-3 cups

Corn flour - 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 corn kernels, sprinkle water and cook for 5 minutes. Once it is done, smash corn slightly. Add 3 cups of water and cook for 3 minutes. Mix corn flour with it, stir it well, add salt 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 pappad or crackers. Very healthy and delicious recipe.

Cooking time : 10 minutes

Serves 2 persons.

PIT Photo Contest - February 2008

Theme: Circles (வட்டம்)

Soap Bubble
(தன் வாழ்க்கை சில வினாடிகளே ஆனாலும் எவ்வளவு சந்தோஷமாக உயர பறக்கும் சோப்பின் நுரை...)

Spiral Binding
(என்னதான் வளைந்து நெளிந்து இருந்தாலும், இது தான் இந்த புத்தகத்தின் முதுகெலும்பு!)

These are posted for the online photo contest at Photography In Tamil Blog.

Tindora(Kovakkai) fry

Ingredients:

Tindora (Kovakkai) - 200 gms

Onion - 2 medium sized, finely chopped

Tomato - 1 finely chopped

Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Urad dal - 1 teaspoon

Curry leaves - few

Dry Red chillies - 2 or 3

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tablespoons

Grated coconut - 2 tablespoons

Method :

Wash tindora and cut into pieces. Heat oil in pan. Add mustard seeds, urad dal, split dry red chillies, curry leaves, one by one and fry them. Add chopped onions and fry until they are brown. Add chopped tomatoes and fry until they are cooked. Add Tindora and fry for 5 minutes. Close the pan with the lid for few minutes until they are cooked. Add salt and stir for few minutes. Garnish with grated coconut. Serve hot with rice or chappathi.

Cooking time - 25 - 30 minutes

Serves 3-4 persons.

Fried Onion Rice

Ingredients:
Cooked Rice : 3 cups
Onion : 2 finely chopped
Ginger & Garlic paste : 1 tablespoon
Green chillies : 2 or 3
Fennel seeds : 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves : few
Coriander leaves : few
Spring onion : 2 tablespoons, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Oil or Ghee : 1 tablespoon

Method :
Heat Oil in the pan. Add fennel seeds, ginger garlic paste, chillies and curry leaves. Add onions and fry until they are golden brown. Add cooked rice, salt and stir for few minutes. Then add spring onions and give a stir. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Cooking time : 15 minutes
Serves 1 or 2 persons.

More Rangoli(Kolam) designs

More Rangoli(Kolam) designs




The above designs ae also available at the below location:
http://picasaweb.google.com/illatharasi/RangoliKolamSet1

Sura Puttu (Shark Steak Fry)

Ingredients:
Shark steak - 300 gms
Onions, finely chopped - 3 or 4 medium sized
Garlic, finely chopped - 6 cloves medium sized
Green chillies - 3 medium sized
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tablespoons

Method :
Cook shark steak pieces in hot water for about 10-15 minutes. Add turmeric powder to it. Pieces will turn white, it shows they are cooked. Remove water, smash them coarsely with hands/spoon and keep aside.

Heat pan, add oil. Add mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds and fry them. Add Garlic, chillies, curry leaves and fry for 1 minute. Then add onions and fry until they are brown. Add shark and keep stiring for 5 minutes. Add salt and fry for 5 - 10 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Cooking time : 45 minutes
Serves - 4 persons