Kara Chutney | Spicy Chutney

Kara chutney is a spicy chutney made with red chillies,tomato,onion and garlic.Very quick and easy to prepare and goes well with idli, dosa etc..

Prep Time:5 mins

Cook Time:10 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 medium size Onion
• 2 Tomatoes,small
• 5 - 6 Red chillies
• 5 - 6 Garlic cloves 
• 1 inch Tamarind
• Salt needed

To temper:

• 2 tbsp Oil / Sesame oil
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp Urad dal 
• Few Curry leaves

Method:

• Grind together red chillies, garlic, tamarind, add onion, tomato and salt.
• Grind it to a smooth paste.           
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds,urad dal, curry leaves and the ground paste.
• Fry it on medium flame until the raw smell goes off and mixture oozes out oil.

Spicy red chutney is ready !!!

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Brinjal Chutney | Sutta Kathirikai Chutney

Brinjal Chutney is a spicy chutney goes well with Idli ,Dosa....

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

• 5 or 6 Brinjal, Medium size
• 2 Green chillies
• 1/2 Onion
• 2 inch tamarind
• 1/2 tsp Mustard
• 1/2 tsp Urad dal
• 1 tsp Channa dal
• 2 pinch hing
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves(optional)

Method:

Apply oil on the brinjal everywhere. Roast it in direct medium flame,rotate the brinjal now and then so it gets cooked evenly.     

Once the brinjal are roasted completely,it wil become very soft,it means its cooked.

Remove it from fire and allow it to cool.

Remove the skin,showing it under the running tap water(slowly).

Mash the brinjal to ensure that there is no insects in it.

In a pan fry mustard,urad dal,channa dal,hing and green chillies.

Grind them into one and two.Add onion,tamarind and grind it.

Now add the brinjal and coriander leaves and grind it to a paste.

Serve with Sesame oil and goes well with idly or dosa.

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Watermelon Mint Juice

Here is the watermelon mint juice recipe to beat the summer heat.As watermelon and mint is cooling,this juice is healthy and ideal for summer.Mint is good for digestion too....

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 5 mins
Serves- 2

Ingredients:
1 cup watermelon,deseeded and chopped
1 tbsp fresh mint leaves
1 tbsp sugar(optional)
1 pinch black salt
2 tsp lemon juice
4 - 5 ice cubes (optional)

Method:

• In a blender, add all the ingredients except ice and blend well.No need to add water.
• Juice is ready
• Pour the watermelon juice in tall juice glasses and add ice cubes if required.

Serve watermelon mint juice.

Note:
I used yellow one ,you can use the same recipe with the normal watermelon.
My watermelon sweetness was less so i added sugar,its optional.

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Instant Bonda using Idli Batter

Bonda prepared using thick Idli batter. Very quick and easy to prepare a tasty snack.The batter should be thick to make balls for frying...

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10 mins

Ingredients:( 200 ml cup)

• 2 cups Idli Batter
• 1/4 cup-All Purpose Flour
• 3 Green Chillies,finely chopped
• 1 tsp grated Ginger
• 1 tsp Pepper,whole
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp Coriander leaves,finely chopped
• Salt  to taste
• Oil  For frying

Method:

• Heat Oil in a kadai.
• In a bowl,mix all the other ingredients together.
• The batter should be slightly thicker than idly batter and it should fall freely.
• When oil is hot, take a small round headed ladle and drop the batter in the oil or take a small amount of batter in your hands and drop it carefully in the oil.
• Drop it one by one and fry them on medium flame. 
• Remove them from the oil when the bondas become golden brown.
• Keep them in a tissue paper to remove the excess oil.

Serve hot with Chutney or sambar...      

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Chana Veg Salad

Chana Salad is a healthy ,quick and simple recipe.  Rich in protein and Vitamins.Chana salad can be had as breakfast or with lunch or as snack.... Just 10 mins to get nutrient packed salad....

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chana
• 1 onion,chopped
• 1 tomato,chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 capsicum,chopped
• 1 green chilli deseeded,slit into half 
• 1 Cucumber chopped
• 1 tsp lime juice
• Salt as per taste

Method:

• Soak chana for minimum 1 hr and cook in pressure cooker with little water and salt for 1 or 2 whistles.Dont overcook.
• Drain the water. If you like you can use this water while preparing roti or rasam.
• Now take all the chopped vegetables in a bowl,add the boiled chana,lime juice and required salt and mix well.                                

Chana Salad is ready !!!

Note:
Instead of using green chilli you can use crushed pepper powder( 5 to 6 pepper corns)

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Tomato Onion Chutney

Tomato Onion Chutney is one of the most popular,simplest and perfect chutney variety served as an accompaniment for Dosa / Idli. My daughter always calls tomato chutney as Red Chutney....

Prep time:10 mins
Cook Time:10 mins

Ingredients:

• 2 medium size Onion
• 3 Tomatoes
• 5 - 6 Garlic
• 4 - 5 Red Chilli(Add according to the spiciness)
• 1 tbsp Urad dal
• 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
• Few Curry Leaves
• 1 pinch hing
• 1 tbsp Oil
• Salt To taste

Method:

• Wash and Chop onions and tomatoes. 
• Heat oil in a pan or kadai and fry urad dal and red chillies.
• When the urad dal color changes to light brown, add the chopped onions,garlic and fry till onions turn translucent. 
• Add tomatoes,salt and saute them till it get mushy
• Allow it to cool.
• Grind these in a mixer to a fine paste and transfer to a bowl.
• In a pan heat 1 tsp oil add the mustard seeds curry leaves and hing,add it to the chutney.

Serve with Idli/Dosa varieties...
Enjoy the combination of dosa and Tomato Onion chutney.

Note:

• If your tomatoes are not tangy, then you can add a pinch of tamarind while grinding.
• Add chillies according to ur taste.
• I used gingelly oil,which add unique taste to the chutney
• To make it more healthier you can also add coriander leaves,coconut...

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Coco Besan Burfi

Coco Besan Burfi is very quick and easy sweet recipe...It can be easily prepared in 15 mins with coconut,Besan,Sugar,ghee and milk...

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:( 200 ml Cup)

• 1 cup Besan / Kadala mavu
• 1 cup Coconut grated 
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup ghee (melted)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp crushed nuts (optional)

         
Method:

• Mix besan,milk,sugar in a bowl without any lumps.
• Grind grated coconut into powder in mixie.Or you can use the readymade coconut powder.
• In a pan add 1 tsp ghee and fry the coconut slightly.
• Add in ghee and mix the remaining ingredients and keep stirring.Flame should be in medium low flame.                                     
• All the ingredients gets mixed up and after 7 or 8 mins the mixture become thick and at one stage, it will come as a ball without sticking at all. 
• The mixture will not be sticky at this stage switch off and pour it in the ghee greased plate.
• Just pat the plate no need to flatten it.
• Sprinkle crushed nuts over it.
• Cut it into squares/diamonds as per your wish.

Enjoy Coco Besan Burfi.....

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Chicken Biriyani | Pressure Cooker method

Easy delicious Chicken biriyani prepared in pressure cooker....

Prep Time : 30 mins (inclusive of Marination time:30 mins and rice soaking time: 30 mins)
Cook Time :20 mins
Serves: 3

Ingredients:
To Temper:

• 2 bay leaf
• 3 green cardamoms
• 4 to 6 cloves 

For Marination:

• 2 tbsp curd/ yogurt
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Other Ingredients:

• 750 gms chicken with bone,skinless
• 2 cups of basmati rice or Raw rice
• 2 medium onion, sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 pod garlic
• 2 inch piece ginger
• 1 handful mint leaves 
• 1 handful coriander leaves
• 1 green chilli, slit
• Salt as needed
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp ghee

Preparation:

• Wash Chicken and marinate with all the ingredients given to marinate.Rest it for 30 mins.
• Wash the rice and soak in water for 30 mins and drain the water.
• Grind ginger,garlic into fine paste and then add the mint and coriander leaves and grind.

Method:

• Heat Oil & ghee in a cooker and add in the spices. Cinnamon, Cloves and Cardamom. 
• Add in the onions,green chilli and saute until the onions are soft.
• Add in the ground paste and fry for 2 mins.
• Add the tomatoes,saute the mixture until tomatoes gets mushy.
• Add the marinated chicken and saute for a minute to coat the chicken with the spices and the color slightly changes to pale.
• Cover the cooker with lid and cook on medium flame for 10 mins.Cook till the mixture turns thick and dry. By now the chicken should be almost cooked soft.
• Add little salt , as already salt is added to marination.
• Pour 4 cups of water(for 2 cups of rice) to the chicken, bring it to a boil.
• Add the drained rice to the cooker.
• Cook till very little water is left.  
• Cover pressure cooker with a lid and cook in medium flame for 1 whistle and keep in low flame for 5 mins and then switch off the flame.
• Let the pressure go down. Fluff up the rice with a fork and transfer it immediately to a wide utensil to prevent turning mushy.
• Sprinkle some coriander leaves.   
• Serve with onion raita or Chicken fry or any Non veg gravies.

Note:
Marination time depends on your convenience. The longer you marinate, the softer chicken it yields. At least 30 mins to 1 hour is suggested. You can also marinate the previous night or for few hours and refrigerate.
If you dont have time to marinate,you can add all the ingredients directly in the cooker after frying tomatoes except the lemon juice
Instead of grinding you can add chopped coriander and mint leaves.

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Saamai Pongal | Little millet pongal recipe

Ven Pongal can be made even more healthier and tastier with Saamai(little millets)...
Samai pongal is a healthy Indian breakfast/Dinner dish. This pongal recipe is a nutritious dish as it has got saamai (little millets) and moong dal in it and it tastes more like ven pongal recipe. We can also prepare Sweet / Sarkakrai Pongal.

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook time: 20 mins    |  Serves: 4

Ingredients
1 cup Saamai / Little millet
1/4 cup Moong dal / Paasi paruppu,roasted
1 inch Ginger piece,grated
2 tbsp Ghee
2 tsp Black pepper
1.5 tsp Jeera
1 spring Curry leaves
4 - 5 Cashews
4 cups water

Method:
Dry roast the moong dal in a tawa for 3 to 4 mins in low flame,do not burn it.
Wash Saamai and soak for 10 mins.



Heat a small pressure cooker with ghee, first pop pepper, add jeera,Cashew,ginger& Curry leaves.Fry for a min.


Add 4 cups of water, salt and mix well. Bring it to boil.
Add moong dal and saamai. Mix well and let it boil for 2 mins then close the cooker, give 3 whistles in medium flame and switch off.
Allow it to cool,let the pressure release by itself. Open and mash well.

Serve hot with Sambar and Coconut chutney.

Notes:
All the millets need more water to cook.So for 1 cup we need 3 1/2 to 4 cup water.
You can also replace 1/2 cup of water with 1/2 cup milk.

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Thatta Payaru Gravy | Karamani |Black eye beans Gravy

Thatta payaru Gravy is a perfect side dish for Roti / Idli/ Dosa / Rice .The same recipe goes well with black channa or lobia (white color bean). Generally I prepare puli kulumbu with karamani,this time I tried it without tamarind to prepare this gravy which came out well.

Prep Time : 15 mins
Soak Time: 2 hrs
Cooking Time : 20 Mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Karamani or Thatta payaru
• 1 medium size onion
• 5 - 6 Garlic pods
• 1 small piece Ginger
• 2-Small  Tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Red chili powder
• 1 tsp Coriander powder
• 3 tsp Coconut
• 2 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
• Salt as needed
• Few Curry leaves
• Few coriander leaves chopped

Method:

• Soak karamani for 2 hours and pressure cook this for 1 or 2 whistle.
• In a pan add oil and add fennel seeds,onions,garlic,ginger. Saute this in a medium flame for 2 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes,saute till they becomes mushy.
• Add all the masala powders, coconut,salt and fry for 2 mins in low flame and switch off the stove.Allow it to cool
• In a mixer,grind it to smooth mixture.
• In the Kadai,add 1 tsp oil,add cloves,cinnamon,curry leaves .
• Now add the ground paste and add the cooked thatta payir to this along with the water.
• Let this boil for few minutes in a medium flame, till the gravy comes to right consistency.
• Garnish with coriander leaves
• Thatta payaru Gravy is ready to serve.

Notes:

• If u have no time to soak, dry roast the karamani in a pan for few mins in low flame, without getting it burnt.
• Then add water and pressure cook it for 4 - 5 whistles.
• Adding coconut is optional

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Basic Eggless Chocolate Cake

 

This is a simple chocolate cake recipe without eggs....this recipe can also be used to make cupcakes. I prepared 6 medium sized cupcakes with  this measurement..

Prep Time:10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour / Wheat Flour - 1 cup
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - 6 tsp
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Vegetable oil or Butter - 1/2 cup
Hot Coffee -1/4 cup
Milk - 1/4 cup, room temp
Yogurt - 1/2 cup, room temp
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Salt - a pinch

Measuring cups should be the same.
Lightly grease the cake tin or cupcake moulds.

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 C, 10 - 20 mins before baking.
Hot Coffee - mix 1 tsp of instant coffee powder in 1/4 cup of hot water and allow it to cool.
Take sugar,oil and yoghurt in a mixer and blend it.
In a large bowl sift together the all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder,salt, Coco powder.
Make a well in the middle and add the blended mixture and the remaining wet ingredients.
With a hand whisk, mix until the dry and wet ingredients are well combined. Do not over beat it.
Pour the batter in the prepared pan. Tap the pan a couple of times so the batter is spread evenly and there are no air bubbles.
Bake for about 25 - 30 min. Check the cake with tooth pick. Toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake should come out clean when the cake is ready.

Variations: Can mix dry fruits and nuts in the batter

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Dates and Nuts Eggless Cake

This easy Eggless Cake with the flavor of  Dates and Nuts is quick and healthy snack made with wheat flour.The same recipe can be used to prepare either cake or cup cakes....

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 5 - 6

Ingredients:

• Dates,seedless – 15 - 20
• Water –  1/2 cup, for soaking dates
• Nuts – 1/4 cup, chopped
• Wheat Flour/ Maida- 1 cup
• Baking Powder - 1 tsp
• Baking Soda - 1 tsp
• Vegetable oil or Butter - 1/2 cup
• Milk - 1/4cup, room temp
• Yoghurt - 1/2cup, room temp
• Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
• Salt - a pinch

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180 C, 10 - 20 mins before baking.
• Soak the Dates in warm water for about 30 minutes just to soften them.
• Chop the nuts and keep it aside.I used walnuts,Almonds and dry raisins.
• Sift the wheat flour along with the Baking Powder and the Baking Soda.
• Make a paste of the Dates using as little water as possible in a blender.
• Then add yoghurt,oil and blend it.
• Pour this mixture to the dry ingredients(Sifted wheat flour,baking powder and baking soda).
• Add in the chopped nuts,nilk and essence and fold them well
• Grease a baking pan and pour the batter into it.
• Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes.
• Check the cake with tooth pick. Toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake should come out clean when the cake is ready.
• Once done, take the cake out and allow it to stand for 5 minutes before taking it out of the pan.
• Loosen the edges and flip the cake onto a cooling rack.
• Serve hot or cold.

Notes:
If you like you can add 2 to 3 tbsp sugar,I didnt add as the sweetness of dates was enough.
2- 3 dry figs can also be added along with dates while soaking.

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