IDLI MILAGAI PODI .... ELLU MILAGAI PODI/இட்லி மிளகாய் பொடி...எள்ளு மிளகாய் பொடி ....A short video

  Here is a detailed video on how to prepare Idli Milagai Podi / Ellu milagai podi  at home....
 Do watch the video and give your valuable comments...

For the detailed recipe click on the link below...

Idli Milagai Podi

RIDGE GOURD THUVAYAL /PEERKANGAI THUVAYAL

Here is one of my favorite comfort foods....
And mind you...it is one of the easiest and tastiest dishes that I ever make...


INGREDIENTS

• RIDGEGOURD -2 MEDIUM SIZED ONES
• GRATED COCONUT- 1/2 A COCONUT
• TAMARIND -A MARBLE SIZED BALL
• URAD DHAL-3 TEASPOONS
• DRY RED CHILLY-3-5
• OIL-2 -5 TEASPOONS
• ASAFOETIDA POWDER-FEW PINCHES
• MUSTARD SEEDS-FEW
• CURRY LEAVES -FEW
• SALT  TO TASTE

METHOD

• Peel the skin of the ridge gourd and cut them into small slices /pieces.
• Grate the coconut.
• Heat a little oil in a pan.
• Fry the ridge gourd for a few minutes  or till it turns slightly mushy.Keep aside.Cool.
• Now, Puree it in a mixie without adding any water.
• Heat some more oil in a pan.Fry the red chillies and urad dhal.
• Fry till the dhal is golden in color.(not too reddish)
• Add the fried mixture,coconut,tamarind and salt to the ground ridge gourd.
• Grind them to a coarse paste in a mixie.
• Now heat a little oil in a pan.Splutter the mustard seeds,asafoetida and curry leaves and add them to the ground mixture.
• This thuvayal is great when you mix it with hot rige and a teaspoon  of  melted ghee and eaten with fried appalam /vadam etc.

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THINAI VEGETABLE BHAATH /FOXTAIL MILLET VEGETABLE BHAATH

Now a days, there is an awareness is the health benefits of our long forgotten millets ....

Even some restaurants serve dishes made of different kinds of millets...

I tried out a  conventional Vegetable Bhaath with Thinai arisi /Foxtail millet and it tasted good too....


INGREDIENTS

• THINAI ARISI (FOX TAIL MILLETS) -2 CUP
• MOONG DHAL -1 TABLESPOON
• TOMATOES-2
• CARROT-1
• ONION-1
• BEANS-FEW
• GREEN PEAS-1 TABLESPOON
• GREEN CHILLIES-2
• SAMBAR POWDER-1 TEASPOON
• TURMERIC POWDER -1 /4 TEASPOON
• MUSTARD SEEDS-1/4 TEASPOON
• URAD DHAL-1/2 TEASPOON
• CHANNA  DHAL -1/2 TEASPOON
• CASHEW NUTS -FEW
• CUMIN SEEDS-1/4 TEASPOON
• ASAFOETIDA POWDER-FEW PINCHES
• OIL -2 TABLESPOONS
• LIME JUICE-1 TABLESPOON
• CURRY LEAVES-FEW
• SALT TO TASTE

METHOD

• Chop the onions,green chillys,tomatoes and other vegetables.
• Make a puree of the tomatoes in a blender.
• Heat a pressure pan.
• Heat the oil  and splutter the mustard ,dhals,cumin seeds cashew etc.
• Sautee the chillies, onions, cut vegetables etc.
• Now add the tomato puree ,salt, sambar powder and turmeric powder.Add 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil.
• Now add the cleaned and washed thinai arisi (millets).
• Pressure cook till well cooked.
• Remove from heat.
• Once the cooker is opened,mash the cooked mixture slightly.
• Add the asafoetida powder and lemon juice.
• Mix well.
• Serve hot with raitha and chips.
• It is a great lunch box recipe too.
• If you wish,you can add some tamarind paste too,while cooking.

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PULI AVAL / SPICY IMLI POHA /TANGY RICE FLAKES

Here's another comfort food from my Grandmother's kitchen....

Puli Aval is a tasty, nutty,tangy and spicy dish- Rather a meal in a dish  which can be prepared with minimal effort and readily available ingredients.....which are really healthy....

INGREDIENTS

• RICE FLAKES(THICK VARIETY) -2 CUPS
• TAMARIND - A LIME SIZED TAMARIND BALL
• PEANUTS-3/4 CUP
• URAD DHAL-1/2 TEASPOON
• CHANNA DHAL-1/2 TEASPOON
• DRY RED CHILLIES-4-6
• TURMERIC POWDER-1/2 TEASPOON
• ASAFOETIDA POWDER-1/4 TEASPOON
• SESAME OIL-3 TEASPOONS
• CURRY LEAVES-FEW
• SALT TO TASTE

METHOD

• Dry roast the rice flakes/aval/poha in a kadai.
• Crush them roughly.(This can be made and stored in an air tight jar in advance).
• Soak the tamarind in warm water and extract the puree.
• Mix the salt and turmeric powder with the tamarind puree.
• Add the crushed flakes to this puree.mix well.Leave it aside for 30 minutes till the puree is absorbed by the flakes.
• Heat the oil in a kadai.
• Fry the mustard seeds,dhals, peanuts,red chillies and curry leaves.
• Add the soaked rice flakes and stir well.Cook for a few minutes  and add the asafoetida powder.Mix well.
• Serve hot .
• This is a regular dish made in many a Tamil Brahmin  homes.
• As far as I know ,this tasty dish is not usually available in any famous restaurant in Tamil nadu,I don't know why....

PUDINA / MINT THUVAYAL

Here is a healthy flavorful Thuvayal....(a chutney meant to be mixed with rice )....

INGREDIENTS

• MINT LEAVES(pudina) -1 BUNCH
• CORIANDER LEAVES -1 SMALL BUNCH
• DRY RED CHILLIES-5-6
• GRATED COCONUT-1 CUP
• URAD DHAL-2 TABLESPOONS
• TAMARIND-1 SMALL PIECE
• OIL-1 TEASPOON
• SALT TO TASTE

METHOD

• Wash and clean the leaves (mint and coriander)
• Heat oil in a pan. Roast the dhal and red chillies.
• Add the leaves and fry lightly for 10 seconds.
• Add the coconut and salt to taste. Mix well.
• Grind in a mixie to a slightly coarse paste,adding very little water only if you need.
• Serve with hot  rice ,ghee and fried appalams.
• You can also have it with curd rice or puris, rotis ,dosas etc.

VELLA DOSAI /SWEET PANCAKE

Here is a dosa 

A dosa with a twist...

A sweet dosa ...So delicious and so to prepare...

INGREDIENTS

• RICE FLOUR-1/2 CUP
• WHEAT FLOUR -1 CUP
• POWDERED JAGGERY -3/4 CUP
• POWDERED ELAICHI-1/2 TEASPOON
• SALT -1 PINCH
• GHEE-FOR COOKING

Here is a dosa 

A dosa with a twist...

A sweet dosa ...So delicious and so to prepare...

INGREDIENTS

• RICE FLOUR-1/2 CUP
• WHEAT FLOUR -1 CUP
• POWDERED JAGGERY -3/4 CUP
• POWDERED ELAICHI-1/2 TEASPOON
• SALT -1 PINCH
• GHEE-FOR COOKING

METHOD

• Mix the flours.
• Dissolve the jaggery in hot water and filter the solution.
• Add the salt ,elaichi and flours to the filtered solution.
• Add some more water and make a batter of pouring consistency.
• Heat a tawa. Grease it slightly.

• Pour a ladle full of batter in a dosa/pancake form.
• Add some ghee on the sides.Cook till done.Flip and cook till the other side is done too .You may add some more ghee if you wish.
• Remove from the tawa and serve hot.

RIBBON PAKODA

When you are in a mood for some munchies....when the cool weather calls for a crunchy bite with your filter coffee of hot chai...just make a plate full of Ribbon Pakoda in 10 minutes with  easily available ingredients...

INGREDIENTS

• RICE FLOUR -1 CUP
• GRAM FLOUR / BESAN -3/4 CUP
• CHILLI POWDER -1 1/2 TEASPOON
• GHEE-2 TEASPOONS
• SODA BICARBONATE -1/4 TEASPOON
• ASAFOETIDA POWDER-4 PINCHES
• WATER FOR MIXING THE DOUGH
• SALT TO TASTE
• OIL FOR DEEP FRYING

METHOD

• Mix the flours,soda bicarbonate,salt ,asafoetida,ghee and chilli powder well.
• Add enough water to the mixture to make a sticky dough.
• Take a murrukku press .Fix it with ribbon pakoda plate.(the disc with two thin slits)
• Oil it well to avoid messiness at work.
• Heat the oil in a kadai /frying pan.
• Take a ball of the dough and fill the press till three fourths.
• Now press the pakoda directly into the hot oil in a circular motion.
• Let it cook well.(one sign to watch for is the decrease of froth and bubbles in the oil-an indication that it is fried  well.)
• Remove from the oil.Drain.
• Store in an airtight container when it is cool.

MASALA DOSA

TO PREPARE THE BATTER...

INGREDIENTS

• PARBOILED RICE-2 CUPS
• URAD DHAL-1/4 CUP
• SALT TO TASTE
• WATER AS NEEDED

METHOD

• Soak the rice and urad dhal in seperate containers with enough water. Soak the fenugreek seeds along with the urad dhal.
• Let them soak for 4-5 hours .
• Drain and wash them well with lots of water.
• Now add the drained urad dhal and fenugreek to a  grinder and grind well adding little water at a time.(Some add a lot of water at one go and switch on the grinder and let in run for a long time-that does not give the desired result)
• As the grinding goes on,you get a smooth, light and fluffy batter. 
• Take a little blob of this batter and drop it in a bowl of water. If the batter floats as a ball,then you can be sure that the urad dhal is well ground.
• Now remove this batter from the grinder and transfer it to a large vessel.
• Next ,add the drained and cleaned  soaked rice to the grinder and grind well with enough water.
• Let the rice be very slightly grainy in texture when ground.(too smooth batter spoils the lightness and softness)
• Now mix both the ground batters and add salt to taste.
• Ferment well for 6-8 hours(depending on the weather- in hot Indian summer months,you need just 5-6 hours for the batter to ferment and rise while colder days need longer hours ,Sometimes even a day)
• When the batter has risen well, mix slightly.
• Leaving it in  the fridge helps you make soft idlis for a few days  but storing them outside the fridge lets the batter turn sour...but the sour batter is great for dosas,utthappams,kara appams/paniyarams etc.
• So,once you master the batter making,you can use your creativity and turn out a number of breakfast and dinner recipes...

INGREDIENTS

• DOSA/IDLI BATTER-4 CUPS

• OIL /GHEE -AS NEEDED
• POTATO MASALA-3 CUPS

RECIPE FOR POTATO MASALA


METHOD

• Mix the batter well.Add little water ,if need be,to reach a pouring consistency.
• Spread the batter on a hot tawa.
• Drizzle some oil /ghee as per your taste.
• When one side is cooked,flip over to the other side  and cook till  done.
• Turn the done dosa. 
• Spread some potato masala on the dosa.
• Fold. Remove from the pan.
• Serve hot with sambar and chutney.