Veg chilli milli is our usual order when we visit Kailash Parbat. Vj loves this very much. Since he likes the dish very much I thought of attempting my version at home after tasting this twice there. Though I could not match the taste what we had at the restaurant, this sure is a finger licking side for Roti / Naan. Why not?, its a cashew based gravy so its slightly sweetish and delicious inspite of its name having ‘chilli’. And also I like the vegetables in it which we usually do not include in our roti side dish recipes. This has become Aj’s favourite too these days.

Veg chilli milli recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Lunch/ Dinner
Prep Time: 15 mins    |  Cook time: 20 mins    |  Serves: 3

Ingredients

Cabbage, cut to thin stripes - 3/4 cup

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Carrot, small - 1

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Capsicum, small - 1

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Paneer, crumbled - 3-4 tblsp

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Onion - 1

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Tomato puree/ tomatoes(2) - 1/4 cup

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Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

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Dhaniya powder optional - 1 tsp

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Red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp

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Green chillies - 2-3

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Poblano (big green chilli) - 1

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Cashews - 12-14

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Cream (nestle) - 2-3 tblsp

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Kasoori methi - A pinch

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Coriander leaves, chopped - 2 tblsp

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To temper

Oil/ butter - 2 tblsp

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Jeera - 1

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Method

1.   Cut onion, cabbage, carrot and cabbage to fine strips, this makes the vegetables cook very fast. Slit the green chillies. Heat kadai with oil and temper with jeera. Add onion and both chillies and fry until transparent.
2. Grind cashew nuts with little water, to a very smooth paste. set aside.
3. Add tomato puree. If you dont have puree,make you own by grinding the tomatoes. Fry until raw smell goes away. Add the ground cashew paste. Mix well.
4. Make sure you add oil (1 or 2 tsp) at this stage to get the cashew paste fried easily and to make it non sticky. Add chilli powder, dhaniya powder, garam masala powder and kasooti methi at this stage and mix well. Oil should separate from the paste and cook until that in medium or low flame.
5. Add all the vegetables, salt and mix well. the vegetables will get cooked and volume reduces soon. Cook until the vegetables are done. Lastly add crumbled paneer.
6. Mix well and then add cream and mix well. Add more water/ milk to bring it to a consistency you prefer. Cook for 2 minutes in medium flame.

Notes

• If carrot is big, add only half of it. You can use all the three colours of capsicum to make it more appealing.
• This is a cashew based gravy, so taste may differ if the recipe is altered.
• The gravy and the vegetables should be in equal ratio.
• Colour of the dish depends on the tomatoes and red chilli powders colour. Since i used store bought tomato puree, the colour may be darker.
• Paneer crumbles can be added more according to your wish.
• I beat the cream with little milk before adding to the gravy to get it smooth.
• You can use colourful capsicums for unique taste as each colour of capsicum has its own taste.

Garnish with lots of coriander leaves and serve hot with roti.

Technorati Tags: Veg chilli milli,veg chilli milli recipe,side dish for roti,side dish for chapati,dinner ideas,sides

Lunch menu - 2 (South Indian easy lunch ideas)

    This was supposed to be my first post in the Lunch menu series. Then I had not posted this  poricha kuzhambu recipe before, so thought of posting that first and then this meal.You will also find buttermilk and Maa vadu pickle in the picture.

So this meal has  :

1. Simple poricha kuzhambu
2. Vazhakkai curry
3. Veppam poo rasam

Other vegetables which can be used for making the curry instead of vazhakkai / plantain are :

1. Yellow pumpkin – Yellow pumpkin curry recipe
2. Brinjal – Brinjal curry recipe
3. Potato

Easy poricha kuzhambu recipe (No vegetable No grind version)

     I have mentioned about this easy poricha kuzhambu in my murungakkai poricha kuzhambu recipe. This is also called ‘Rathri poricha kuzhambu’ as its made in the night time for dinner. My grandfather (mom’s/ FIL’s dad) is a great fan of this. Even at my in-law’s place, every one likes this.  Its simple and easy to make and easily digestible as it has only moong dal. My grandfather used to come back home hungry and ask my grand mom to make this as quick fix for the dinner, as its his favorite  Aj also likes this one to my surprise. No wonder his grand sons and great grand son too likes the same as their grand father.   This is more like the south Indian version of North Indian dal.

Easy Poricha kuzhambu recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Lunch
Prep Time: 5 mins    |  Cook time: 15 mins    |  Serves: 3

Ingredients

Moong dal/ paasi paruppu - 1/2 cup

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Onion - 1

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Tomato - 1

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Green chilli - 2

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Arisi mandi* - 1 & 1/2 cup

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Sambar powder - 1 tsp

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Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

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Asafoetida - A pinch

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Salt - as needed

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To temper

Oil/ ghee - 1 & 1/2 tsp

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Mustard - 3/4 tsp

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Urad dal - 1 tsp

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Jeera/ cumin - 1 tsp

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Curry leaves - A sprig

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Asafoetida - 2 pinches

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Method

1. Pressure cook moong dal with a cup of water to 3 whistles. *Wash rice once and drain the water and add one and half cup water again to rice and wash the rice well and collect the water for using in this recipe.Chop onion and tomato finely, slit green chilli and set aside.  In a kadai, heat oil and temper with the items given under to temper table. Add green chillies, onion and fry till transparent.
2. Add tomatoes and fry for a minute. Add the arisi mandi, turmeric, salt and sambar powder and bring to boil.
3. Add pressure cooked mashed dal and boil until u get a thick homogeneous texture 4 – 5 minutes). Stir in between to avoid burnt bottom and adjust the water quantity if there is no water at all in the cooked dal.

Notes

• Usually we collect the arisi mandi from the rice we are going to cook for that day and use it.
• This recipe is supposed to be without any vegetables and any other complicated grinding process.
• If not using arisi mandi you can use plain water too.

Serve with rice, topped with ghee, its perfect comfort food, easy to make when you have no vegetables in stock and you are in a hurry to cook.

Technorati Tags: poricha kuzhambu recipe,easy poricha kuzhambu,no vegetables poricha kuzhambu recipe,easy lunch ideas.,easy dinner ideas,easy south indian lunch menu

RAJ KACHORI RECIPE | CHAAT RECIPES

     Raj kachori is one of my favourite chaat and order where ever I find it in the menu in restaurants. I have had this 2-3 times and love it a lot.  But now its more than 2 yrs since I had it. Somehow I remembered last weekend and thought of trying on my own at home. So finally I made yesterday and had it heartily. And I am disclaiming this recipe may not be the authentic one, but I can assure it turns out to be finger licking good.. Vj too loved it when I made it for  him. Its sure full of calories with all those deep fried stuffs and curd, still, once in a while its sure a treat for you. You can make your guest wonder too by making this for them. You can make the sev, both chutneys a day ahead, even if you want to make (if you have large air tight containers) you can make the puris too ahead and make your job easier the day when you are preparing. All the chaat recipes have few ingredients to make, but once you make and keep it, you can enjoy these easily. Please refer to the chutney recipes and sev and papdi recipes by following the links in the ingredients table.

Raj Kachori Recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Snacks
Prep Time: 20 mins    |  Cook time:20 mins    |  Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the puri 

Maida/ All purpose flour	1 cup
ceroti / fine semolina*	1/4 cup
Corn flour	1 tsp
Oil	2 tblsp
Salt	As needed
Oil	for deep frying

* Optional

Other ingredients for making raj kachori

Potato	1 or 2
Kabuli channa(brown chickpeas)	1/2 cup
Whole green moong	1/2 cup
Curd	1 cup
Sugar	1 tsp
Papdi*	5-6
Green chuntey	As needed
Sweet chutney	As needed
Sev	As needed
Coriander leaves, chopped	As needed
Chaat masala*	As needed
Red chilli powder	As needed

Method

1. Soak both channa and green moong over night and pressure cook separately for 3 whistles. You can cook potato along with this too.In a mixing bowl, mix the flour with semolina, corn flour, salt, oil well and make a tight dough by sprinkling water little by little. Let it set for minimum 1 hr so that it will be easy to roll. 
2. After an hour knead well to a smooth dough and divide into equal size balls say 6- depending on how big you want the kachori.
3. Roll into a round circles. Heat oil in a kadai and let it be hot. Drop the puri one by one , it should puff up as shown in the picture. So make sure the oil is hot enough.
4. After it puffs up, lower the flame to maximum low and cook both side to get a golden brown crispy puri. Make all the ingredients ready including the chutneys.
5. At the time of serving, you can break the puri in the middle and fill it with mashed potaotes, channa, moong and a crushed papdi. Add both the chutneys.
6. Beat curd smoothly with little salt and sugar. Top the kachori with generous curd, both chutneys again and sprinkle sev over and garnish with more channa and moong and coriander leaves. You can also sprinkle the chaat masala and red chilli powders as needed.

Notes

• The puri should be crisp for this and make sure you fry in low flame to make it crisp.
• I like mine on sweeter side, so add lots of sweet chutney and add sugar in curd. So adjust the ingredients according to suit your taste.
• You can use ready made store bought sev and chutneys available in the stores for easy job or pre plan and make the before day and keep.
• You can also top pomegranate in this. Amchur powder can be sprinkled.

Blissfully delicious RAJ Kachori, serve immediately as you prepare. Enjoy the royal treat! Its full of deliciousness .

Technorati Tags: Raj kachori recipe,raj kachori,raj kachori chaat recipe,chaat recipes,curd,sev,sweet chutney,green chutney,kabuli channa,how to make raj kachori at home,homemade raj kachori

PALAK PAKORA RECIPE / PALAK PAKODA RECIPE

      Palak pakora or palak pakoda is an easy evening snack, perfect for tea time. I think there is another version of palak pakora of mixing the spinach leaves with the batter, but I have had this way in a restaurant once and even my MIL makes this when she makes south Indian version with vegetables.(bajji). If you have ready made bajji mix, then this can be made more easily in a jiffy . Hang on with this simple snack as of now, I promise to bring you intersting recipe coming up next .
   

Palak Pakora/ Pakoda recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Snacks
Prep Time: 5 mins    |  Cook time: 10 mins    |  Serves: 2

Ingredients

Palak/ Indian spinach - 10 leaves

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Besan/ chick pea flour - 1/2 cup

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Rice flour - 1/4 cup

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Ajwain or jeera - 1/2 tsp

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Black pepper powder - 3/4  tsp

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Cooking soda/ Sodium bi carb - 2 pinches

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Asafoetida - 2 pinches

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Ghee - 1 tsp

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Oil - as need for deep frying

Method

1.   Separate the leaves from the stalk leaving little bit as shown in the picture. Wash and set aside. Place all the ingredients other than oil & palak , in a mixing bowl.
2. Add water little by little and mix to a thick batter. It should be thick but loose enough to coat the leaves.
3. Heat kadai/frying pan with enough oil. When its hot enough (if you drop a drop of batter in oil, it should rise immediately). Dip the leaves one by one and carefully drop in oil. You can fry 2-3 at a time depending on how much oil you use for the frying. Fry both sides until it puffs up and turns crisp and golden.

Notes

• You can replace black pepper powder with red chilli powder too. But I love the flavour it lends to the pakoras.
• You can use any spinach that are big enough for this pakoras.
• Too much water or too much cooking soda will make the pakoras oily.

Drain over paper towels to remove excess oil  and serve hot with green chutney as side along with hot tea! Consume hot.

Technorati Tags: palak pakora recipe,palak pakoda recipe,palak pakora,palak pakoda,evening snacks,tea time snacks,deep fried

Lunch menu - 1 (South Indian lunch ideas)

        I am planning to post some Lunch menu ideas weekly, so that it will be easy and helpful for many to pre-plan their lunch in weekends/ weekdays. I also want to let know, this may not have any fancy combinations or elaborate lunch, instead, simple, yet will try my best to match the best combinations. If any of the recipes in the menu is not in my blog and if you want that specific recipe, you can leave a message requesting that recipe and I will try posting the recipe soon.
       To start with, here is the classic combo more kuzhambu and paruppu usili. We always try the best to include some dal everyday in our meals and since the kuzhambu is yogurt based, the paruppusili has lentils and complete the meal.

      So here is the More kuzhambu recipe. I have made it with ladies finger/ Okra/ vendakkai. To add ladies finger in mor kuzhambu, we usually fry it in 2 tblsp sesame oil until black spot appears and the stickiness also goes away. Then boil it until done with salt. Then add it to the mor kuzhambu.

Vegetables that can be added to More kuzhambu :

Other veggies that can be added in mor kuzhambu are – chow chow/ chayote, white pumpkin, brinjal, arbi/ seppankizhangu and even we make small bondas and add to the mor kuzhambu. Even paruppu urundais can be added to this kuzhambu. All the veggies should be cooked before with little water and salt before adding to the kuzhambu. Share the vegetable you add instead of the above.
     Cluster beans paruppu usili, this time I made it by finely chopping, instead the way I have posted earlier.

Vegetables that can be perfect for paruppu usili :

Beans, long beans, cabbage/carrot, broad beans,capsicum, spring onion/onion and vazhaipoo (banana flower).

Technorati Tags: South Indian Lunch Menu,South Indian lunch ideas,south Indian lunch recipes,More kuzhambu and paruppu usili as side dish,more kuzhambu side dish

Neer mor (Recipe for spiced buttermilk)

       Neer more/ neer mor (spiced buttermilk) is a perfect body cooling drink for summer. Neer mor and panagam both are offered on Tamizh new year and on Rama navami too. Since both the festivals falls over the summer month (Chithirai), we make this and offer to God and distribute to others too. No fancy items needed or no complicated too, still I am posting the recipe for buttermilk (spiced) because, tomorrow is Rama Navami. In MIL side, we dont celebrate Rama navami, but mom always does. So here is the way I do neer more (south Indian way of making spiced buttermilk). I am not sure if we temper it if we are offering to God, still I made this way.

   

Neer mor recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Drink
Prep Time: 5 mins    |  Cook time: 2 mins    |  Serves: 4

Ingredients

Thick curd/ plain yogurt - 1 cup

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Water* - 4 cups

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Green chilli - 2

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Chopped ginger - 1 tblsp

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Chopped coriander - 1 tblsp

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Chopped curry leaves - 1 sprig

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Salt - As needed

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Asafoetida - 1 pinch

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Lemon(optional) - 1/2

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*Adjust water quantity depending upon your curd's thickness and sourness.

To temper

Oil - 1 tsp

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Mustard - 1 tsp

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Asafoetida - 1 pinch

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Curry leaves - 1 sprig

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Method

1. Chop ginger, green chilly, coriander and curry leaves very finely. In a deep large bowl, place the thick curd.

2. Beat the curd smoothly and add all the other items including salt. Add water and mix well. If needed, squeeze in the lemon.

3. Temper the items given under ‘To temper’ table and mix it to the buttermilk. Keep refrigerated to have it chill, when ever needed.

Notes

• If the buttermilk is not that sour and you need to make a lot, then you can squeeze lemon. Or even if you like the flavour, you can.
• Add a pinch of asafoetida raw and rest while tempering, both together gives a great flavour.
• Instead of chopping finely, you can also try grinding the chilly, ginger and few curry leaves to add it in the buttermilk.
• At the time of serving, I strain and drink, still the flavour will be there.
• You can use hand blender with whisk too.
• Make sure you beat/ whisk the buttermilk well coz, the frothy top adds a lot of flavor :)

Serve chilled and keep yourself cool this summer by drinking lots of buttermilk. Spiced buttermilk! Check out the panakam recipe too!

Technorati Tags: Neer more recipe,neer mor recipe,spiced buttermilk recipe,recipe for buttermilk,summer drinks,summer body cooling,body cooling drinks summer,rama navami recipe,ram navami

VADU MANGO PICKLE / MAAVADU PICKLE RECIPE

Maavadu / vadu manga/ vadu mago is nothing but baby mangoes. A specific variety of this tender mango is made pickle, the ever popular “vadu mango pickle”. Mom makes more like the neer nellikai, which is also my most favourite. I like the water more than the nellikai/mango. It tastes great with more sadam/ thayir sadam. I can live with it! But this way of authentic maa vadu pickle I learnt from my MIL. She has this recipe in her handwritten cookbook, which she shared me over the phone and I tried it successfully for the first ever time in my life. And every day when I open the jar of this pickle the whole space is full of the pleasant mango flavour along with the spices! Wow! Too much!.
      I clicked these pictures just after one day I prepared, coz the baby magoes  where photogenic and actually I was too much enthusiastic to click it, cant wait until it gets soaked. How ever the picture below the ingredients table has been shot only after one week, just to show the looks of the shrunken, well soaked maavadu. Anybody remembering any tamil song now as you read this post?

Vadu mango pickle recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Lunch (pickle)
Prep Time: 1 Week soaking    |  Cook time: 15 mins    |  Makes: 3 cups

Ingredients

Vadu manga*/ maavadu/baby mangoes	2 cups heaped
Salt (rock salt preferred)	As needed
Castor oil or sesame oil	2 tbslp

*The baby mangoes should be round variety

To Roast and grind

Red chillies (Long variety)	20
Vendhayam (fenugreek seeds/ methi seeds)	1/2 tsp
Mustard	3/4 tsp
A small piece of turmeric Or turmeric powder	1/4 tsp
Asafoetida	1/4 tsp

 

Method

1.   Choose fresh, roughly same size of baby mangoes/ vadu manga. Wash properly and remove the stalks if any. Pat dry completely in a clean kitchen towel and dry in the shade for making sure it has no water. In a porcelain bowl or glass bottle, big enough to hold the manoges, transfer the mangoes and pour oil and mix well so that the oil coats all the mangoes completely.
2. Meanwhile, roast the items given under ‘To roast and grind table’. Add asafoetida powder towards the end. (I used the solid ones). No need to roast the turmeric. Roast until the mustard starts cracking. Do it in medium flame. Cool down and powder everything along with salt.
3. Then add  1/4 cup boiled & COOLED water and grind it to a paste. Add it to the greased baby mangoes.
4. Mix well with a spoon or if the jar has lid, shake it well so that the spicy sauce coats every mango.Toss 3-4 times a day so that it gets soaked evenly. For first few days, the salt makes the mango ooze out water and the mangoes will shrink little by little and the water quantity also increases. The below picture shows 2 days old soaked mangoes. But it takes atleast 1 week to get completely shrunken.

Notes

• As always told for pickles, always use clean spoons while handling the pickle.
• Make sure no water is there in the mangoes for long shelf life. This pickle can stay good for months even when kept outside.
• Use only peengan or glass bottles as others may not withstand the salt content in the pickle.
• Using kal uppu / rock salt is recommended.
• Do not forget to toss the mangoes everyday atleast 2-3 times for a week.
• By end of a week, the mangoes will get smaller and the spicy water will cover the mangoes – the way it is supposed to be. 

Serve with sambar/ rasam sadam ( I don’t do this, but have heard it will be good) or classically with the thayir sadam. Spicy and flavourful, simply a treat every single time you eat/lick it!

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