Steam rice cakes - Puttu with home made flour

I haven't blogged in a long time i don't remember how long too.But one thing is that i miss blogging so much for not only the recipes but the whole process cooking, editing pictures and posts, and lastly i miss the links the blog world gave me.I have made some really good friends through blogging and i would want to continue to do so.

Susiyam - deep fried lentil stuffed fritters

 We got back from our holiday and i have been lazing around to be frank and kept wondering if i would even come back to my lovely blog ever.Tonight i decided i had enough of this hiatus and i should put in some love to the dear blog.More than blogging now i miss taking pictures.Wonder if fellow bloggers are ever in this situation.

 

Tapioca curry | Kappa curry - south indian style

 Tapioca is a really yummy tuber.Its simply cooked and seasoned with mustard seeds in coconut oil in the south and it tastes heavenly.My DH used to tell me how the gujarati house he stayed in UK served him sabji style tapioca curry for chapathis.I have tried it but not too happy with my results i never repeated it.Last week i tried this curry and its just a modified version of our south indian curry but i found it much better.A good change to regular tapioca.

No cook - Oil/dairy free Peanut Jaggery ladoos

The summer vacation is officially yet to begin but our minds are already in holiday mode, I'm making too many snacks now but no time to share them here.The toddler is always on the move and I extra arms and legs(even eyes) to watch over him.This recipe was shared to me by friend Vidya she's my guru to make indian sweets which I never wanted to venture because of the complex issues in them.But once I tried them home made is the best!And the best part - its got no cooking at all!!

Arachu vita/Roasted and ground spices Sambar with Radish

Sambar is a lentil and vegetable based dish which needs no introduction.Everyone around the world is familiar with it and that it goes well with dosas and idlis thanks to the south indian chains of restaurants all over the world.

This sambar has roasted masalas ground into a fine paste thats why the name arachu vita (means using ground masalas).

We don't make this sambar very often at my place we just make it regularly with boiled dal,vegetables and ready made store brought sambar powder or if i have time i make the powder by myself.

The collage shows the steps I followed to make this sambar in that order.

Roast all the below until golden brown and grind to a smooth paste

Coriander/Dhaniya seeds 1 and half tablespoons      

Channa dal 1 tablespoon

Fenugreek seeds/vendhayam 1/4 tsp

Dried red chillies 2-4

Coconut 2-3 tablespoon

To make the sambar

You need

Toor dal half cup

Tamarind a small lemon size

Small Radish 1 chopped into small pieces

Onion 1 small

Tomato 1 small

Green chilli 1

Garlic pods 4-5 

Sambar powder 1 tsp

To season

Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves few

Oil 1 tablespoon

Ghee 1 tablespoon

Hing/perungayam a pinch

Salt to taste

- Cook the radish with the dal until soft.

- Heat oil and ghee in a kadhai or pan, add mustard seeds once they pop add the curry leaves and onions.Add the hing to this.

- Add tomatoes and garlic and green chillies.Add the sambar powder and saute well.Add tamarind water and let it come to a boil.

- Add the ground spices paste.Let this heat for 2 minutes.

- Add the cooked dal and vegetables.

- Add salt to taste and enough water to get the desired consistency.

- Allow the sambar to cook for 10 minutes stirring regularly else the dal will settle down and burn.

- Once the sambar has come to a boil on low flame turn it off and garnish with fresh curry leaves.

Arachu vita sambar is ready.Serve hot with steamed rice and papads.Don't forget to add ghee, the more the tastier!!(if you like)

Arachu vita/Roasted and ground spices Sambar with Radish

Sambar is a lentil and vegetable based dish which needs no introduction.Everyone around the world is familiar with it and that it goes well with dosas and idlis thanks to the south indian chains of restaurants all over the world.

Appams and Velam Appam - Lacy pancakes with jaggery

 Appams make festival special breakfasts and dinners. They make a good combination with easy stews and curries.I make them often because its easy to store in the refrigerator for daily morning breakfasts too.

These appams just have jaggery sprinkled over it but you have to take my word that it takes the plain ones to totally different level with just that speck of sweet sprinkled over it.The ones you see below are plain appams.

To make the basic appam batter you need


Raw rice/pacha arisi 3 cups
Idli rice/boiled rice 1 cup
Cooked rice one hand full or half a cup
Urad dal/ulundhu half cup
Grated coconut half cup
Coconut water (optional) of one coconut
Appa soda/baking soda a generous pinch
Salt 1 tsp or more


- Soak all of the above rices and dals together for 2 hours, now grind into a smooth batter in a blender adding the remaining ingredients.Add salt and a pinch of baking soda and stir well.
- Allow this batter to ferment for 8-10 hours.

To make the plain appams:

• Once the batter is fermented, check the consistency of the batter it has to be a little more runny than dosa batter.If its too runny it may stick to your kadhai/vessel.
• Heat the kadhai use a nonstick one if you want to reduce the hassles of sticking appams.Cover with a lid.
• Pour 1 large ladle of the batter to the centre of the kadhai and swirl the kadhai so it coats the sides of the vessel cover and cook until the centre is done for 2-3 mins on a medium flame.
• Repeat for all the batter as required.

To make the vellam appams :

• Same procedure as above just sprinkle scraped jaggery/ vellam to the centre of the appam cover and cook same way as plain ones.

Serve hot appams with chicken Chettinad curry, chicken stew or vegetable kurma or egg kurma or just plain milk or coconut milk.
Vellam appams are good to go as they are.

Some tips to get the appams right :

- If your vessel is nonstick then the appam will leave the sides once its cooked and the sides are crispy if not then pour some oil in the vessel you're about to use to make the appams over night.In the morning drain the oil, wipe the vessel with a kitchen towel rub a cut onion and then pour the appams.Hopefully it won't stick then and will be smooth making them.

- Instead of jaggery you can use palm jaggery or karupukatti too tastes good too.


Sending this to Lets Cook for Christmas @ Just not the cakes, Favorite Recipes:Christmas, Christmas Recipes

Appams and Velam Appam - Lacy pancakes with jaggery

 Appams make festival special breakfasts and dinners. They make a good combination with easy stews and curries.I make them often because its easy to store in the refrigerator for daily morning breakfasts too.

Chick peas/kadala curry - South indian style

I love chick peas especially for my chapatis.But some time back my good friend gave me this recipe then I fell in love with it because its a two in one goes well with rice and chapatis or even dosas and the south indian delicacy puttu.

Chick peas are a big favourite in our home and DH used to ask me to make this curry many times but I had that mental block that it wouldn't taste good with rice but i was wrong.But I can tell you that the black chick peas work better in this curry than the white ones.Not to forget that they are healthy and protein packed food.like my LM is studying in school - Pulses are body building foods.

So ever since i made this curry a few months ago, it turns up every week on Tuesdays when we have a complete vegetarian menu.

You need

Chick peas(black tastes better for this curry) 1 cup (soaked over night)
Coconut oil 1 tsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Tamarind a small goose berry size soaked in a half a cup of hot water
Salt to taste


For the gravy 

Oil 1 tsp
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 medium
Coconut 2 tablespoon
Ginger 1 tsp
Dhaniya powder 1 tsp
Chilli powder 1/2 tsp

- In a hot pan, add oil and the above ingredients fry well and turn the heat off.Now add the dhaniya powder and chilli powder and let this mixture cool.
- After the mixture cools, add it to a blender and grind first without water and then adding a little water to grind into a smooth paste.
- Pressure cook the soaked chick peas with a little salt and keep aside.
- In a pan, heat coconut oil add the mustard seeds allow to pop and then add curry leaves.
- Add the ground paste and let it come to a boil.Now add the tamarind water and let it boil.
- Add the cooked chick peas and cook until the chick peas absorb the masala well.
- You can add a little water as required to make the curry a little runny.

I serve hot kadala curry with steamed rice, keerai kootu and papads or goes really well with puttu(south indian steamed rice cakes) or dosa and even chapatis.Enjoy a yummy finger licking good lunch :)

Sending this to SIC @ Nivedhanam and Anu's healthy Kitchen, Dish it out - Onions and chillies 

Chick peas/kadala curry - South indian style

I love chick peas especially for my chapatis.But some time back my good friend gave me this recipe then I fell in love with it because its a two in one goes well with rice and chapatis or even dosas and the south indian delicacy puttu.

Spicy Egg kurma

Eggs are always life savers.Apart from the fact that they are tasty in any form they are too versatile too.I love trying to make new dishes with eggs.This is one such gravy that turned out super good!

You need

Hard boiled eggs 2 cut into round slices

Onion 1 large sliced finely

Tomato 2 medium chopped

Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Fennel/saunf/sombu 1 tsp
Coconut oil 2 tablespoons
Ginger 1 inch piece
Garlic 5-6 pods

Dhaniya powder 1 tsp
Chilli powder 1/2 tsp or more
Green chilli 2nos
To grind to a fine paste
Whole spices - 2 cardamoms and an inch sized piece of cinnamon
Coconut 1 tablespoon
Cashew nuts 5 nos

• In a pan, heat coconut oil, add the fennel seeds and mustard seeds, green chillies once it pops add the curry leaves.
• Add the onions let it saute well until soft.
• Crush the ginger garlic roughly or in a mixer.
• Add tomatoes and let it saute well until you get a smooth gravy mix.
• Add dhaniya powder and chilli powders and cook until raw smell goes away.
• Add salt to taste and turmeric powder.
• Add the eggs.
• Add the ground paste and check for salt again.Spoon gravy over eggs and don't stir anymore.
• After it simmers for 5 minutes turn off the heat.
• Add some curry leaves to garnish.

Spicy egg kurma is ready to be served with any breads,rotis or parottas :)

Spicy Egg kurma

Eggs are always life savers.Apart from the fact that they are tasty in any form they are too versatile too.I love trying to make new dishes with eggs.This is one such gravy that turned out super good!

Sweetened poha/aval/flat/beaten rice

I have been missing BHW for sometime now because of the vacations and other reasons.But its always a pleasure to participate.Its a fun idea to not only explore other blogs in minute detail but also to try out their dishes.

This time i have been paired with Nirmala, i have chosen her sweet poha - its such a yummy and tasty and yes one quick snack...did i forget to mention healthy too!I tried this with red poha/aval the first time and it definitely makes a huge difference to the taste.This dish though i have used white aval/poha its tasty nonetheless.

You need

Poha/flattened rice 1 cup soaked and drained until soft
Jaggery 2 tablespoon scrapped or chopped roughly
Coconut scraped 1 tablespoon
Salt a pinch
Banana slices optional
Sugar to sprinkle

For the tempering
Oil 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Baby onions 5 6 nos chopped finely
Urad dal 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp

• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, baby onions, urad dal and cumin seeds allow to fry.
• Next add the softened poha and mix well with salt to taste.
• Add the jaggery scrappings and mix well until the jaggery melts or if you like it as chunks just heat it for 2 minutes and turn it off.
• Sprinkle sugar and scrapped coconut as per your taste.You can add mashed or chopped bananas to this as well.

• Serve hot and adjust the amount of jaggery according to your sweet tooth.i like it a a lot sweeter :)

This goes to BHW @ Tickling palates, Kids delight - evening snacks

Sweetened poha/aval/flat/beaten rice

I have been missing BHW for sometime now because of the vacations and other reasons.But its always a pleasure to participate.Its a fun idea to not only explore other blogs in minute detail but also to try out their dishes.

Moong dal with ridge gourd curry

A south indian curry/kootu which makes way to the table atleast once a week at my place.This month's MM ingredients came the same day when i was making this curry and so I thought with my short weekend break in line i knew i wouldn't be able to make anything else so I thought i'd post this yummy curry.

We usually make this curry and its served with curry and rice or just curd rice.Easy comfort food which goes well with chapatis and rice equally well.I was in a real hurry taking these pictures and i think they are just decent to be posted!

We even loved it with our morning dosas!

You need
Ridge gourd/peerkanga 1 medium sized peeled and diced
Moong dal 1 cup soaked for 10 minutes
Onions 1 large finely sliced
Tomato 2 medium cubed
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil/ghee 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Red chillies 1 or 2

To be ground into a fine paste
Coconut 2 tablespoons
Garlic pods 3
Green chillies 1
Pepper corns 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp

• Cook the soaked dal and ridge gourd in a pressure cooker with the tomatoes and salt to taste.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, red chillies and curry leaves and let the mustard seeds pop.
• Now add onions and fry well,when the onions go translucent add the cooked dal and ridge gourd mixture.Allow this to simmer well.
• Add the ground coconut pepper paste and check for salt.Add turmeric powder and allow to simmer well.

• Serve hot with plain rice, chapatis or even dosas.

Sending this to MM7 @ Sizzling tastebuds

Moong dal with ridge gourd curry

A south indian curry/kootu which makes way to the table atleast once a week at my place.This month's MM ingredients came the same day when i was making this curry and so I thought with my short weekend break in line i knew i wouldn't be able to make anything else so I thought i'd post this yummy curry.

Green mango curry for an easy lunch

Are you tired of making an elaborate lunch...try this easy curry and with the mango season still going on, it'll be as easy as it sounds.For a hot summer's day, this works out to be the perfect lunch i want to settle down with.

Green mangoes are really to work with and in the south, we use it in curries, seasoned rice varieties and pickles.This curry I make it with and without the yogurt,either way i love both the versions.

I make this curry whenever I'm not in the mood to make a curry for lunch.You can substitute green mangoes with drumsticks or any soft vegetables like white pumpkins but you need to add a little tamarind to it.

This curry is mildly flavored so a nice spicy fried side dish would go really well with it.I made fried bhindis and some wheel papads for my little one and she enjoyed the lunch with me :)

Preparation time : 10 minutes

You need
Green mango 1 small chopped into cubes
Turmeric powder a pinch
Fenugreek seeds 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Dried red chillies 2
Oil (refined oil/coconut oil) 1 tablespoon
Asoefetida a pinch

To grind to a fine paste
Coconut scrapped 2 tablespoon
Garlic pods 2
Green chillies 2
Cumin seeds 1 tsp

• Add the chopped green mango chunks into a deep pan and add salt and turmeric powder and allow it to cook.This should be done in no time.
• Now add the ground coconut paste to this and let the mango chunks cook well in the coconut sauce.
• Check for salt and turn it off.
• For the seasoning : Heat coconut oil (or any oil of your choice), add the mustard seeds, red chillies,curry leaves and asoefetida.
• Pour the seasoning into the curry and heat it for about 2 minutes.

• Yummy tangy mango curry is ready to be served for lunch :)) 

Sending this to Only Mango @ Anu's healthy kitchen, Mango Mania @ the pumpkin farm

Green mango curry for an easy lunch

Are you tired of making an elaborate lunch...try this easy curry and with the mango season still going on, it'll be as easy as it sounds.For a hot summer's day, this works out to be the perfect lunch i want to settle down with.

Green mangoes are really to work with and in the south, we use it in curries, seasoned rice varieties and pickles.This curry I make it with and without the yogurt,either way i love both the versions.

Coconut Rice/Thengai Sadham

Coconuts are not aliens in our south indian kitchens but surprisingly I've never made this rice ever before.I love it and so did my LM who usually picks out titbits from her plate.i must declare it an instant hit.

I have been trying to make this rice for a while since my friend has been mentioning it for a while.I was a little worried about how it would last in the lunch box.But I realised the trick!One aromatic flavoursome rice and lunch made easy in this sweaty summer!I have added a lot of baby onions to this recipe which made it extra fragrant and tasty too.I just heard on tv yesterday evening that baby onions/sambar onions are great coolants during the summer.

You need

Cooked rice 2 cups

For the seasoning:

Coconut oil 3 tablespoons
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Channa dal/kadala paruppu 1 tsp
Urad dal/uzhundhu 1 tsp
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Peanuts 1 tablespoon
Cashew nuts few
Green chillies 1 or 2
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Aniseeds/saunf 1 tsp
Red chillies 3
Baby onions 1/2 cup chopped finely
Grated coconut 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste 1 and half tsp
Salt to taste

• Cook rice and allow to cool so the rice does not stick together.
• Heat oil in a pan/vessel, add all the ingredients listed under the seasoning one after the other waiting for each to fry well in the oil.
• Once the seasoning is all ready, check for salt and mix the cooled rice and mix well so that the flavors well mixed.
• Serve hot with any spicy chicken curry or vegetarian gravy of your choice and fried pepper papads.

• Pack it in the lunch box with fried potatoes and boiled eggs.
• Enjoy the amazing flavors!

Sending this to Lunch box ideas @ Cuisine delights, Only series-South indian , Cooking concepts 8-Vegan, Healthy Morsels @ Taste of pearl city, Anyone can cook #45 @ taste of pearl city