Coconut Rice

INGREDIENTS:

Red chilli                                 6

Ginger                                     a bit - 1 inch 

Green chilli                             2

Mustard                                  2tea spoon

Channa Dhal                            2 table spoon

Urad Dhal                                 1 table spoon

Asafoedita                                 1/2 teaspoon

Rice                                         3 cups

Oil                                           2 table spoon

Curry leaf                                12nos

PROCEDURE:

Wash and cook the rice and spread it in a wide mouthed vessel. 
Heat the oil and season red chiili, mustard,channa dhal,uraddhal asafoedita and cut green chilli.
Add this with the instant ready mix coconut powder to the cooked rice.
Mix well by adding 1/4 teaspoon of sugar.
Now taste it and add salt if necessary.

Jackfruit payasam

பலாபழம் பாயசம்

Ingredients

1. Jack fruit cut into small pieces (or pulp) - 4 cups
2. Jaggery - 3 cups
3. Water - 1/2 cup
4. Coconut milk - 3 cups
5. Cardamom powder - 2 teaspoons
6. Broken cashew nuts - 5 tablespoons
7. Dry ginger powder - 1 teaspoon
8. Ghee - 1 tablespoon

Procedure

• Pressure cook the jack fruit pieces for 20 minutes
• Remove and grind it in a mixer for 5 minutes
• Keep it aside. Melt the jaggery with 1/2 cup of water to double thread consistency and strain it to remove the dust
• Now mix jackfruit mass with jaggery syrup and keep it on stove
• Keep stirring for 30 minutes
• Now the mixture will become thick like idly batter
• Then keep a pan on the stove
• Add ghee and roast the cashewnuts to golden color
• Now add the coconut milk to the jackfruit mixture with cardamom powder, dry ginger powder and allow it to summer for 5 minutes
• Never allow it to boil for a long time
• Over boiling will cause curdling of coconut milk
• Garnish with the roasted cashewnuts to serve
• Note: To increase the taste of payasam, roast 2 tablespoons of moong dhal and pressure cook till it becomes soft. Then add this along with the jackfruit mix and stir well

Ladies finger poriyal (Okra Poriyal)

Ingredients:

1. Ladies finger or Okra - 500 gms 
2. Chopped onions - 1 cup
3. Coconut scrapings - 4 tablespoons
4. Cumin seeds - 2 teaspoon
5. Garlic - 3 pods (optional)
6. Mustard - 1 teaspoon
7. Urad dhal - 1 tablespoon
8. Curry leaf - 10 leaves
9. Salt - to taste
10. Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
11. Chilli powder - 3/4 teaspoon
12. Oil - 2 tablespoon
13. Curd (Yogurt) - 1 tablespoon

Procedure:

• Wash and cut the okra to 1 inch length pieces. 
• Heat oil in a pan and add the seasonings one by one
• Then add onions and the cut okras with salt and turmeric powder
• Mix well and sprinkle the yogurt on the top to avoid the vegetable sticky 
• Close with lid and reduce the flame to minimum temperature for 10 minutes
• Keep stirring occasionally 
• Meanwhile grind coconut and cumin seed coarsely without adding water and add this to the cooked okras
• Now add the chilli powder and curry leaves. 
• Mix well and keep on the stove for 10 more minutes at the same heat
• Now remove and serve with your rice and sambar, rasam or other gravy
• NOTE: For diabetic people you can add the diabetic kootu powder instead of coconut

Beans Paruppu Usili

பீன்ஸ் பருப்பு உசிலி

Ingredients

1. Beans (finely cut) - 3 cups
2. Toor dhal -  3 Tablespoons
3. Channa Dhal - 1.5 tablespoons
4. Chilli powder- 1.5 teaspoons
5. Salt to taste
6. Turmeric powder - 3/4 teaspoon
7. Mustard - 3/4 teaspoon
8. Urad dhal - 2 teaspoon
9. Asafoetida - 1/2 teaspoon
10. Curry leaves - 12 nos
11. Oil - 3 tablespoon

Procedure

• Soak toor dhal and channa dhal for about 2 hours
• Wash and grind coarsely with chilli poweder and salt by adding 3 tablespoons of water
• Never add excess water to avoid the mass becoming sticky
• Now heat 1 tablespoon of oil and saute the ground mixture for 5 minutes by stirring constantly
• Remove and steam for 10 minutes
• Cool and grind it in the mixture for 3 minutes without adding water
• Now the content will be a very soft powder. keep it aside
• Wash and cook the beans in 1 cup of water with little salt and turmeric powder till it becomes soft
• Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a pan and season with urad dhal and mustard
• Add curry leaves and put the soft dhal powder and stir for 3 minutes. Now add the cooked beans without water and stir well to get a uniform mixture
• Now the colorful tasty paruppu usili is ready to eat.

Simple Chukku Coffee (Dry Ginger Concoction)

சுக்கு காபி

Ingredients:

1. Tulsi or Mint leaves - 12 leaves with stem
2. Dry Ginger - 100 grams 
3. Coriander Seeds - 50 gms
4. Black pepper - 25 gms
5. Karuppatti (black jaggery) - 500 gms

Procedure:

• Dry grind and store the dry ginger, coriander seeds and black pepper  in an airtight container.
• Boil 6 cups of water and add 6 to 8 teaspoons of ground powder.
• Add black jaggery approximately 8 teaspoons or according to the individual taste
• Allow it to simmer for 20 minutes
• Now 3 cups of chukku coffee is ready
• 1/4 cup of warm milk can be added if required just before drinking
• Note: Always prepare the chukku coffee as fresh as possible. Never reheat it once milk is added since milk will get curdled. This is a stimulant for the digestive system.

Pidi Kozhakattai for Diabetics

பிடி கொழக்கட்டை
Ingredients

1. Whole wheat Rava - 2 cups
2. Coconut scrapings - 1 cup
3. salt - to taste
4. Oil - 2 teaspoon
5. Red chilli - 4 to 5 nos (broken to small pieces)
6. Channa dhal - 2 tablespoons
7. Muustard - 1 teaspoon
8. Asaefoetida - 3/4 teaspoon
9. Curry leaves - 10 nos

Procedure

• Roast rava for 5 minutes in a dry pan and keep aside
• Heat oil in a pan and season with mustard, chilli, channa dhal and asafoetida
• Add curry leaves and add 2 cups of water and allow it to boil
• Now add rava, salt and stir well to avoid lumps
• After10 minutes when rave is cooked about 3/4th, add coconut scrapings and mix well
• Remove from stove
• Take one lime sized ball of dough and hold it in your hand
• Press with your fingers to give the impression on the dough (like a pidi)
• Make as many balls as possible and steam it in an idli cooker for 10 to 15 minutes
• Remove and serve with tomato or onion chutney

Mullu Murukku

முள்ளு முறுக்கு

Ingredients

1. Rice - 2 cups
2. Channa dhal - 1.5 cups
3. Moong dhal - 1.5 cups
4. Cumin seed or seasme seeds - 3 teaspoons
5. Asafoetida powder - 1 teaspoon
6. Oil  - for frying approximately ( 500 ml)
7. Salt - to taste
8. Ghee or butter - 2 teaspoon

Procedure

• Clean and dry grind rice and both the dhals to a very fine powder and sieve well
• Add salt, asafoetida, ghee, cumin seeds and 1 cup of water
• Mix well to make a soft dough
• Heat the oil in a pan. Keep one orange size ball of the dough in a murukku presser and press to make a mullu murukku on a greased small plate.
• Now slowly transfer the murukku into the hot oil and turn aside till it is cooked crispy.
• Remove and store in airtight container
• In the place of water coconut milk can be added to enhance the taste
• This murukku will become golden yellow in colour

Pidi Kozhakattai

பிடி கொழக்கட்டை

Ingredients

1. Parboiled Rice - 2 cups
2. Coconut scrapings - 3 cups
3. Channa Dhal - 2 tablespoon
4. Mustard - 1 teaspoon
5. Asafoetida - 1 teaspoon
6. Red chilli - 4 to 5 nos (broken to small pieces)
7. Curry leaf - 10 leaves
8. Salt to taste
9. Oil - 1 tablespoon

Procedure

• Soak the rice for 3 hours. 
• Wash well and wet grind it to rava consistency with salt
• Heat oil and season with mustard, asafoetida, channa dhal, red chili and curry leaves
• Add the ground rava and stir well to avoid lumps
• Keep storring for 10 minutes till it becomes thick and non-sticky
• Now remove from fire and add coconut scrapings
• Mix well. Take one lime sized ball of the dough and hold it in your hand
• Press with your fingers to give impression on the dough like a pidi.
• Make as many balls as possible and steam it in an idli cooker for 10 to 15 minutes
• Remove and serve with tomato or onion chutney

Oats and Vegetable oothappam

ஒஅத்ஸ் கயிகரி உட்டபம்

Ingredients

1. Oats - 2 cups
2. Shredded Cabbage, Cauliflower and Carrots - 2 cups
3. Yogurt drink (Karoun in Indian stores) or Buttermilk - 1/2 cup
4. Salt to taste
5. Chopped onions - 3 tablespoons
6. Green chillies (chopped) -0.5 teaspoon
7. Chopped coriander leaves - 2 teaspoons
8. Channa dhal - 1 tablespoon
9. Mustard - 0.5 teaspoon
10. Urad dhal - 1 teaspoon
11. Oil - for seasoning

Procedure

• Mix oats salt and yogurt drink to dosai batter consistency and keep aside
• Now season mustard, urad dhal and chhan dhal with 2 teaspoons of oil
• Add finely chopped onion, green chillies and sautee for 3 minutes
• Now add all other shredded vegetables and keep stirring till all the vegetables are partially cooked
• Add little salt and blend this mixture with the oats batter and add chopped coriander.
• Water can be added if necessary. Now keep a pan on the stove and pour 1 laddle of batter and spread it to 1/4 inch thick oothapam. 
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of oil and turn other side till it becomes golden color and cooked evenly
• This can be served with tomato chutney, coriander chutney and this is a high fiber diet for diabetics.

Coconut Thirattupal

தேங்காய் திரடிபால்


Ingredients:

• Coconut scrappings: 2cups
• Milk: 2 cups
• Jaggery: 1/2 kg
•  Roasted Moong Dhall Powder: 1cup
• Ghee: 1 cup
• Cardamom Powder:2Teaspoons
• Roasted Cashew nut: 2Tablespoons

Procedure:

1. Grind coconut scrappings with milk for about 5 minutes and keep aside.
2. Keep a thick bottom vessel on the stove and add 2 Teaspoon of Ghee.
3. Add the ground mixture and Keep stirring for about 20 minutes.
4. Add jaggeryand again continue the same procedure till the mixture becomes Iddly batter consistency.
5. Now springle the roasted Moong dhal powder and mix well.
6. Keep adding the rest of the ghee till the entire mixture does not stick to the sides of the vessel.
7. Add cardamom powderand cashew nut and mix well.
8. Remove from the stove.

Urad Dhal Kazhi

உளுந்து கழி

Ingredients:

• Raw rice: 11/2 cups
• Uraddhal: 1/2 cup
• Palm jaggery: 4cups
• Water: 2cups
• Gingely oil:11/2 cups

Procedure:

1. Dry grind Rice and Dhal together to fine powder.
2. Melt the palm jaggery with water and strain through a fine sieve to remove the dirt from jaggery
3. Heat 1/2 cup oil and add Rice and Dhal powder.Keep stirring for 5 minutes.
4. Add the jaggery syrup and mix quickly to avoid lumps.
5. Keep stirring by adding 2 table spoon of oil for every 5 minutes till the mixture becomes to Halwa consistency
6. Use the entire amount of oil when the mixture is in stove.
7. When the mixture does not stick to the hand,it is the right time to remove from the stove.
8. Total cooking time will be approximately 30 minutes.

Application: 

Taken as snack

Household Hints: Keep your chinaware sparkling

While cleaning the chinaware add vinegar (2 tablespoons) to the soap water or dish washing liquid and soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Scrub with a sponge and rinse well. The dishes will become sparkling clean

Household Hints: Remove oil stains from cloth

As soon as the oil is splashed on your dress or cloth, sprinkle talcum powder liberally and keep aside for 1 hour. Now dust away the powder and give a rinse with soap water and dry well. You will be surprised that the oil stain vanishes.

Household Hints: Peeling onions

Peel the onions and keep them immersed in a bowl of water or in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. Now you can cut the onions without shedding tears

Household Hints: Peeling Garlic

Keep the garlic pods in the microwave oven for 30 seconds. Remove and you will find how easy it is to remove the skin of the garlic

Household Hints: Keep your dining table clean

After cleaning the table with a damp cloth, use 1 teaspoon of powdered camphor and sprinkle all over the table. Keep for 5 minutes and wipe off with a dry cloth. Flies, ants and mosquitoes will run away from the smell.

Savory Sukian (sooyan) for Diabetics

Ingredients

1. Green gram dhal - 2 cups
2. Green chilly - 2 nos
3. Ginger - 1/2 inch bit
4. Salt to taste
5. Raw rice - 0.5 cups
6. Urad dhal - 1 tablespoon
7. Turmeric powder - 0.5 teaspoons
8. chilly powder - 0.5 teaspoon
9. Coriander leaves - 2 tablespoon (Chopped)
10. Oil - for frying
11. Asadoetida - 0.5 teaspoons

Procedure

• Wash and cook dhal and drain water
• Grind salt, ginger and green chilly coarsely and add this to the cooked dhal
• Mash it with a spoon 
• Mix chopped coriander and make them to lemon size balls and keep aside
• 0.5 teaspoon of lemon juice can be added if you wish
• Soak rice and urad dhal together for 3 hours
• Wash and grind with salt, red chill powder, turmeric powder and asafoetida to a batter consistency
• Heat oil and dip the dhal balls in the batter and drop one by one in the hot oil
• Fry the balls to golden color
• Keep turning the balls in the oil for uniform frying
• Serve with tomato ketchup or mint chutney

Sweet Sukiyan

சுசியன் / சுகியன் 

Ingredients

1. Channa Dhal - 2 cups
2. Raw Rice - 1/2 cup
3. Urad Dhal - 1 tablespoon
4. Jaggery - 1.5 cups
5. Cardamom powder - 1 teaspoon
6. Oil for frying - 2 cups
7. Salt to pinch
8. Sugar - 1 teaspoon

Procedure

• Soak rice and urad dhal together for 3 hours
• Grind it to paste by adding sugar and salt
• Make it to a batter consistency and keep aside
• Heat jagger with 0.5 cups of water to a thick syrupy consistency and filter it to remove the dirt
• Wash and cook channa dhal soft 
• Filter the water and mash the dhal with the spoon and add to jaggery syrup with cardamom powder
• Heat this mixture on the stove and keep stirring
• When the mixture is thick, remove and cool
• Make it into lime size balls 
• Now heat the oil well
• Dip each dhal ball into the rice batter and add 4 - 5pieces and deep fry till it becomes golden color.
• Every now and then turn the balls slowly so that they will be uniformly brown.

Rasam Powder

ரசம் பவுடர்


Ingredients

1. Red chilli - 2 cups
2. Coriander seeds - 3 cups
3. Pepper - 3 tablespoons
4. Cumin seeds - 3 tablespoons
5. Toor dhal - 3 tablespoons & Asafoetida - 1 tablespoon (Dry roast both the toor dhal and asafoetida to golden color in a pan)

Procedure

• Add all this ingredients together and grind coarsely in a dry grinder
• Mix well and store it in an airtight container

More Kozhambu

மோர் கொழம்பு

Ingredients

1. Butter Milk or Sour Yogurt - 3 cups
2. Coconut scrapings - 2 tablespoons
3. Rice - 3 tablespoons
4. Toor Dhal - 1 tablespoon
5. Coriander seeds - 2 teaspoons
6. Cumin seeds - 2 teaspoons
7. Ginger - 1/2 inch bit
8. Green chillies (or Thai chillies) - 7 numbers
9. Coriander leaves chopped - 3 teaspoons
10. White pumpkin புஷநிகை or Chayote Squash Peeled and cut into 2 inch cubes - 2 cups
11. Curry leaves - 7 nos
12. Oil - 1 tablespoon
13. Mustard seeds - 2 teaspoons
14. Urad dhal - 2 teaspoon
15. Red chilli - 2 nos
16. Asafoetida - 3/4 teaspooon
17. Turmeric powder - 3/4 teaspoon
18. Salt - to taste
19. Chopped onion  1 tablespoon
20. Asafoetida - a pinch

Procedure

• Grind ginger, rice, coriander seeds, green chillies, coconut scrapings, chopped onions and toor dhal to a paste
• Mix well and add this to the yogurt with turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt.
• Keep this on the stove and allow this mixture to raise up and immediately remove from fire
• Steam the cut vegetables separately and add this to the gravy.
• Season mustard, urad dhal, red chilly and curry leaves with a little oil
• Add the seasoning to the more kozhambu
• Garnish with coriander leaves
• If using okra, sautee the okra with oil and little salt till it cooks well and add to the gravy in the place of the pumpkin
• You can also add 10 masala vadais instead of vegetables to the gravy