Kandharappam

Ingredients

• Raw rice - 2 cup
• Boiled rice (Idly rice) - 1 cup
• Urudh Dhal - 1/2 cup
• Coconut - 3/4 cup
• Jaggery - 3 cups
• Fenugreek seeds - 3 tsp
• Cardamom - 2
• Oil

Method

Soak rice and dhal together along with fenugreek seeds for 2 hours minimum.
Grind them by adding little water. After few minutes of grinding add the cardamom seeds and coconut. The batter should be the consistance of thick dosa batter or like that for Adai
When it is almost done add jaggery.
Leave it to ferment for 4 to 5 hours.
Heat oil in a kadai, beat the batter with a ladle and pour a ladle full into the hot oil.
when the ends start to brown slightly turn the paniyaram and cook for few seconds and drain out of the oil.

Note: Shred the jaggery and measure. Check for sweetness after making the first paniyaram, if you feel the sweetness is not enough add little honey (it gives good golden color) or few spoons of sugar. If the batter is too thick add a tablespoon of water. If the jaggery is high in quantity the paniyaram will brown fast and will not be cooked in the middle or it may just spread.
If the oil is too hot the paniyaram may go shapeless.
It must have the ends like that of a shore line called karai.
The paniyaram may spread in the kadai or it may go into crumbles if the ratio of urudh dhal is not proper or if too much jaggery is added or if its fermented for a longer time.

Shark Podimas

Ingredients:

• Shark - 200gm
• Small onions - 1/2 cop
• Garlic - 1/4 cup
• Green chillies - 2
• Mustartd - 1 tsp
• Urud dhal - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 2 strings
• Lemon - 1
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste

Method:

Deskin the shark. Boil water with lemon juice, salt and turmeric powder drop the fish pieces.
The fish will be cooked in 3 minutes, drain and keep aside.
Slice the small onions and garlic.
Crumble the fish pieces with hands.
Heat oil in a kadai. Season with mustard, urud dhal, curry leaves and asafoetida. Saute the onions, garlic and green chillies. Add the turmeric powder and salt as per need. When the onion is cooked add the crumbled fish pieces.
Serve hot.

Prawn Thick Gravy

Ingredients:

• Prawn - 250gm
• Onion - 1+1
• Tomato - 1
• Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Tamarind juice - 1 tbsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 1tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Bay leaf - 1
• Cinnamon stick - 1"
• Fresh cream - 2 tbsp
• Curry leaves - 2 string
• Coriander to garnish

Method:

Clean and wash the prawns.
Grind 1 onion. Chop the other onion and tomato.
Heat oil in a kadai, add bay leaf, cinnamon stick and curry leaves.
Fry the chopped onions followed by the onion paste and ginger garlic paste, when the raw smell evaporates add the chopped tomato and all spice powder and tamarind juice. Cook till oil separates.
Add the prawns and cook with a little water.
Simmer for few minutes transfer it to a bowl garnish with chopped coriander and top it with fresh cream.
Serve with naan, roti or rice.

Prawn Green Curry

Ingredients:

• Prawn - 250 gm
• Onion - 1
• Tomato - 1(small)
• Green chilli - 3
• Ginger garlic paste - 2tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup

Method:

Clean and wash the prawns well.
Chop the onion very fine.
Puree the tomato along with the green chillies.
Heat oil in a kadai fry the onion, when done add the ginger garlic paste and then followed by the tomato pulp.
Cook well till oil separates, add turmeric powder and salt.
Add the prawns and cook with a little water if needed.
Mix in the chopped coriander simmer for a minute till the flavor of coriander blends in.
Turn off and garnish with fresh coriander and serve with Chapathi or rice.

Milagai thuvayal

Ingredients:

• Onion  - 2
• Tomato - 4
• Garlic  - 2 pods
• Red Chillies - 8 to 10
• Tamarind - little
• salt - to taste

To Season

• Oil - 1 table spoon
• Mustard - 1/2 tsp
• Urud dhal 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Curry leaves - a string

Method:

Grind all the above said ingredients.

Heat oil in a kadai season it with mustard seed, urud dhal, curry leaves, asafoetida and pour the ground chutney in it and let it to boil till the raw smell goes.

Note: You can also boil it well until it losses out all the water content. this can be had with idly dosa and also chapathi. This can be stored in fridge for at least a weeks time and good to pack and take while travelling. 

Mangai Inippu Pachadi

Ingredients:

• Raw Mango - 250gm
• Jaggery - 200gm
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Mustard - 1 tsp
• Dry red chillies - 2
• Curry leaves - 2 strings

Method:

Peal the mango and cut into small cubes.
Heat oil in the thick bottomed pan and add the mustard, red chillies and curry leaves.
When the mustard splutters add the cut mangoes and cook them well, untill they are soft and slightly mushy.
When well cooked add the grated jaggery and simmer. Brink it to a boil and turn off the stove.
Can serve it with rice or can eat it simply.

Note: Add little water in the process of cooking mango, if it is a very raw and sour mango then it may not cook easily. Do not add jaggery before the mango is very well cooked.

Fish Kodampuli Curry

Ingredients:

• Fish - 500gm
• Small onions - 1 cup
• Kodampuli - 3
• Ginger paste - 2 tsp
• Chilli powder - 3 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Fenugreek powder - a pinch
• Mustard - 1 tsp
• Coconut oil - 12 tbsp
• Curry leaves - 3 strings
• Salt to taste

Method:

In two cups of hot water drop the kodampuli and keep aside for 20 min atleast.
Clean the fish.
Peal the onions and crush them coarsely.
Heat oil in a kadai add the mustard and curry leaves, when the mustard sputters add the coarsely crushed onion, ginger paste and fry it well. Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder and fenugreek powder and fry till the raw smell goes and oil seperates.
Pour in the kodampuli water along with the puli pieces.
Add salt and bring it to a boil.
Now drop in the fish and simmer for few minutes for the fish to cook.
Garnish with fresh curry leaves and serve with rice and pappadam.

Note: the sourness of the tamarind will initially be less and improves as it soaks in the gravy. So soak it for a long time and if they are good size just 2 pieces will be enough. The gravy is not so thick, if needed a thick gravy then boil it a little longer untill it reaches the needed consistency and then deop in the fish. Fish needs just few minutes to cook.
Fenugreek powder when added more gives a bitter taste, so add just a pinch.

Shark Red Curry

Ingredients:

• Shark - 250gm
• Onion - 1
• Tomato - 1
• Lemon - 1
• Oil - 2 tb sp
• Salt - to taste
• Coriander leaves to Garnish

For the Red curry

• Kashmiri red chilli - 10
• Garlic - 5 to 8 flakes
• Ginger - 1" piece
• Pepper - 1 tsp
• Cumin - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Tamarind - a small marble sized ball

Method:

Skin the shark, wash, marinate with salt and lime juice and leave it aside.
Grind all the ingredients for the red curry to a fine paste.
Chop the onion and tomato.
Heat oil in a kadai, fry the onion when slightly browned add the tomatoes and cook well.
Add the red curry and cook till the oil comes out.
Add little water and the shark pieces, close the lid and cook well.
Garnish with chopped coriander.

Note:
Any fish usually gets cooked faster. cooking for a long time will harden the fish, especially in sharks get harden much. so just cook for 4 to 5 minutes.

Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

• Palak leaves - 1 bunch
• paneer (Cottage cheese) - 200 gm
• Onion - 1
• Tomato - 1
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 t sp
• Green chilli - 4 to 6
• Cumin seed - 1 tsp
• Garam Masala - 2 tsp
• Ghee - 1 tb sp
• Oil - 1 tb sp
• Salt - to taste

Method

Wash and roughly chop the palak leaves. Blanch it with very little water. Run through cold water.
Puree a tomato and keep aside.
Finely chop an onion.
Run the palak leaves and green chillies in a blender to a smooth paste.
Cut the paneer into small cubes.
Heat oil and ghee in a kadai, add the cumin seeds followed by onion and ginger garlic paste.
Saute well till it is completely cooked. Add the tomato puree and cook till the oil comes out.
Add the palak and green chilli paste, when it boils add salt and paneer cubes.
If needed add little water simmer it for 5 min, sprinkle the garam masala powder and turn off the stove.
Serve it with chapathi or basmathi rice.

Note: Paneer will be as soft if you are just going to add it to the gravy. Some may suggest to shallow fry it in oil and then put it hot water before adding it to the gravy, but personally i feel the paneer if at all not taken out of oil at the right time it might be hardened on the edges and get rough. some may suggest just to drop the pieces in hot water (with salt) and add to the gravy, you may also try that if you like it. But what i have done is just add the paneer pieces.

Idly Upma

Ingredients

• Idly - 6 to 10
• Small onions - 1/2 cup
• Urudh dhal - 1 tsp
• Mustard - 1 tsp
• Green chillies - 2
• Curry leaves - 2 string
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp

Method

In a bowl dissolve very little salt in 2 cups of water.
Peel and slice the small onions.
Slit the green chillies.
Immerse the idly in the salt water, Squeeze it between the palms and scramble it with fingers. Do the smae for all idly and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a kadai. season it with mustard and urudh dhal. Add curry leaves followed by onion and green chilli. Saute it till the onion is cooked. Now toss in the scrambled idly and mix well.
Turn off the stove and serve it with Idly podi/Sambar/Chutney.

TYPE 2

In this you can avoid the small onions.
Crush some pepper and cumin seeds coarsely in a blender.
Heat oil season with mustard urudh dhal and curry leaves add 2 dry red chilli and a spoon or two of crushed pepper and cumin seeds. Now toss in  the scrambled idly and serve.

Fish in Coconut milk

Ingredients:

• Fish - 500 gm
• Onion - 1
• Ginger - 2"
• Green chillies - 4 to 6
• Garlic - 4 to 6
• coriander powder - 2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Cardamom - 2 pods
• Cinnamon  - 1 "
• Fenugreek seed - 1 tsp
• Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
• Coconut milk (thick milk ) - 1 cup
• Second milk - 1 1/2 cup
• Salt - to taste
• Curry leaves

Method

Cut and clean the fish.
Slice the onion, garlic and ginger length wise. Slit the chillies
In a pan heat the coconut oil season it with spices (cardamom, cinnamon), fenugreek seeds, Curry leaves.
Add the onions and saute till light brown, Add the ginger, garlic and green chillies followed by coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt. Saute till the raw smell goes. Add the 2nd coconut milk. Drop the fish pieces and simmer it. Close and cook for 5 minutes. open and simmer it for another 5 mintues. Turn off the stove.
Add the thick coconut milk a dash of fresh curry leaves and coconut oil.
Serve with steaming white rice.

Note: do not cook for a long time in high flame as the coconut milk may curdle. Alos turn off the stove and then add the thick milk. You can use any choice of your fish, what i have used is Neimeen (Vanjaram in Tamil, Seer/King fish in English), i have also tried it with Aavoli (vavval in Tamil, Pomfret in English).

Kootu Kuzhambu

This is a very simple and easy Kuzhambu. Its usually called kooti vaikkum kuzhambu, normally done at occasions like padaippu at chettinad house hold, of course at such times it is done with single vegetable either brinjal or plantain green. but here i have given a recipe involving all the available vegetable as it is called kootu kuzhambu.

Ingredients:

• Brinjal - 2
• Green Mango - 1/2
• Plantain green - 1/2
• potato - 1
• Yellow pumpkin - 200gm
• Drumstick - 1
• Carrot - 1 small
• Beans - 5 to 8
• Cluster beans - 5 to 8
• Snake gourd - 1/2
• Small oions - 5 to 10
• Garlic - 5 to 10
• Tomato - 1
• Tamarind - 1/2 the size of a lemon
• Salt to taste
• Red chilli powder - 3 tsp
• Coriander powder - 2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin seed - 1 tsp
• Split urudh dhal - 1 tsp
• Dry red chillies - 2
• Curry leaves - 2 to 3 strings
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Ginglee oil - 2 tb sp

Method:

Make a solution of tamarind and salt.
Cut all the vegetables in chunks/cubes of 1' each.
Put all the vegetables together in a pan.
Add water just to immerse the vegetables.
Peel and halve the small onions. Crush the garlic and remove the skin. add onion and garlic to the vegetables.
Crush/rub the cumin and fennel seeds between the palm and add it to the vegetables. Add the split urudh dhal to the vegetable.
Cut the dry red chillies into to and add it to the same.
Smash the tomato with finger and add it.
Pour in the tamarind and salt solution to it. Add chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric, oil and top it with curry leaves.
Mix the contents well. Taste, adjest salt and spice.
Now turn on the stove and let it to boil.
Close it and cook till the gravy thickens, all vegetables are cooked soft and the oil starts to come out.
This is best served with piping hot white rice or with Idly and dosa.

Note: As i said before you can add vegetable of your choice single or a mix of many vegetables. avoid vegetables like ladys finger as this does not involve any sauteing or frying. Its very easy as there is not much cooking and stirring involved. Add all the ingredients one by one and at last put it on fire till the gravy thickens and reduces. It has a good shelf life too. Will be good for at least 3 to 5 days in fridge.
Will remain good kept at room temperature for a day but you may have to keep it warm. (heat it twice or so).

Peas Masala

Ingredients:

• Green Peas - 1 cup
• Onion - 1
• Tomato - 2
• Ginger - 2 "
• Green chilli - 1
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Butter - 1 tbsp
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala - 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
• Bay leaf - 1
• Salt - to taste

Method:

Wash the peas, boil it drain and keep aside.
In a blender make a paste of onion, tomato, ginger and green chillies.
In a kadai heat oil and ghee together add the bay leaf followed by the ground onion tomato paste. Saute it well till the water and raw smell evaporates. Add the chilli powder, salt and boiled peas also little water if requires.
Cook on a low flame till all the ingredients blend weel. Now add the garam masala and the chopped coriander leaves.
Top it with a knob of butter.
Serve it for chapathi, pulao or basmathi rice.

Note: people who are health conscious can avoid the butter and the ghee part. For a richer taste you can add one or two table spoon of fresh cream, in case there is no fresh cream you can also add thick milk 1/4 cup, this will change the consistency also will lessen the tinge of chilli powder.

Poori

Ingredients:

• Wheat flour - 1 cup
• Maida - 2 tbsp
• Rava - 1 tbsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - to fry
• Water

Method

In a bowl mix in the flour, maida, rava, sugar and salt. Add water and kneed it into a soft dough.
Heat oil in a kadai.
Make small balls of the dough and spread it into small pooris.
When the oil is hot enough slowly slide a poor.
Withe a perforated ladle turn it the other side after half minute and then when browns drain and take it out.
Serve with potato curry or channa or side dish of your choice.

Note: Rava and Maida are option. Adding a spoon of sugar will give a nice golden brown color to the poori.

Vengaya Kos - With coconut

Ingredients:

• Onion - 2
• Tomato - 1
• Potato - 1(small0
• Cabbage - 2 leaves
• Chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Bay leaf - 1
• Pepper - 1 tsp
• Split urudh dhal - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - a string
• Salt - to taste 
• Oil - 2 tbsp

To grind

• Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Roasted bengal gram dhal - 2 tbsp
• Fennel seeds - 2 tsp
• Pepper - 1 tsp
• Kus kus - 2 tsp

Method:

Finely cut the onions, potato, cabbage, and tomato. (everything in lengthwise about an inch long)
Heat oil in a cooker pan add bay leaf, pepper, split urudh dhal followed by onion. Saute till the onion is translucent and cooked. Add the potato and cabbage and saute well.
Add the tomato and cook well. Add chilli powder and salt and saute till the raw smell goes.
Now add water and pressure cook.
Grind the next set of ingredients to a paste with little water.
Open the cooker and let it boil, stir in the coconut paste and adjust the spice and salt. Bring it to a slight boil and turn off the stove.
Could be served with Idly or chapathi.

Note: You can either pressure cook or just close the vessel and cook. Also the potato could be added either by chopping it or boil it separately peel the skin, mash it with finger and add to the dish while adding water. It improves the thickness. Adjust the water according to the required consistency.

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients:

• Carrot - 1/2 kg
• Milk - 1 + 1/2 cups
• Condensed milk - 1/2 cup
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Ghee - 1 cup
• Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
• Cashew nuts - 10 to 15

Method:

Wash, peel and shred the carrots.
Heat the ghee in a cooker pan, fry the cashews. Drain the cashews and keep it aside. Now to this heated ghee add the shredded carrots and cook well, till the color changes to a darker shade.
Add a cup of milk and pressure cook (3 to 4 whistles). Stir it well and slightly mash the content and cook on low fire.
When the carrot is well cooked and the whole content thickens add the condensed milk and sugar. Stir often and cook on a low fire till the ghee comes out in the sides of the pan.
Add the fried cashew nuts and cardamom powder, mix well and serve.

Note: The remaining half cup of milk is optional if you feel the carrot is dried up add the half cup milk and cook. Do not wait for 3 to 4 whistles at a stretch. after 2 whistles turn of the stove, wait for a while, open and check, if needed add milk and cook again, we don't need the content to be dried up and burnt. adjust the condensed milk and sugar according to the taste and consistency. You can add either one or both. of course condensed milk will give a rich taste. You can of course break the cashews into small pieces, in this picture i haven't.

Malli Thuvayal

Ingredients:

• Coriander leaves - a bunch
• Small onions - 5 to 8
• Tamarind - size of two to three peas
• Coconut grated - 1/2 cup
• Green chillies - 6 to 10
• Salt - to taste

Method:

Wash and clean coriander leaves.
In a blender add the coriander leaves, small onion, tamarind, green chillies, coconut and salt and blend well. If needed add water.
Check for spice and salt.
This could be served with Idly or Dosa.

Note: seasoning is optional. if needed after transfering the chutney to a bowl, Heat oil in a kadai or seasoning ladle add split urudh dhal, mustard, curry leaves and red chillies. Once the mustard splutter add it to the chutney and mix well.
At some house hold they saute everything in the oil and then then grind the chuyney, in such case the coriander looses all its essential nutrients, so avoid sauteing the coriander leaves and coconut as the coconut turns to add on fat.

Vallarai Thuvayal

Vallarai as it is known in takmil has lots of medicinal value. It helps in improving a baby's memory power when consumed during pregnancy, helps in strong and long hair growth etc.
Its commonly known as Centella in English.

Ingredients:

• Vallarai keerai - 3 hand full
• Coconut - 3/4 cup
• Red chilli - 2 to 4
• Green Chilli - 2 to 4
• Small onion - 6 to 10
• Tamarind - size of a marble ball
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tb sp
• Urudh dhal - 2 tsp
• Mustard - 2 tsp

Method:

Clean and Wash the vallarai keerai.
Grate the coconut. peel the small onions.
Heat oil in a kadai, add the urudh dhal and mustard. When the mustard splutters add the red chillies, slit green chillies, tamarind and onion.
Saute till the color slightly changes.
Add the washed vallarai and coconut.
Saute well add salt.
Cool itr and grind it in a blender.
Serve with Idly or Dosa or for Tamarind rice.

Note: A little extra tinge of tamarind that that we usually add for other chutney is required since we are adding vallarai. After adding the greens saute till the leaves shrink or the color changes which will happen sooner.

Paruppu Payasam

Ingredients:

• Green gram dhal - 200 gm
• bengal gram dhal - 100 gm
• Jaggery - 200 gm
• Coconut milk - 1 cup + 1 cup of second milk
• Cashew nuts - 6 to 10
• Cardamom - 2 pods
• Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method:

soak the bengal gram dhal for an hour.
Pressure cook the green gram dhal and soaked bengal gram dhal well together.

Mash it slightly.

To the crushed jaggery add a table spoon of water and dissolve it.

Filter and add the jaggery solution to the dhal stir and bring it to a boil.
Add the second milk and bring it to boil slightly.

Add the crushed cardamom.
Add the thick first milk and turn off the stove.

Fry the cashew nuts in ghee and add to the payasam.

Serve it hot or cold.

Idly Podi

Ingredients:

• Urudh Dhal - 1/2 cup
• Thoor dhal - 1/2 cup
• Red chillies - 1 cup 
• Curry leaves - 10 to 20 strings
• Tamarind - a very small ball 
• Asafoetida - 1 tsp
• Mustard - 2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

Heat little oil in a kadai.

Fry the urudh dhal till golden brown and transfer it to a plate.

Heat little oil again and fry the thoor dhal and add it to the plate.

Heat the left oil add the mustard, asafoetida, tamarind, salt and curry leaves fry them and add to the plate.

Add the red chillies and fry them in the same kadai.

Once all the content is cooled grind them to a powder in a blender. Taste and adjust the salt.

Once cooled store it in an air tight container.

Note: The curry leaves can be avoided if you do not like the flavor or added in excess if you like them.

Some add bengal gram dhal also, in case of add it fry them in the same manner as the other two dhal. Red chillies can be adjusted again to the need. 

Vellaipoondu Oorugai

Ingredients:

• Garlic - 500 gm
• Gingilee Oil -200 ml
• Lemon juice - 400 ml (it might take some 10 to 12 lemons)
• Water - 200 ml
• Jaggery - 3 to 4 tbsp
• Salt - 75 gm
• Mustard - 1 tb sp
• Asafoetida - 2 tsp
• Chilli powder - 400 gm

To Prepare the chilli powder

• Red Chillies - 150 gm
• Coriander seeds - 50 gm
• Jeera - 50 gm
• Fenugreek - 50 gm
• Asafoetida - 2 tsp

Dry roast all the above together and grind the powder. this powder should come for 2 cup (400 gm)

Method:

Dissolve salt in lemon juice and water together.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel. add mustard and asafoetida.
When the mustard splutter add the mix of lemon juice, water and salt. then add the ground chilli powder.Let it boil well till the raw smell evaporates.
Add the garlic to it and cook well. Simmer it till the garlic is well cooked and the oil comes out.
If needed add more oil. Taste for salt, spice and lemon's sourness.
Let it cool well and then bottle it.

Note: If the garlic is big in size slit them into two. If the lemon flavour is too strong and sourness is strong add chilli powder. If the ground shilli powder is too fine it will not coat the garlic well, so have it normal and too coarse also. When you squeeze the lemon see to that you dont squeez it too much that the rind is alos squeezed it might tase bitter.

While using the pickle there are chances for a white fungi formation on the pickle, in such cases you can throw the top layer, heat some gingilee oil and add to the pickle. The fungi formation happens only when there is no oil covering the top layer of the pickle.

Crab Masala

Ingredients:

• Crab - 3
• Small onions - 1 cup
• Onion - 1
• Tomato - 1
• Garlic - 8 to 10 pods
• Ginger - 1"
• Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
• Pepper - 1 tsp
• Fenugreek - 1 tsp
• Split urudh dhal - 1 tsp
• Red chillies - 3
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Curry leaves
• Salt - to taste
• Tamarind solution - 2 tbsp 

To Grind

• Coconut - 1/2 cup
• pepper - 1 tsp
• Red chillies - 4 to 6
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

Clean wash the crab with little rock salt.

Peel the small onions and garlic and halve them into two.

Chop the onion and tomato. Cut the ginger into small cubes.

Grind coconut and other ingredients to a smooth paste.

Heat oil in a pan add the seasonings (pepper, urudh dhal, fenugreek seeds, red chillies and curry leaves).

Add the small onions, garlic and the chopped onion, ginger and saute well.

Once cooked add the tomatoes and cook well. Add salt and turmeric powder.

Toss in the washed crab. Close the pan and let the crab cook. open and toss the content occasionally.

A nice aroma evaporates announcing the crab is cooked well.

Add the ground paste and the tamarind solution. Let it simmer for few minutes.

Turn off and transfer to a serving bowl when the gravy reaches the needed consistency.

 crab 

Note: Basically crab is rich in calcium, good for young mothers who breast feed. Crab need to be washed well in lot of water as there will be sand in the nook and corner of the shell. Right time to buy crab is when no moon day is nearing as it will be fleshy. We add pepper as it is healthy but be careful while adding pepper as excess will burn the lip. You can also make it only small onions as it will add more taste. Crab for that matter any sea food will get cooked soon so not to worry 10 to 15 minutes is good enough to cook crab. If you need more gravy then ground onion and tomato can be added once after adding the small onions and garlic and cook till the raw smell goes. the ginger helps in digestion. Cut it into cubes so it can be picked out later to avoid chewing them or shred them and add.

Karunai Kizhangu Masiyal

Ingredients:

• Karunai kilangu (Yam) - 500gm
• Small onions - 200gm
• Garlic - 100 gm
• Tomato - 1
• Tamarind - size of a lime
• Chilli powder - 3tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Curry leaves - few strings
• Pepper - 2 tsp
• Urud Dhal - 1 tsp
• Red chillies - 5 to 7
• Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 5 tbsp

Method:

Pressure cook yam and remove the skin.

Make a solution of tamarind and salt.

Peel and slice the onions and garlic. Chop the tomato.

In a large mixing bowl, smash the onions and garlic by hands, add the cut yam and mash all well, slowly add the tamarind salt solution and mix well. Add turmeric and chilli powder. 

Mix well and check for salt and spice.

Heat oil in a heavy based vessel (a cooker pan or a kadai) add pepper, split urudh dhal, dry red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida.

Pour the semi solid yam mix into it and cook well.
Cook till the water content evaporates and the oil comes out of the mix.

Note: This dish is a best combination for curd rice. It will take a long time for mix to get cooked and the oil to come out. Adding enough oil will help the dish cook well. This could be kept out of refrigerator for a day and can be stored even for a week in fridge. A good dish to take during travelling.