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.