Easy Jeera Rice

Ingredients

1. Basmati Rice - 1 cup
2. Onion ( Sabola ) - 4 No   ( 3 for the rice and 1 for deep frying )
3. Cloves- 5 No
4. Bay Leaves-  1
5. Cumin Seeds ( Jeera) - 4 tbsp
6. Cardamon- 4 No
7. Coriander leaves- 1/2 cup
8. Green chilly- 1  No
9. Cashew nuts
10. Lemon drops
11. Raisins
12. Oil as required
13. Ghee -2 tbsp
14. Salt as required.

 How to Cook

1. Wash the basmati rice just once , drain and keep it aside.
2. Add 2 tbsp ghee to a pan , add the cumin seeds, cardamon,cloves ,bay leaves and wait till they splutter.
3. When they splutter add onion and saute till translucent.
4. Add the coriander leaves , green chilly and saute for 2 minutes.
5. Add the basmati rice to the mixture and saute till it becomes dry.
6. Add 2 cups of water  , salt , lemon drops  and when it starts boiling , close the pan and cook for 20- 25 minutes.
7. Fry the onions, cashew nuts and raisins.
8. Garnish with fried onion , cashewnuts, raisins, coriander leaves.
9. Serve hot with chicken curry or salad.

Curd Rice

Ingredients

1. Rice- 1 Cup
2. Curd- 2 Cups
3. Milk- 1/4 Cup
4. Curry Leaves - as required
5. Salt- as required
6. Water- as required
7. Green Chilly- 2 Nos
8. Red Chilly - 2 Nos
9. Urud Dal- 1 tsp 
10. Mustard Seeds- 2 tsp
11. Curry Leaves- as required

How To Cook .

1. Boil  water and cook the rice.  Drain the rice and keep it aside
2. After half and hour , mix 2 cups curd, milk with the rice and keep it aside.
3. Take some oil in Pan and splutter mustard seeds. 
4. After it splutters , add  Urud Dal, red chilly, green chilly, curry leaves.
5. Add this mixture to the curd mixed rice and mix again well.
6. Serve with pickle , pappad.

Potato Curry

Ingredients

1. Potatoes- 5 medium sized
2. Onion - 2 No
3. Green Chilly- 4 No
4. Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
5. Turmeric Powder- 1/4 tsp
6. Oil - 1 tbsp
7. Salt as required
8. Curry Leaves .

How to Cook

1. Peel off the potatoes and cut into cubes and set aside.
2. Put the potatoes with enough water in cooker and pressure cook the potatoes for 5 whistles.
3. Wait until the pressure is released from the cooker and open the cooker , Strain the water out.Smash the cooked potatoes well.
4. In a Pan  , pour oil  and when hot , splutter mustard seeds.
5. Add Onion , green chilly , curry leaves and saute till the onions are translucent.
6. Add the cooked potatoes into the mixture along with turmeric powder , required amount of salt and mix it well with the onions. Smash the potatoes again.
7. Add 1 cup water and mix it well. Cook for 10 minutes.
8. Garnish with curry leaves and serve hot with puri.

Moloshyam Special ( Kaya Payar moloshyam )

Ingredients 

1. Raw Banana  ( cut into rectangular pieces )  -3 cups
2. Red Mung Beans ( Van payar ) - 1/2 cup
3. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
4. Green Chilly- 3 No
5. Chilly Powder- 1 tsp
6. Coconut Oil - 1 tsp
7. Curry Leaves
8. Salt as required 

How to cook

1. Pressure cook the red mung beans for 4 whistles first. Wait for the steam inside the cooker to dissipate.
2. After it is done , open the pressure cooker and  add the raw bananas, turmeric powder , chilly powder , green chilly , salt with required amount of water , again pressure cook for 2 more whistles.
3. After sometime after the steam gets dissipated , open the cooker and check whether the vegetable's got cooked well. If not cook for 2 more whistles.
4. After it gets cooked ,add 1 tbsp oil.
5. Garnish with curry leaves.Serve hot with rice.

Cut Mango Pickle

 

Ingredients

1. Cut Mango Pieces-  6 cups ( Wash mangoes properly before cutting into pieces )
2. Salt  - 4tbsp
3. Nallena- Ground Nut Oil -   6 tbsp 
4. Whole Red Chilly - 10 No
5. Fenugreek Seeds( Uluva ) - 1 tsp
6. Chilly  Powder - 4 tsp
7. Asafoetida ( Kayam Podi)  - 1 tbsp
8. Salt 4 tsp

 How to cook.

1. Mix the   mango pieces  with  salt and keep aside for 24 hours.
2. Pour  1 tbsp oil to the  pan and add fenugreek seeds , when it splutter add whole red chilly and saute till the red chilly is fried. 
3. Keep aside for cooling and grind in a mixie. Make sure not to add water so that we get a powdered  form of the mixture. 
4. Add the powdered mixture to the cut mango pieces  and mix it well . 
5. Pour  rest of the oil to a pan and when hot , switch off the flame. Add the asafoetida powder , 2 tsp chilly powder and saute for 1 minute. 
6. Then add this to the cut mango pieces and mix well.  
7. Keep it aside for 1 hour. Serve hot with rice.

Chakka Ada In Vashna Ela/ elavarnam/ Jack Fruit Ada

 The Leaf  used for preparing traditional Ada is Bay Leaves. Few use Banana Leaves as well.The speciality of the dish is the tempting aroma spread  when you cook this.

Bay Leaves Used for Cooking

Ingredients  

1. Ela  - as needed
2. Rice Flour( unboiled)- 2 1/4 cup
3. Sharkkara (Jaggery )- 1/4 kg
4. Jack Fruit Jam - 300 gram
5. Powdered Cardamon - 1 tbsp
6. Ghee- 1 tbsp
7. Grated coconut- 2 cups
8. Salt

How to Cook.

1. Take the flour into a bowl and add  a pinch of salt ,boiled water enough to make a smooth dough with a spoon first.When the dough cools , still lightly warm , knead the dough thoroughly with hand . 
2. Boil jaggery with 1/4 cup of water in a pan . After it gets dissolved, filter it to remove the dust particles. Again boil to get a thick syrup. 
3. Mix  coconut, Jack fruit jam , cardamon powder , jaggery syrup  with the prepared rice dough to get a semi thick  paste.  Make lemon sized balls out of the dough.
4. On one  piece of leaf , place the rice  dough ball , press  and spread out the dough .  Dipping the hand in water while doing it will make it easier to spread the dough. Refer picture below  A and B

Picture A

Picture B : Dough Spread Out

 5.Fold the leaf in the middle and press the leaf so that the filling is spread   evenly.Press all sides as well so that the filling wont come out.Refer Picture C.




Picture C

 6.Place the banana wraps in steaming vessel and steam for minimum 20 minutes , till it get fully cooked. Refer Picture D.





Picture D

7.Take the steamed ada out of the banana leaf and serve hot .

Uzhunnu Vada

                                                

Ingredients

1.  Urud Dal - 1 cup
2.  Ginger- 1 big piece
3.  Curry Leaves- few
4.  Green Chilly- 2 medium size
5.  Salt to taste

How to Cook.

1. Soak Urud Dal for 5 to 6 hours.
2. After 6 hours  grind the urud Dal to a fine paste  , please make sure to get a creamy paste.
3. Grind the ginger , curry leaves , green chilly, salt just for one round.
4. Mix the above grinded ingredients with the Dal paste.
5. Make oval shaped patties, shallow fry the patties.

Chicken Fry

                                  

Ingredients

1. Chicken - 1/2 kg
2. Oil for deep frying.

 For Marinating

1. Ginger Garlic Paste-  2 tbsp
2. Turmeric Powder-1 tsp
3. Chilly Powder- 3 tbsp
4. Garam Masala - 2 tbsp
5. Coriander Powder-1 tsp
6. Pepper Powder-1 tsp
7. Salt to taste

How to Cook

1. Wash the chicken pieces well. Soak the chicken pieces in turmeric water or vinegar solution for 30 minutes.
2. Transfer the chicken pieces to a bowl , sprinkle the masalas, ginger garlic paste and drops of water over the pieces and mix well  such that the chicken pieces are covered with masalas.
3. Refrigerate it overnight.
4. Take the marinated chicken pieces and keep it outside for 2 hours.
5. Deep fry each of the pieces.
6. Garnish with Onions and serve hot.

     

Vegetable Pulao

This is an easy recipe !!

Ingredients

1. Basmati Rice  -  2 cups
2. Water - 3 cups
3. Pepper Corns - 1 tsp
4. Cinnamon - 3 inch piece
5. Cardamons - 5 Nos
6. Cloves- 10 No
7. Bay Leaves-4 No
8. Cumin Seeds-1 tsp
9. Green Peas - 1 cup
10. Cauliflower - 1cup
11. Beans- 1 cup
12. Onion- 2 No thinnly sliced
13. Ginger-2 tsp chopped
14. Garlic- 2 tsp chopped
15. Green Chillies- 3 No chopped
16. Coriander Leaves Chopped - 2 tbsp
17. Methi Leaves Chopped - 2 tbsp

For Garnish 

1. Onion - 3 No
2. Cashew Nuts - 10 No
3. Raisins -  15 No

How to Cook.

1. Soak rice in water for 30 minutes and keep aside.
2. Wash the florets and soak the cauliflower florets for 30 minutes .Keep this aside.
3. Deep fry the onions till brown and keep it aside.
4. Fry the cashew nuts , raisins and keep it aside.
5. In a pan , add 6 tbsp ghee . Add the cardamon , cumin seeds , cloves,pepper corns ,bay leaves , cinnamon  and saute till it splutters.
6. When they splutter , add the onions and saute till the onions turn translucent.
7.  Make a paste  with coriander and methi leaves, add to the mixture.
8. Add the chopped ginger and garlic , green chillies and saute. 
9. Add cauliflower florets , green peas, beans  and saute for 2 minutes.
10. Add the  drained rice.
11. Saute for 3-4 minutes taking care not to burn the rice kernels.
12. Add 3 cups of water , 2 tbsp lemon ,salt and bring to boil.
13. Reduce heat and cook covered for 20 - 25 minutes .
14. Once it is cooked , garnish with fried onion, cashew nuts, raisins and coriander leaves.
15. Serve Hot.

Chicken Chettinadu without Coconut

  

Ingredients   

1. Chicken - 1 kg
2. Cinnamon - 2 inch piece
3. Cardamons- 4 No
4. Cloves- 6 No
5. Cumin Seeds- 1tsp
6. Pepper Balls - 10 No
7. Onion- 2 large finely chopped
8. Ginger - Garlic Paste- 2 tbsp
9. Red Chilly powder- 2 tbsp
10. Garam Masala - 2 tbsp
11. Coriander Powder- 1 tsp
12. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
13. Tomatoes  - 2 No finely chopped
14. Lemon juice- 1 tsp
15. Curry Leaves
16. Oil - 5 tbsp
17. salt

  How to Cook.

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the garam masalas  ( Cinnamon , Cardamon, Cloves , few pepper balls,cumin) into it and let it splutter. When it crackles , add the onion and saute till brown.
2. Add ginger-garlic paste ,red chilly powder , coriander powder, garam masala , turmeric powder and saute for 5 minutes .
3. Add the tomato pieces and saute for 10 minutes till the oil becomes clear and the tomatoes get cooked well.
4. Add little water if necessary  ( only 1/4 cup of water should be added so that the tomatoes gets cooked well enough to get a gravy form.)
5. Add the chicken pieces and cook on high flame for 10 minutes.  Then add 1 cup of water , salt to taste , curry leaves  .
6. Close the pan, simmer the flame and cook till the chicken is tender and gravy is thick.
7. Finish the crushed pepper corns , lemon juice and curry leaves.
8. Serve hot with rotis or rice.