VATTHA KULAMBU (மணத்த தக்காளி வத்தல் குழம்பு )

Manatha thakkali (Black nightshades)seeds and their leaves are very healthy and contains iron content. Pick the manathathakkali seeds from plant,wash it and soak it in salted butter milk for 2 days then sun dry it. You will get a proper dry manathathakkali seed for your vatthal kulambu preparation.

Ingredients:
Tamarind juice
Jaggery
Small onion
Tomato
Sambar powder
Turmeric powder
Mustard
Fenugreek
Cumin seeds
Dry Seeds of manatha thakkali or dry turkey berry (sundaikai)
Curry leaves
Gingely oil
Salt

METHOD:

1. Using gingely oil is very important to bring a taste for vattha kulambu. Heat the gingely oil in pan. Splutter the small onion,curry leaves,mustard, fenugreek and dry manathathakkali seed (Black night shade in english)together. Fry well till all become golden color.
2.  To the above mixture add the tamarind juice which is previously mixed with jaggery,salt, Turmeric powder and sambar powder.
3. Keep it in stove for 20 minutes till the raw smell goes off. To this add more gingely oil and serve hot with white rice.

KUMBAKONAM KADAPPA

Kumbakonam kadappa is a side dish for idly and it will go with dosa too. and its a very famous dish in kumbakonam,u can find this dish in most of the kumbakonam traditional restaurants. Since i  born and brought up from kumbakonam i wish to share this dish here. Mostly people used to prepare this with moong dhal too. i am  adding here that too..
TYPE 1:
INGREDIENTS I USED:
Dariya dal(பொட்டுகடலை)
Onion-2(normal size)
Bigger Tomato-1
Coconut shreded
Green chilli - 5
Garlic - 2pods
Fennel
Cinnamon
Aniseed
Cooking oil and salt

METHOD:

1. In pan Fry the dariya dhal,Onion,Tomato,Green chilli,and shredded coconut
2. After frying well, Grind all this coarsly with little garlic.
3. Splutter the fennel,Aniseed, and cinnamon in oil
4. To this add the ground mix. Simmer it for 15 MInutes.
5. Serve hot with Idly.
TYPE 2:
MOONG DAL KADAPPA:

Ingredients
Moong dal - 1 cup
Potato - 2
Onion - 1 medium size
Tomato - 1 small size
Green chillies - 2 or 3 nos
Garlic - 6 pods
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Dhaniya powder - 2 tsp
Fennel - 1 tsp
Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
Cloves, Cinnamon, Caradamom - 2 each
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves
Oil & Salt

METHOD:

1.Pressure cook the moong dal and mash it well.
2. Boil the potato, mash them coarsely
3. Grind coconut, dhaniya powder, Fennel and poppy seeds
4. Slice the onions and tomatoes length wise. Finely chop the garlic and green chillies.
5. Heat oil in a kadai. Add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom and let them splutter. Add curry leaves.
6. Add onions, garlic and green chillies. Saute till onions turn translucent. Add tomatoes and cook till they are soft. Add the coconut paste and required water. Add salt and let it come to a boil.Add the mashed potatoes and the moong dal. Cook on medium heat for 2-3 mins.
7. Serve hot.

potato masala(உருளைக்கிழங்கு பூரி மசாலா )

potato masala is an easiest and quickest recipie. It will go nicely with poori and chapathi.

Ingredients i used:
 Potato
Mustard
Chana dhal
Green chilli
Curry leaves
Cooking oil
Salt

METHOD:

1. Wash the potatoes and peal off the skin. Microwave it for 3minutes
2. Mash the potatoes and add turmeric
3. In pan ,splutter the mustard,urid dhal,onion,chana dhal,green chilli and curry leaves together
4. Add the mashed potatoes into that. simmer it in for 10 minutes
5. Serve hot

CHILLI IDLY (சில்லி இட்லி )

If we have left over idlis or by using fresh idly we can make chilli idly. Its always  used to have a plain idly is a boring thing..so by adding some ingredients we can make it tasty idlis.

Ingredients i used:
Onion- cut into pieces
Tomato
Green chilli
Ginger garlic paste
Corn flour
Curry leaves &coriander leaves
Salt
Cooking oil or ghee
Mustard
Redchilli powder

METHOD:

1. Cut the idly into cubes
2. Mix the corn flour with ginger garlic paste and chilli powder. Dip the idlis inthis paste and fry it in a little oil.
3. Seson the mustard,minced onion,tomato and green chilli in ghee add the fried idlis with this.
4. Spread the coriander leaves and curry leaves.
5. Serve hot.

ANDHRA SPECIAL VANKAYA GRAVY

Today's recipe is almost 100 years old, But i learnt it from my andhra friend tallam anu. She used to give some ideas to prepare some andhra dishes. It's a typical rustic Andhra dish, made with basic ingredients available at home but yet tastes great with plain rice! This was reserved for the cookbook but I thought it makes a great recipe for the blog too!


INGREDIENTS I USED: 

Egg palnt - 5 small in size 
Garlic - 3pods 
Cloves - 2 or 3 
Cinnamon - 1" stick 
Dry Red Chillies - 4 
Dry Coconut  - grated 1 tbsp 
Corinader seeds - 1 tsp 
Moong dal - 1/2 tsp 
Jeera - 1 tsp 
Salt - to taste 
Oil  
Ghee

METHOD:

Fry the Brinjal in ghee or in oil and keep it aside.before fry that  Split each vankay  vertically in to four parts ( but not completely ) and put them in salt water.Microwave it for 1 minute. Cut the onion and chilli into very minced pieces. Fry the coriander seeds,moong dal,red chilli, and grated coconut and then grind it like a paste. In a medium size pan heat 2 table spoons oil. Add above prepared paste and fry for 2 minutes to that fry the onion and chilli also with jeera,clove and cinnamon stick. Then add the Fried vankaya into that garvy. Keep it in flame for 2 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.

PANEER GRAVY

INGREDIENTS I USED:

Paneer cubes
Ghee
Cinnamon
Bay leaf
Clove
Chilli powder
Tomato puree
Tomato slices
Fried onion
Garlic pods
Ginger
Sour curd - 1/2 cup

METHOD:
Fry the onion in ghee.keep it aside. Grind the fried onion,tomato puree,sour curd, garlic pods,and ginger together with chilli powder. Shift all this mixture in to the pan. Make it like a thick gravy. Then finally add the paneer cubes into that gravy.( Before that boil the paneer in microwave for 30seconds to make it soft).leave all this mixture in flame for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

CHILLI PARATHA

TO MAKE PARATHA:
Flour-2cups
Oil/ghee-1tbsp
Salt to taste
Water to knead
Method: Mix flour, salt, & ghee then add water little at time & form soft dough. Keep covered with a moist cloth. Roll like thik poori.Then form a ball.Male it like a chapathi. fry it. And keep it aside.
INGREDIENTS:
Onion- 2
Green chilli - 8
Garlic - 3 pods
Ginger - little
Curry leaf 
Oil
Salt

To make a chilli paratha:
Cut the fried paratha into minced pieces. Keep it aside. Cut the onion,greenchilli,garlic,ginger,curry leaf and red pepper. fry it in a oil. To that add garam masala,salt, and minced paratha pieces. Fry all this together in a little oil..Keep it on a flame for 5 minutes. Then garnish with coriander. Serve the Chilli paratha with onion raitha.