Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Kozhakattai (Ganesh Chaturthi), Ellu Kozhakattai and Ulundu Kozhakattai

Ganesh Chaturthi

We prepare Kozhakattai, Appam and Vadai on this day for Naivedyam. Kozhakattai is a sweet prepared with coconut, jaggery and rice dumpling prepared on special occasions and for Lord Ganesh on Chaturthi festival.

Ganesh Festival
Ganesh Puja
Kozakattai
  • Grated Coconut...........1cup
  • Powdered Jaggery.......1/2 cup
  • Cardamom Powder.....1 pinch
  • Rice Powder.................2cups
  • Salt .............................1/4 tsp
  • Coconut Oil...................2tsp

Method

  • Grate the coconut.Heat a pan with coconut and jaggery
  • Stir it till the jaggery incorporated with coconut. 
  • When you can able to make small balls remove from flame. 
  • Make small balls and keep.
  • Boil one and half cup water with a pinch of salt and 1tsp oil. 
  • Add the rice powder slowly with out lumps and make thick soft dough. 
  • Knead the dough well. Apply oil in your hands take a little dough and shape it like a cup and keep the sweet coconut balls in the centre and cover all the sides with the fingers. 
  • Steam all the kozhakattais. When they are cooked cool them and remove them to a bowl
.  
Ellu  Kozhakattai(sesame/Till seeds Kozhakattai)

  • Ellu or Sesame seeds....... 1cup
  • Powdered Jaggery...........1cup
  • Oil................................ 1tsp
  • Rice Powder..................1 cup
  • Salt ..............................1/4 tsp

Method

  • Dry roast the ellu/sesame seeds till they puffs up. 
  • Powder the jaggery and sesame seeds with a pinch of salt.
  • Boil the water with 1tsp oil add the rice flour and make a thick dough. 
  • Take a little rice dough, apply oil and shape like a cup and keep 
  • 1tsp ellu podi in the middle and seal all the sides. Steam them.

Ulundu Kozhakattai

Ingredients

  • Urad Dhal…………….. 1 cup
  • Green Chilies………….3
  • Grated Coconut………. half cup
  • Ginger………………. 1 piece
  • Curry Leaves…………. few
  • Mustard Seeds……… 1tsp
  • Rice Flour………… ..1 cup
  • Water………………..1/2 cup
  • Oil ………………… 1 tsp
  • Salt ………………….1 tsp
  • Asafoetida……………half tsp

Kozhakattai/Festival made with lentil and rice flour
Ulundhu Kozhakattai
Method

  • Soak the dhal for an hour and grind coarsely with chili and salt.
  • Steam this mixture for 10 minutes.
  • Heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds curry leaves,chopped ginger asafoetida and when mustard crackle add the steamed mixture and stir well.. 
  • Add coconut and make small balls and keep. 
  • Boil the water in a pan and add oil, salt and rice flour,maida
  • Stir well with out forming lumps. 
  • When it becomes thick dough,cover and keep.
  • Knead the dough with little oil till it becomes smooth. 
  • Make cups and place this dhal pournam and cover them. 
  • Steam all the kozhakattais for ten minutes.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Red Beans, Pepper Salad

Red Beans Pepper Salad

Ingredients
  • Cooked Red Beans.......... 1cup
  • Yellow Pepper...................1
  • Red Pepper.......................1
  • Onion................................1
  • Black Olive........................1/4 cup
  • Scallion..............................1
  • Salt and Pepper..................to Taste
  • Olive Oil...........................1tsp
  • Lemon Juice.....................1tbsp
Method
  • Chop the onion, red pepper, yellow pepper onion and scallion. 
  • Mix all including red beans, olives, salt and pepper.
  •  Mix all nicely add olive oil and lemon juice.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Green Apple, Pumpkin Soup


Soup
Green Apple, Pumpkin Soup


Green Apple , Pumpkin Soup












Ingredients

  • Chopped Green Apple.................1cup
  • Chopped Onion............................1/2 cup
  • Chopped Pumpkin.........................1 cup
  • Chopped Celery.............................1/2 cup
  • Olive Oil........................................2tsp
  • Vegetable Stock.............................3cups
  • Coriander Leaves...........................few
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

  • Combine every thing in a pan with oil . Saute them for 5 minutes. 
  • Add vegetable stock salt and pepper. 
  • Cook till the apple and pumpkin become soft. 
  • Puree them. Remove to a serving bowl sprinkle chopped coriander.
Making Vegetable stock

  • Vegetable stock is a good substitute for chicken stock.
  • To make 2 cups of vegetable stock use 2 onions, 2 ribs of celery, 1 carrot, small piece ginger (optional) 3 garlic pearls, 1/2 tsp pepper powder. chop all the vegetable add 4 cups of water.Let it boil .
  • Cook them in low flame for 1 hour.Strain the water and keep it in fridge. 
  • Whenever you need you can use it.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Avial

Avial is made with many vegetables
Avial

Avial
Ingredients












  • Cut Beans.................1 packet
  • Carrot.......................2
  • Green Pepper...........1
  • Potato.......................2
  • Raw Banana.............1
  • Tamarind Juice.........1tsp
  • Coconut Oil..............2tsp
  • Turmeric Powder.......1/2tsp
  • Curry Leaves.............few
  • Salt to taste
To grind
  • Grated Coconut........1 cup
  • Green Chili...............6
  • CurryLleaves.............few
    Method
  • Wash and cut the vegetable 1" long. 
  • Heat a pan with 2cups of water and add vegetables, tamarind paste, turmeric powder and boil it.
  • Grind the coconut, chili and curry leaves coarsely with little water.
  • When the vegetables are cooked. add the coconut paste, salt and curry leaves.
  • If there is excess water , remove it. It should thick. 
  • Add the coconut oil and mix it. Eat with rice chapathi or poori. (Instead of tamarind paste you can also use yogurt).
  • Onam festival Avial curry must be there in the sadya ( feast).

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Peerkankai Thogayal

Peerkan kai Thogayal(ridge gourd chutney) 

  • Peerkankai……………………….2
  • Urad Dhal………………………  2tsp
  • Red Chilli…………………………6
  • Asafoetida………………………  1/2 tsp
  • Tamarind…………………………1tsp
  • Mustard Seeds……………………1tsp
  • Oil……………………………….3tsp
  • Salt to Taste
Method
  • Peel the skin of the peerkankai and cut into pieces.
  • Heat pan and fry the red chili, urad dhal asafoetida
  • When the dhal becomes red remove and keep aside.
  • Fry the the peerkankai pieces little.  
  • Grind the dhal chilli tamarind with little water. 
  • Add the fried peerkankai ,salti and asafoetida and grind into coarse paste.
  • Heat a pan with little oil add mustard seeds. 
  • When it splutters add to the thogayal
  • It is very tasty and goes with rice, chapathi, idli and dosa
  • I love to eat with rice and fried vadaam/applam….

Friday, August 7, 2009

Sambar

Sambar with vegetables
Sambar
Sambar

Ingredients












  • Tur Dhal......................2cups
  • Okra (Vendakai).........5
  • Pumpkin.....................100gms
  • Green Pepper.............1
  • Drumstick..................1
  • Tamarind....................lemon size
  • Mustard Seeds......,,,,,1tsp
  • Salt to Taste
To fry
  • Red chili............6
  • Coriander seeds....3 tsp
  • Chana Dhal..........3 tsp
  • Asafoetida............small piece
  • Coconut...............2tsp
  • Turmeric Powder...1/2 tsp
  • Curry Leaves........few
  • Coriander Leaves....few
Method
  • Cook the dhal in pressure cooker.
  • Fry the chili, coriander seeds, chana dhal and Asafoetida with little oil and grind with coconut. 
  • Extract tamarind juice. Wash and cut the vegetables into pieces. 
  • Boil them in water and turmeric powder. 
  • When the vegetables are cooked add the tamarind water , curry leaves and salt. 
  • Let it boil for some time. Add the dhal and ground paste. 
  • Stir nicely. When it is boiled remove to a bowl. 
  • Heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds and when it splutters add to the sambar
  • Sprinkle the chopped coriander.
  • You can use powder asafoetida but the other solid LG perungayam smell very good.
  • Instead of grinding the masala you can use sambar powder. .