Coconut Chutney

Coconut Chutney or Thenga Chutney is very popular side dish for dosa, idly, ven pongal or kara pongal. There are different variations to coconut chutney. Today we will see how to prepare it with corriander leaves.

Preparation time is less than 5 minutes if you have all the ingredients ready.

Ingredients

Shredded Coconut - 1/2 cup

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Fried Gram Dal (Pottu Kadalai) - 3/4 tsp

Tamarind - 1 small piece

Salt - As required

Corriander leaves - 3 leafs

Green Chilli - 2  

Water as required

For Tempering 

Oil/Ghee - As required

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Channal Dal/Kadalai Parupu - 1 tsp

Urud Dal - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 

Preparation Method 

1. Put Shredded cocount, cumin seeds, fried gram dal/pottu kadalai, tamarind piece, corriander leaves, curry leaves (if available), green chilli and salt as required in a blender/mixi

2. Add sufficient water and blend until it is ground into a paste

3. Once ground as above, time to temper

4. In a pan add oil and add all the ingrendients one by one given under Tempering

Coconut Chutney is ready to be served!

It goes well with Ulundu Vadai/MedhuVadai as well.

Bitter Gourd/Bitter Melon Fry

Bitter Gourd or Bitter Melon also know as paavakai in Tamil is the most healthier vegetable which keeps your body clean and healthier. Drinking Bitter Gourd juice will clense your body. We will see that recipe in another post. Now lets get started with fry.

This recipe is so easy to prepare and takes approx 10-15 minutes for cooking.

Ingredients

Bitter Melon - 1

Chilli Pdr - 1 tsp

Cumin Pdr - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric Pdr - 1 pinch

Salt - As required

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

Preparation

1. Slice bitter melon as shown below - round shapes with seeds

2. Add all the powders and mix it well. keep it aside for atleast 15 minutes so that all the spicies blend with melon nicely

3. In a pan, add oil and then mustard. Once mustard splutters add cumin seeds

4. Add Bitter melon and saute it for few minutes

5.  Saute it by leaving a gap for 5 minutes

Serve with hot rice and sambar.! This recipe is healthy as well as tasty. 

Add little bit tamarind juice for sourness. It is up to you. But this gives a different good taste.

White Sauce Pasta

White Penne Pasta Preparation Method. Today we will see how we can prepare white suace from scratch.

Ingredients

Pasta
Vegetables - Peas, Corn, Carrot
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - 1 chopped
Green Chilli - 1 chopped
Cheese - 2  slices
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Olive Oil - 1 tsp
Butter - 4 tsp
Milk - 1/2 cup
Plain Flour - 3 tsp
Salt - As required
Herbs - Parsley, Basil leaves or Mixed Herbs

Preparation 

Boil pasta with salt until you get Al Dante. Tips at the end!

White Sauce

1. In a pan add Butter and Plain Flour. Saute it for few minutes until the raw smell goes away

2. Add Milk and mix it until you get a sauce consistency

3. Keep this aside

Pasta Preparation

1.  In Pan add olive oil, cumin seeds, green chillies and chopped garlic

2. Add vegetables and saute for 4 minutes. Don't let it cook for too long. We would need the crunch of the vegetables. (You can also boil the vegetables seaparately)

3. Add pasta and then the sauce. Little bit salt for vergetables as we have added salt when we boiled pasta

4. Add all herbs and sprinkle with crushed pepper or pepper powder

5. Finally add Cheese

Tip

Pasta should be boiled perfectly else it will lose its taste. Always put pasta when the water is hot.

Add salt in the water and then add Pasta when it comes to boiling stage.

Do not put the lid when boiling pasta.

Coconut Rice

There are many variety rice which can be prepared for school lunch. Kids will not get bored with such kind of preparation.

Ingredients

Boiled Rice - 1 cup

Coconut Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Channa Dal - 1 tsp

Peanut (Raw) - 2 tsp

Curry Leaves - 1

Dry Red Chilli - 2

Salt - As required

Onion - 1 (Optional)

Preparation Method

1. In a pan, pour oil and add mustard seeds

2. When mustard seeds splutter add cumin seeds, channa dal and dry red chilli

3. Add peanuts at the same time and fry for 1 minute

4. Add curry leaves and Onion

5. Saute till Onion is cooked and then add Shredded coconut

6. Add rice and salt as per taste

7. Garnish with corriander leaves

Serve Coconut Rice with Pickle.

Tip

Once coconut is added, do not fry for long time as it will increase cholestral in the food.

Rajma Masala

Rajma or kidney beans as the name goes is good for kidneys and keeps you healthy. This dish can be had with Rice/Chapathi/Dosa. Goes very well with hot rice.

Ingredients

Rajma - 1/2 cup (soaked overnight or atleast 6 hrs)

Onion - 1

Tomato - 1

Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Corriander Powder - 1 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/3 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1/3 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/3 tsp

Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp

Salt - As required

Oil/Ghee - 1 tsp

 Preparation Method

1.Boil Rajma with 2 cups of water. Turn off the pressure cooker with 2 whistles

 

2. In a pan add Oil/Ghee. When it is hot add cumin seeds

3. Add Onion, Ginger Garlic paste and fry until raw smell goes away

4. Add shopped tomato and fry it for 1 minute

5. Add all the powders and saute it for 1/2 minute

6. Add little water and allow it to boil for 5 minutes. The tomato will get mashed and the paste gets mixed with all the powders which gives a thick paste

 

7. Add little water from boiled rajma if extra water is present

8. Add Rajma after 5 minutes and then add salt as required

9. Boil for a minute and then garnish with corriander leaves if you have

Enjoy having this with hot rice. Appalam/Papad goes well as a side!

Tips

Do not overcook Rajma as this would spoil the recipe. 1 or 2 whistle is sufficient. 

Let me know how it came for you.

Cauliflower Poriyal

Cauliflower comes in different colors but white is most commonly used one. We made chilli gobi in another post. Today we will prepare side dish for rice aka poriyal in tamil.

Ingredients

Cauliflower - 1

Onion - 1/2 finely chopped

Mustard - 1/4 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Channa Dal /Kadalai parupu- 1/2 tsp

Urud Dal - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - 1

Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - as required

Oil - 2 tsp

Preparation Method

1. In a pan pour oil and when it is hot put mustard seeds

2. When mustard seed splutters add cumin seeds, channa dal and urud dal

3. Add chopped onion and curry leaves

4. Once Onion is half cooked add cauliflower (cut flowers into pieces)

5. Add the spices and salt as required

6. Saute for 1 minute and leave it for 5 mins so that raw smell goes from cauliflower and it is cooked

7. Garnish with Corriander leaves and have it as a side dish

Refer Sambar/Pachai Payuru recipe here which goes well with Cauliflower poriyal.

Tips

If you feel cauliflower has got insects, then soak cauliflower in warm water with turmeric powder only for 1 minute. Do not boil too much as you don't want to lose that crunchiness.

Samba Rava Upma

Everyone hates Upma, mainly children's. We can still make them to have by adding vegetables and preparing it the way below.

Lets get into action.

Ingredients

Samba Wheat Rava/Brown Rava - 1 Cup

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Channa Dhal - 3/4 tsp

Urud Dhal - 3/4 tsp

Onion - 1

Tomato - 1

Carrot - 1 Shredded

Potato - 1 Chopped

Peas - 50 gms

Dry Red Chilli - 2

Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

Sambar Powder - 1/4 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch

Salt - As required

Water - As required

Method

1. In a Kadai pour ghee and add mustard

2. When mustard splutters add cumin seeds, channa and urud dhal

3. Add Red chilli and Onion

4. Fry Onion until golden brown and then add Tomato

5. Add Vegetables now and saute for 1 minute

6. Add water, then add the spice's and salt as required

7. Once the water comes to boil, add rava 

8. Let it boil for 5 minutes. Turn off the stove and garnish with Corriander and Curry leaves

Serve Upma with Pickle. You can also give Banana for kids with this recipe.

Turnip Paratha

Turnip also known as Mooli helps in cooling your body. Many recipes can be prepared with Turnip but today we will prepare paratha with this. It is a good way to make your kids eat healthy food like this.

Ingredients

Turnip - 1

Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

Amchur Powder - 1/4 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 tsp

Green Chilli - 1 finely chopped (Optional) 

Salt - As required

  

To make dough

Wheat flour/Atta flour

Water

  

Method

1. Make the dough by adding water as required and allow it to rest for atleast 15 minutes by covering with lid/soft cloth

2. Shred the turnip and mix it with all the ingredients mentioned above

3. Make the dough to a round shape and roll it to a half circle and then place the mixture in the dough

4. Fold it again and make it to a dumpling again

5. Put some flour in it and start rolling it again with rolling pin

6. In a pan, apply some butter and then put this paratha 

Tip: Make sure the pan is hot

7. Turn the paratha other side and let it get toasted

8. Put some butter on it again

Server this paratha with Raita Boondi and Pickle. That is an amazing combination!

Mint Chutney

Mint is very good for health and mostly used in briyani to give a good flavour. Today we will prepare mint and corriander chutney which can be served as a side dish for dosa, chapatti and also taken with rice.

Ingredients

Mint - 2 bunches
Fresh Corriander - 1 bunch
Onion - 1 big
Tomato - 1
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Channa dhal - 2 tsp
Urud dhal - 2 tsp
Tamarind - small piece
Coconut - 1/4 cup (Optional)
Oil - As required

Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Salt - as per taste
Green Chilli - 2 or 3

Method

1. Wash Mint and Corriander in cold water. Take the leaves alone from Mint (few stems are ok)
2. In a pan, add oil, cumin seeds, asafoetida, channa dhal, urud dal. Leave until brown
3. Add Onion, Green Chilli. tamarind and fry it
4. Next add tomato. Once tomato is boiled add Mint and Corriander
5. Add salt as required. Coconut can also be added for a different taste
6. Let it cool. Grind the mixture in a blender with water