Butternut Squash Side Dish

Raisin Banana Pancake

My son's favorite.

• Mash Half well ripen banana
• Add 1 egg to it and beat lightly with spoon or fork
• Add 2 Tbsp Pancake mix
• Add 1 tsp Milk
• Add 1 tsp Oil
• Add a handfull of Golden raisin
• Add Nuts if using
• Add Apple chunks (optional)
• Mix all - do not overmix. batter should be chunky
• In a medium heat pan pour the batter as you would do for regular pancakes
• Add drops of oil to the sides as it cooks.
• Flip to the other side and cook the pancake till slightly brown
• I usually prefer smaller pancakes as they taste better.
• Kids love it - no questions.

Raisin Date Cup Cake

Meen Kulambu (Cat Fish Curry)

Cabbage Mixed Rice

Thai Basil Egg Plant

Mullangi Sambar (Radish)

Steamed Broccoli Egg Fried Rice

Finally here is the recipe. :)-

The key to perfect fried rice is speed and high heat . You have to have all your vegs cut and ready to be tossed. Ingredients:
- vegs like broccoli florets, carrots, snap peas, green bell pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic
- soy sauce
- cooked and chilled rice (day old is even better and rice should not be sticky)
- green onions
-thai basil leaves (optional)
- green chillies
- cilantro (optional)

Recipe:-

• Steam cook broccoli & carrot separately for 1 or 2 mins. The vegs should not be overcooked.
• Mix 2 eggs (or 3 egg whites) & 1 sp of soy sauce in a bowl and beat lightly with a fork or whisker
• In a hot non stick pan (wok if you have is best - but I managed with a non stick) pour 2sp of oil (I used olive oil)
• when the oil is hot enough, pour the egg mixture and scramble quickly and transfer to a bowl
• sprinkle pepper if desired
• In the same pan, add 2 sp of oil and when oil is hot enough, quickly add garlic, green chillies (1 or 2 long slit), all of the vegs except broccoli and fry in high heat until they are tender
• Lastly add broccoli & green onions & cilantro/basil leaves and toss for few seconds and make a well in the center and pour 2 sps of soy sauce and quickly stir in all vegsfor a min so they all get coated with soy sauce. (soy sauce's saltiness will serve the salt part to the vegs.)
• Then quickly add rice and stir so the rice gets the soy sauce color
• Lastly add green onions, cilantro or basil leaves and stir for few secs. (if adding basil leaves, stir few more times so the leaves are wilted. But dont overdo as basil will add intense flavor.)
• Now add the eggs and mix well. Turn off heat and serve hot with chilly paste if desired as in Thai restaurants.

Okra Poriyal

Oil+mustard seeds+curry leaves+jeera+ okra -> fry until the gooey stuff dries up. Add little salt + chilly powder+ turmeric powder+ dhal powder (optional) and fry for couple more minutes and serve.

Mint Rasam (Podhina)

Coarse Grind:

• Jeera - .75 tsp
• Pepper 0.5 tsp
• 1 red chilly
• 4 cloves garlic

Cook:

• Pour oil in a kadai
• When hot enough add kadugu (mustard seeds)
• Add hing (perungayam)
• Add the ground mixture and saute for a min in low flame.
• Then add 1 more red chilly (optional)
• Add lots of curry leaves
• Add lots of mint leaves
• Saute mint well until raw smell goes off
• Squeeze 1/2 Tomato (optional)
• Add the tamarind paste (can be little watery)
• Add Turmeric powder & salt
• Let it boil for a min
• Now add 3 Tbsp of cooked Dhal (optional)
• Add more water as per your desired consistency and let it cook on medium flame until it froths.
• As soon as you see froths adding up, add lots of coriander leaves and couple more curry leaves and swith it off.
• Cover to preserve the aroma

Puliyodharai

Paruppu Rasam

Coarse Grind:

• Jeera - .75 tsp
• Pepper 0.5 tsp
• 1 red chilly
• 4 cloves garlic

Cook:

1. Pour oil in a kadai
2. When hot enough add kadugu (mustard seeds)
3. When it stops spluttering, add the ground mixture and saute for a min in low flame.
4. Then add 1 more red chilly (optional)
5. Add lots of curry leaves
6. Add 4 mint leaves (optional)
7. Add 1 chopped Tomato and little coriander leaves and saute for another min
8. Add the tamarind paste (can be little watery)
9. Add Turmeric powder & salt
10. Add as much dhal water (Paruppu Thanni) you have and bring it nearly to a boil.
11. Now add 3 Tbsp of cooked Dhal and more water as per your desired consistency and let it cook on medium flame until it froths.
12. As soon as you see froths adding up, add lots of coriander leaves and couple more curry leaves and swith it off.
13. Cover to preserve the aroma.

Cabbage Poriyal

This is the same way you do Cabbage Kadalai Paruppu Kootu except that you don't have to add the Chana dhal, garlic, dhal podi called for in that recipe. And at the end, you may add some grated coconut like about 2 tbsp and saute for another 3 minutes.

Mushroom Curry Masala

Almost same as Mushroom Pepper Gravy

Oil + curry leaves + Button Mushroom slices -> fry until it turns light brown then add little salt. As soon as water starts to separate, transfer it to dish.
Oil + pattai + lavangam (4)+ curry leaves + sombu + ginger-garlic paste (5 cloves garlic) -> fry until light brown.
add onions(3/4) + ripe tomatoes (1.5) + chilli powder(1.5 sp) + coriander powder (0.5 sp) + turmeric + salt + fried mushrooms . when oil separates and gravy starts to thicken (like abt 4 mins) add curry leaves + 2 sp coconut paste . Leave for another 6 mins

Vazhaikai Varuval (Plantain)

My mom is a great cook. She used to make all simple and tasty food. This is one of her recipe.
Many vegetables go with this recipe.

oil + cloves + cinnamon + sombu + (3 small onions + 3 garlic cloves - ground paste) + curry leaves + 1 sp chilly powder + 1 sp curry powder or garam masala powder + turmeric powder + salt + raw vazhaikai pieces (chop off the skin) -> fry for few mins. You can sprinkle water to prevent charing.

Kollu Chutney

• Pressure cook 3/4th cup of Kollu. Ratio: 1:3water
• Pour oil in a hot pan
• Add 1/2 tsp Jeera & hing (perungayam)
• When it splutters, add curry leaves
• Add coarsely cut garlic cloves (2)
• Add red chillies (1 or 2)
• add 1/2 tsp coriander seeds or dhania
• Fry until raw smell goes
• Add Onions (1)
• Add very little tamarind
• When onions are translucent turn off the stove
• Allow it to cool
• Drain & Save the excess kollu water for delicious Kollu Rasam  
• COARSE grind the onion mixture together with the cooked kollu & salt per taste & may be the kollu water or regular water if necessary.
• Optional: I seasoned the chutney again with hot oil & 1 more red chilly + curry leaves for added aroma
• This goes well with rice.
• The saved Kollu water can be used to make the Kollu rasam
• Enjoy your Kollu Chutney!

Kollu Rasam

• Drain and save any Kollu water from boiling the kollu
• Make Kollu chutney with the drained kollu
• Dry roast 1tsp corriander seeds, 0.5tsp cumin, 0.25tsp pepper, 0.25tsp methi and fine grind them
• Coarse grind 4 small onions (pearl onions)
• In 1 tsp of hot oil, temper 0.25tsp mustard seeds, few curry leaves
• Saute the ground onion, 3 chopped garlic cloves, 1 red chilly
• Add 1 medium chopped tomato and saute until oil leaves by the sides
• Save a little bit and mix the rest of the ground powder
• Add 1 cup of tamarind juice
• Add the drained kollu water
• Add 1tbsp of kollu chutney
• Add plain water to the desired consistency
• Let it cook until it begins to froth
• Add the remaining ground powder
• Turn off the stove and serve hot with rice or as soup
• This brings great relief to those runny noses and sore throats

Here is another variation of this Kollu Rasam.

Mushroom Pepper Gravy

Almost same as Mushroom Curry Masala
Oil + curry leaves + Button Mushroom slices -> fry until it turns light brown then add little salt. As soon as water starts to separate, transfer it to dish.
Oil + pattai + lavangam (4)+ curry leaves + sombu + garam masala powder (1/2 sp) + ginger-garlic paste (5 cloves garlic) -> fry until light brown.
add onions(3/4) + ripe tomatoes (1.5) + chilli powder(1.5 sp) + turmeric + salt + fried mushrooms . when oil separates and gravy starts to thicken (like abt 4 mins) add curry leaves + 1 sp pottukadalai powder + 1/2 sp sugar(optional)+1sp pepper coarsely powdered. Leave for another 6 mins.

Capsicum Curry

Thai Veg Fried Rice with Eggs

Recipe:
Coming up soon..Stay tuned..
(I know..I know... it is long over due. I shall soon update the recipe..Sorry abt the delay)
Finally here is the recipe. :)-
The key to fired rice is speed and high heat . You have to have all your vegs cut and ready to be tossed.
Ingredients:
- vegs like broccoli florets, carrots, snap peas, green bell pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic
- soy sauce
- cooked and chilled rice (day old is even better and rice should not be sticky)
- green onions
-thai basil leaves (optional)
- green chillies
- cilantro (optional)

Recipe:-

• Steam cook broccoli & carrot separately for 1 or 2 mins. The vegs should not be overcooked.
• Mix 2 eggs (or 3 egg whites) & 1 sp of soy sauce in a bowl and beat lightly with a fork or whisker
• In a hot non stick pan (wok if you have is best - but I managed with a non stick) pour 2sp of oil (I used olive oil).
• when the oil is hot enough, pour the egg mixture and scramble quickly and transfer to a bowl.
• sprinkle pepper if desired.
• In the same pan, add 2 sp of oil and when oil is hot enough, quickly add garlic, green chillies (1 or 2 long slit), all of the vegs except broccoli and fry in high heat until they are tender.
• Lastly add broccoli & green onions & cilantro/basil leaves and toss for few seconds and make a well in the center and pour 2 sps of soy sauce and quickly stir in all vegsfor a min so they all get coated with soy sauce. (soy sauce's saltiness will serve the salt part to the vegs.)
• Then quickly add rice and stir so the rice gets the soy sauce color.
• Lastly add green onions, cilantro or basil leaves and stir for few secs. (if adding basil leaves, stir few more times so the leaves are wilted. But dont overdo as basil will add intense flavor.)
• Now add the eggs and mix well. Turn off heat and serve hot with chilly paste if desired as in Thai restaurants.

As per the request of a beloved visitor Lathangi, I am adding notes on how to add Tofu:

• Buy Firm Tofu. Drain all the water. Slice them into cubes.
• In a hot pan, add a tsp of oil and after few seconds, add the tofu cubes and in medium flame, just move them around time to time gently without breaking them. Once the underside turns light brown, flip each cube upside down and leave for 1 or 2 minutes until that side too turns light brown. Do not brown them too much or stir often - that would make them hard or mushy or broken. No need to add salt. Just set them aside and add along with eggs and stirthem gently with the rice so they get evenly distributed.
• If you prefer spicy fried rice, you may add 2tsp of chilly paste (sambal oelek or any similar) along with soy sauce.

Happy Cooking!

Ennai Kathirikai Kara Kulambu (எண்ணெய் கத்திரிக்காய் கார குழம்பு)

 

There are few variations of Kara Kulambu. While this recipe is an elaborate one, there is another recipe if you are running short of time: Ennai Kathirikai Kara Kulambu -2

• In 0.5tsp of oil, roast 1tbsp coriander seeds, 0.5tsp cumin seeds, 0.25tsp pepper, 2 red chillies until raw smell goes away
• Saute half medium onion until translucent and grind it along with the above spices to a fine paste. Do not brown the onions
• Cut the brinjals - make 4 slits to the whole brinjal from the top and let the stem remain intact as seen in the picture
• Saute the brinjals in liberal oil and set aside
• In the same oil, temper some mustard seeds, curry leaves
• Saute a half medium onion chopped finely
• Add salt, and a pinch of turmeric powder
• Add the ground paste
• Saute until oil leaves by the sides
• Add 1 cup tamarind juice
• Let it cook for 1 min
• Toss in the sauted brinjals
• Cover and cook until brinjals are well done
• Add 1 tbsp of powdered pottu kadalai mix (dhalia)
• Optional: Use 1tbsp of coconut powder instead
• Add little jaggery or sugar
• Cook for another 3 mins
• Garnish with curry leaves
• Serve hot with rice