Bhel Puri - Puffed Rice Mix

#Bhelpuri is a chat item generally available at road side shops in the evenings. 
It is a mix of nicely chopped onion, vegetables, masalas with puffed rice. 
This is my way of doing bhel.

Ingredients :
Puffed rice ( அரிசி பொரி )                       : 1 1/2 cups
Small crispy pooris                                          : 6 ( optional )
Microwaved pappad                                         : 1 ( optional )
Carrot  grated                                                : 1/2 cup

Onion chopped nicely                                      : 1/2 cup
Tomato                                                            : 1 medium size diced
Coriander leaves thinly chopped                      : 1/4 cup ( adjust )
masalas:
Coriander powder                                    : 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder                                     : 1/4 tsp ( adjust to your taste )
Cumin powder                                         : 1/4 tsp

masalas and mango sweet pachadi

Rock salt                                                 : 1/4 tsp
Chat masala                                             : 1/4 tsp ( optional )
Amchur powder                                       : 1/4 tsp ( optional )
Salt                                                         : 1/2 tsp ( adjust )
Sweet n sour Imli chutny                          : 1/2 tsp

Can replace imli chutny with mango sweet pachadi or pineapple jam

Method :
Take all vegetables, onion, masalas in a wide mouthed vessel and mix well.

Then break poories or pappads into small pieces and mix well.
Finally add puffed rice. Adjust salt and chilly powder.

Enjoy with a hot coffee/tea.

Note : roasted ground nuts, cashew nuts, thinly chopped cucumber can also be added.
The amount of vegetables can be added according to taste and availability.
It should be prepared and consumed immediately. Otherwise it will become watery and saggy. 






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Vazhaithandu chaat

Bhel puri ragi chaat

Thattai

Thinai pidi kozhukattai

Kozhukattai - spicy

Vengaya Vadagam Thuvaiyal

#VengayavadagamThuvaiyal or #VengayavadavamThuvaiyal or #VadavaThuvaiyal : VengayaVadagam or VegayaVadavam ( Dried small onion )  is a preserve of small onions with commonly used condiments.

We used to make these vadagam or vadavam during Summer season and use it for tempering sambar, kuzhambu and koottu.
Thuvaiyal prepared from vadagam [ vadavam ] is hot favorite of all and tastes very very good.

Ingredients :
Vengaya vadagam                           : 1/2 ball broken ( approx 3 tsp )

Tamarind                                        : a very small ball
Coconut scrap                                : 4 tblsp
Red chilly                                      : 2 ( adjust )
Salt                                                : 1/4 tsp ( adjust )
Oil                                                 : 2 tsp

Method :
Keep a kadai on a stove over slow flame with 2 tsp of oil.
When the oil becomes hot add red chilly and the vengaya vadagam.
Keep stirring till the vadagam becomes crisp & well roasted and gives out nice aroma.
Transfer into a mixer jar and then add other ingredients also.

Grind well without adding water.
Then add little water and grind to thicker than chutney consistency.
Transfer into a clean dry serving bowl.

A very good side dish for pongal but comes next only to coconut thuvaiyal.

Take hot white rice in a plate. Put 2 to 3 tsp of this yummy thuvaiyal. Add a tsp of gingelly oil.

Mix well with hand. Relish with any sambar especially with raddish - drum stick sambar. mmmm...ah what a taste!!!



Goes well with comfort food idly, all time favorite dosai 


and also curd rice.





Other chutney varieties you might like to try            

Maangai Chutney	Vengaya Chutney	OnionRed Chutney
Kadalai Chutney	Paruppu Thuvaiyal

For other Chutney varieties

Chutney/Thivaiyal Recipe

Vazhaipoo Paruppu Urundai - Banana Flower Paruppu Balls

Vazhaipoo paruppu urundai is one more tasty preparation from #vazhaipoo ( banana flower ).
All the ingredients are same as vazhaipoo vadai. The difference is the balls are steam cooked instead of frying in oil.
The quantity of lentils can be altered as per requirement and availability.

 Ingredients :

To grind :
gram dhal                                       : 1/4 cup
thuvar dhal                                     : 1/4 cup
urad dhal                                        : 1 tblsp
whole green gram sprouted             : 1/4 cup ( optional )
red chilly                                         : 2 ( adjust if you want it spicy)
cumin ( jeera )                                 : 1/2 tsp
sombu                                             : 1/2 tsp
ginger                                              : 1/2 inch piece
salt                                                  : 1/2 tsp adjust to taste

other ingredients :
vazhaipoo                                      : 4 to 5 bunches from a flower
onion                                             : 1 small size
coriander leaves                             : 1 tblsp nicely chopped
curry leaves                                    : 9 to 10
turmeric powder                             : 1/4 tsp

Method :
Coarsely grind all the ingredients in a mixie.
Clean vazhaipoo and nicely chop it.
Remove skin of onion and dice nicely.
wash curry and coriander leaves & chop nicely.

Mix all the cut pieces with ground dhal mixture.
Make balls. Grease idly plate with oil.

Arrange the balls on it and steam cook for 10 minutes.

Now the balls are ready.

Have it with tomato sauce or pudina chutney 

or coriander chutney.


These balls can also be added to morekuzhambu 

or urundai kuzhambu.

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Modhakam sweet	sweet pidi kozhukattai	Amaranth dumpling
Rice dumpling	Modhakam - spicy

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Recipe Index

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Tiffin Recipes

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Chutney recipes

Vazhaipoo Vadai

#VazhaipooVadai : #Bananablossom or #bananaflower is called #Vazhaipoo in Tamil. This is not liked by many because of its astringent ( துவர்ப்பு  ) taste. 

But vazhaipoo vadai is more tastier than vazhaipoo thuvattal ( porial ) 


and easier than preparing vazhaipoo paruppu usili.

Ingredients :
Vazhaipoo                                      : 4 to 5 bunches from a flower

a bunch of vazhaipoo is shown

Onion                                             : 1 small size
Coriander leaves                             : 1 tblsp nicely chopped
Curry leaves                                    : 9 to 10
Turmeric powder                             : 1/4 tsp
Oil ( ones choice )                           : 1 cup

To grind :
Gram dhal                                       : 1/4 cup
Thuvar dhal                                     : 1/4 cup
Urad dhal                                        : 1 tblsp
whole green gram sprouted             : 1/4 cup ( optional )
Red chilly                                         : 2 ( adjust if you want it spicy)
Cumin ( jeera )                                 : 1/2 tsp
Sombu                                             : 1/2 tsp
Ginger                                              : 1/2 inch piece
Salt                                                  : 1/2 tsp adjust to taste

Method :
Wash gram dhal, thuvar dhal and urad dhal together and soak for 2 hours.
[Green gram sprouts can be used to increase the nutritional value. Soak whole green gram for 8 to 10 hours the previous day & drain the water and keep in a closed container to sprout.]
Clean vazaipoo and keep aside.
Drain water from soaked grams & Coarsely grind all the ingredients without water.
Cut vazhaipoo nicely and also chop onions nicely.
Add chopped vazhaipoo, onion, coriander leaves, curry leaves and turmeric powder to the ground dhals.

chopped onion,coriander, curry leaves & nicely
 chopped vazhaipoo added to dhals

Mix well and if its watery add small quantity of besan ( gram dhal flour ).
Keep a kadai on a stove with oil.
Heat the oil on a medium flame.
Take a small ball of vadai dough in hand slightly flatten it and fry in the hot oil.

Keep the flame to SIM position. 
Fry till the vadai turns into golden brown.

Transfer onto a serving plate lined with tissue paper.
Again fry next batch of vazhaipoo vadai.
Ha! Now enjoy hot vadai with a cup of tea/coffee.

Vazhaipoo vadai is a very tasty and healthy evening snack. 
Its a good side dish for lunch also.






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Vazhaipoo curry	Vazhaipoo koottu	Vazhaipoo adai
Masaal vadai	vazhaipoo milagu..

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Recipe Index

Kothamalli Podi - Dhaniya Powder for Rice

#KothamalliPodi   #DhaniyaPowderForRice [ #CorianderPowder ] :  #CorianderSeeds are one of the most widely used spice ingredients in Indian food for its aroma. They are also extensively used in our traditional medicine. The most essential sambar powder contains approximately equal proportion of coriander seeds and red chilly.
It contains many phytonutrients that  are anti oxidant in nature and help in the prevention of diseases. The seeds are an excellent source of iron, copper, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc and magnesium. The seeds are also a good source of vitamin C and vitamin B. They are very rich in insoluble dietary fiber, 100 g of seeds have 41.9 g of fiber.
Here a powder [ #podi ] for rice has been prepared using coriander seeds and red chilly.

Ingredients :
1/4 cup	Kothamalli [ Coriander seeds ]
3 - 4	Red chilly [ adjust ]
3 cloves	Garlic
1 Tsp	Salt
1/2 Tsp	Gingelly oil [ till oil ]

Method :
Heat a kadai on a stove over medium flame with oil.
Add coriander seeds and red chilly.
Keep stirring until coriander seeds give a nice aroma and well roasted.
Transfer into a plate and allow to come down to room temperature.
Coarsely grind roasted coriander seeds and red chilly adding salt.
Finally add garlic cloves with skin and grind well.
Store in an air tight container.

Take hot white rice in a plate.
Add 2 tsp of coriander powder and a tsp of gingelly oil.
Mix well with hand.
Enjoy with murungaikkai sambar.
Wow!! wow! what a combination!! The nice aroma of coriander seeds will surely compel you to have more...







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Koottu - gravy with coconut masala

Koottu is vegetable or greens( keerai ) gravy prepared with dhal and coconut masala (paste) which is bland in taste.
Its prepared for full meals as side dish.
Koottu is generally prepared with green gram dhal.
But thuvar dhal can also be used which gives a different taste.
Some of the vegetables used for koottu are 
bottle gourd,
pumpkin white,
tender pumpkin red (orange),
cabbage,

Pumpkin  White

chow chow ( bangalore brinjal ),
brinjal.
Some of the best combination of vegetables for koottu are
brinjal and drumstick
brinjal and avaraikai
brinjal and peerkangkai(ridge gourd)
brinjal, drumstick and jackfruit seed (palaakkottai)
brinjal, avaraikkai, and drumstick
brinjal, peerkangkai, and drumstick and also palaakkottai

Palak

vazhaippoo and murungaikeerai ( drumstick leaves)
Some of the greens for koottu are
mulai keerai,
arai keerai,
manathakkaali keerai,
paruppu keerai
palak.
pasalai (spinach )
venthaya keerai

slice cut from yellow pumpkin

Venthaya keerai - Methi