All purpose powder

This powder will be very useful for many quick recipes.

Ingredients:
Channa dal - 4 tbsp
Urad dal-4 tbsp
Coriander seeds- 1 tbsp
Red chillies-8
Fenugreek-1/2 tsp
Hing-for taste


Method:

Dry roast and powder all the ingredients. This can be used for any recipe like vathal kuzhambu, pulikachal, puli kuzhambu,bisibele bath.

1.Dry roast and add peppercorns,a little bit coconut (optional) and curry leaves for vathal kuzhambu along with this powder.
2. Dry roast and add ground nut & sesame seeds if it is pulikachal/puliyodhari
3.It can be directly added for puli kuzhambu.
4. For bisibele bath add a liitle bit of dried and powdered coconut to this powder.

Pasta

A Favorite Italian dish of many people across the globe! Pastas are available in different shapes and sizes. The one pictured here is called 'Penne'.The below mentioned cooking procedure is applicable for all types of pasta.

Ingredients:

Pasta- 3 cups

Tomato sauce-1/4 cup

Chilli flakes

Dried Basil for seasoning

Garlic cloves - 4

Onion-1/2

Carrot-1/2

Peas-1/2 cup

Cheese slices-2

Olive oil

Method:

1.Cook pasta in boiling water for 5 mins; drain the water and keep aside.

2. fry onions,garlic cloves in olive oil.

3.Add carrot,peas and allow to cook well. Sprinkle water if required but ensure not to add more water.

4.Add the cooked pasta, salt,tomato sauce and mix well.Close the pan lid and cook for 2 mins.

5.Now add the cheese slices, allow them to melt and mix well.

6.Season with basil.

Tips:

Olive oil,chilli flakes,basil can be replaced with any cooking oi, green chilies and coriander leaves; but pasta might look like upma :) Cheese slices can be avoided by fat conscious people. But making these changes will make pasta lose its authenticity; so try to stick to the given ingredients as much as possible!

Thattai

It is a favourite South Indian Savoury made from rice flour especially made for Krishna Jeyanthi.

Ingredients:

Rice flour- 2 cups

Urad dal powder-1/2 cup (dry roast urad dal and make into fine powder)

Chilli powder-1/2 tsp

Hing- a pinch

Salt- for taste

Channa dal - 2 tbsp

Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Oil- for deep frying

Method:

1.Soak channa dal in water for 10 mins. Heat the rice flour for a min in pan or microwave for 30 seconds.

2.Mix all the above ingredients, add water and a tsp of oil and make it into soft dough (like chapathi dough)

3.Take a lemon size dough,roll it well with hand into a small ball and spread it on a piece of plastic sheet/polythene bag like a small disc.Make small holes on it using fork/toothpick.

4. Deep fry all the thattais one by one till golden brown, spread on paper towels until the oil is sucked.

Crispy thattais ready! These can be stored for months and never gets spoiled. No need to refrigerate.

Puliyodharai

Ingredients:
Rice-1 cup
Tamarind- size of a big lemon
Salt-for taste
Hing-a pinch
Gingelly Oil- 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder-a pinch

Dry roast and powder:
Channa dal-1 tsp
Urad dal-1 tsp
Red chillies-3
Sesame seeds-1 tsp
Fenugreek-1/4 tsp

For tempering:
Channa dal -1 tsp
Urad dal- 1 tsp
Ground nut-4 tsp
curry leaves - 1sprig
Red chillies- 2

Method:

1. Pressure Cook rice and keep aside.
2.Dry roast the ingredients mentioned above and make into a coarse powder.
3.Soak tamarind in water; squeeze out the juice and sieve all the sediments.The syrup should be very thick (Fluid consistency) unlike the normal tamarind juice we use for sambar/rasam.
4.Boil the tamarind syrup for 10-15 mins; add salt,hing,tamarind powder and half the quantity of coarse powder.
5.Soak urad dal and channa dal in water for 10 mins before tempering. Now temper all the ingredients in gingelly oil and drop it in the tamaring syrup.
6. Pour 2 tbsp of gingelly oil in rice and mix well. The add the tamaring syrup, mix well. Add the rest of the coarse powder fully or as required.

Enjoy adi perukku!

Tips:
1.Soak tamarind in lukewarm water; gives better and more tamarind extract.
2.Do not cook tamarind syrup more than 15 mins and do make the tamarind extract thick (tomato sauce consistency).