Kothu Parotta

Parotta - 5

Finely chop:

Onion-1

Tomato-1/2

Green chillies-3

Garlic cloves-2

Coriander leaves for garnishing.

Oil- 1/2 tbsp

Chilli powder-1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder- a pinch

Salt-a pinch only for the veggies

Chilli sauce-2 tsp

Procedure:

1.Shred the parottas into bite sized pieces.

2.Heat oil in pan and add all the finely chopped veggies with a pinch of salt.

ry well for 5 mins or until the raw smell goes off. Then add shredded parotta and all dry powders.

3.Pour chilli sauce and garnish with coriander leaves.

Cheppankezhangu roast

This is a kind of root popular in SOuth India.

Ingredients:
Cheppan kezhangu -6
Oil -1 tbsp
Chilli powder-1 tsp
Salt for taste
Asafoetida for taste

For tempering:
Curry leaves- 1 sprig
Mustard-1/2 tsp
Urad dal-1/2 tsp
Procedure:
1.Pressure cook the roots until 2 whistles. Peel of the skin and cut into small cubes.
2.Temper the said ingredients in a tbsp of oil, add all the powders and cooked cheppankezhangu.
3.Roast for 5 mins.

Aloo Subzi

A quick easy subzi which can be had with rice or roti.

Ingredients:

Potato-2

Onion -1/2

Cloves-2

Bay leaf-1

Garam masala powder-1/2 tsp

Salt for taste

Oil for tempering

Grind into fine paste:

Tomato-1

Onion-1/2

Garlic cloves-3

Ginger -1/4" piece

Procedure:

1.Pressure cook potatoes until 2 whistles and peel the skin. Cut it into small cubes.

2. Grind and make a fine paste of all the ingredients.

3.Heat oil in pan, add cloves and bay leaves. Allow to temper.Put onios and fry well. Then add the ground paste and cook 5 -7 mins until the raw smell goes off.Then add garam masala and cook for another 3 mins.

4.Now add the potatoes,salt. Cook for another 5 mins.

*Garnish with coriander leaves if required. Can add peas to make it alu peas masala.

Masala Vada

Ingredients:

Makes 10 medium sized vadas

Urad dal - 1 cup
Finely chopped onions, cabbage,carrot - 1/2 cup
Finely chopped ginger (1/4"),green chillies (4),curry leaves ,coriander leaves
Peppercorns -10
Small sliced coconut pieces - 15
Salt,asafoetida for taste
Oil for deep frying

Procedure:

1.Soak urad dal overnight. Grind well in the morning with very little (may be 4 teaspoons maximum) water. Add water just to help dal to grind well.
2.Add all the chopped vegetables and other ingredients including salt and safoetida and mix well with spoon.
3.Heat oil in a frying pan. Wet both hands with water and take a lemon size dough with right hand. Place it on left palm and make a small hole using right index finger. Take the vadausing right hand and deep fry till golden brown. Crispy tasty vadas ready!

*If the dough got watery do not panic. Add some rice flour to get a consistency easy enough to make vada.

Palada prathaman

Happy Onam!

Ingredients:

Rice ada- 1 cup
Milk - 8 cups
Sugar-one and half cup
Cardamom powder
Ghee,raisins,cashews

Procedure:

Cooking is similar to pal payasam recipe

1.Pressure cook ada in milk until one whistle.
2.Open the lid and put the cooker in sim and slow cook for about 30 mins. Keep stirring inbetween and ensure that the prathaman is not getting burnt.
3.Milk will start turning pink after 30-40 mins. Now add cardamom powder and cook for another 5 mins.
4.Add sugar and mix well. Try adding 1 cup of sugar;if required add another half cup.
5. Roast cashews and raisins in ghee and decorate!

Ada Prathaman-Jaggery version

Ingredients:

Rice ada - 1 cup

Jaggery -one and a quarter cup

Water -5 cups

Cashews,raisins,coconut pieces and ghee

Cardamom powder

Milk/Coconut milk(preferably)-1/2 cup

Procedure:

We get rice ada (rice flour flakes) in Indian stores.

1.Boil 3 cups of water in a pan. When it starts boiling, put the ada, switch off stove and close the lid. Leave it aside for 30 mins. Open the lid after 30 mins and see if the ada has become tender; then drain out all the water.

2. Heat the rest 2 cups of water in a pan; when it starts boiling add jaggery and allow it to dissolve well. Drain out the sediments if any. Once jagery dissolves completely in water and starts boiling, add the ada.Do not make thick syrup.

3.Allow the ada to cook well in jaggery water for about 10 mins; add cardamom powder.

4.Roast coconut pieces,cashews and raisins in ghee.

5.Switch off stove and take out the pan. Add coconut milk/milk and coconut,cashews and raisins Do not add milk while the prathaman is in stove because milk will break down if added with hot jaggery.

Yummy prathaman ready.

Sambar Powder

Makes a kg of sambar powder. Can be powdered using a blender.

Ingredients:

1 cup = 200 gms

Coriander seeds - 3 cups
Toordal/lentils - 1 cup
Channa dal-3/4 cup
Urad dal - 2 tbsp
Cumin - 1 tsp
Fenugreek-1/2 tsp
Peppercorns-10
Dry red chillies - 20
(or) Chillypowder -4 tbsp
Asafoetida- 2 tsp

Procedure:

Dry roast all the ingredients separately. All dals can be roasted together. No need to heat chilly powder or asafoetida. Once all the ingredients are roasted light brown,make them into fine powder using a blender/mixer. Coriander can be reduced to 2 cups if not favoured.