Parupu Podi

Pottukadalai Parupu Podi

Ingredients

1 cup roasted gram dal

12 dry red chilli

20 curry leaves

1 whole garlic pods

1 tbsp dry coconut

2 tsp ghee(clarified butter)

Salt to taste

Preparation

For dry coconut(use koparai thengai or dehydrated shredded ccoconut)-

If you don’t have dehydrated shredded coconut at home dry roast shredded  fresh coconut in pan and allow to cool before adding into the recipe.

Peel and roughly chop the garlic cloves

Method

Heat ghee in a pan.

Fry dry red  chilli, roasted gram dal and curry leaves for 10 minutes on low flame .

Remove pan from stove and allow the mixture to cool completely.

Add salt and coarsely grind the mixture.

Next add garlic and coconut to the mixture.

Again grind the mixture to fine powder.

You can store this powder for a month  in an airtight container.

 This powder is served with hot rice and  ghee.  

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Turkey Berry Gravy

Sundakkai Puli Kulambu

Ingredients

2 tbsp gingelly oil

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

1/2 tsp asafoetida powder

1 cup diced red onions

1 big tomato

2 green chilly

5 curry leaves

1 cup sundakkai

10 garlic cloves

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp chilly powder

3 tsp coriander powder

1/2 cup thick tamarind extract

1/2 cup coconut milk

Salt to taste

1 tsp shredded jaggery

Preparation

Clean the berry discard the stems

Using pestle break the berry into two

wash it properly until all seeds are out of the berries.

It turns brown so do this process  just before you add this on your cooking

Method

Heat oil in a pan

Add asafoetida powder and fenugreek seeds.

Then add onion,curry leaf and green chilies.

once onions are cooked add tomato and turmeric powder.

Once the tomatoes are cooked add garlic cloves,washed berries with chilliy, coriander powder and salt.

Add tamarid extract and Close cook until oil floats to top.

At last add coconut milk allow one boil.

Finally add  jaggery..

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Tomato chutney

Thakkali Thokku

Ingredients

500 gm  ripe tomatoes

½ cup thick tamarind pulp

1 tsp turmeric powder

3 tbsp mustard seeds

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

1 tsp asafoetida powder

4 tbsp gingely oil

1 tsp jaggery  powder(or sugar)

Salt to taste

.

Preparation

Grind  tomatoes into fine paste.
Marinate tamarind in hot water for 10 minute and extract the pulp.

Mix tomato paste, tamarind pulp with salt and turmeric powder.

Roast and Powder

Fry 2 tbsp mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds each separately and powder them together.

Method

Heat gingerly oil in a thick bottom pan

Add 1 tsp mustard seeds and asafoetida.

Once the mustard pops add the tomato pulp.

When it starts to boil simmer  and open cook until oil floats to the top.

Switch off the flame add the mustard and fenugreek powder.

Once the pickle is cold store  it in a clean glass jar.

This can be stored in fridge for two weeks.

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Brown chickpea gravy

 Kadalai Kulambu

Ingredients

1 cup Brown channa

1 tbsp cooking oil

 2 red onion chopped (or 1 cup small onion)

2 tomatoes chopped

5 dry red  chillies

4  garlic clove

1 tsp cumin seeds

10 curry leaves

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp grated coconut

1 medium size eggplant (or 4 small eggplant)

Chopped Coriander leaves to garnish

Preparation

Soak the  channa for 4 to 5 hours

Wash and cook them until soft in pressure cooker

To grind

 In pan heat oil

Add onion and fry until transparent.

Add red chillie, garlic, cumin seeds, curry leaf and chopped tomatoes.

Once the tomatoes are cooked add the coriander powder and coconut.

Fry for further 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool.

Add 3 tbsp of cooked channa to the mixture and grind into fine paste.

Method

Heat pan add 1 tsp oil and mustard

Once the mustard splutter  add the grind paste with some water.

Allow gravy to boil for 5 minutes.

Now add the cubed brinjal(eggplant) and salt.

Once the brinjal is cooked garnish with coriander leaves and serve  with hot rice.

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Kozhi Milagu Varuval

Pepper Chicken Gravy

Ingredients

1/2 kg Chicken (diced)

2 tbsp gingely oil(or cooking oil)

1 tbsp pepper corns

1 tsp cumin seeds

3 garlic clove

2 inch ginger

10 curry leaves

2 tbsp coriander powder

2 red onions 

1 bunch of coriander leaves

1 tsp turmeric powder

salt to taste

2 Green chilies

Preparation

Grind 1 onion, Pepper corns, cumin seeds, ginger garlic, curry leaves, coriander powder and coriander leaves into fine paste.

Method

In pan add oil, 1 finely chopped onion and green chilies.

Once the onions are translucent add chicken and turmeric powder.

Fry for couple of minutes.

Add the grind paste and salt.

Once the gravy starts to boil close the pan and cook the chicken until tender.

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Pavakkai Varuval

Crispy Bitter gourd

Ingredients

1 Bitter gourd( cut into 4 inch fine thin slices)

½ cup tamarind water

1 tbsp gram flour

1 tbsp rice flour

2 tsp chilli powder

½ tsp powdered jaggery(or palm sugar)

Salt

2 tbsp oil

Method

In a pan add bitter guard with tamarind water.

Allow it to boil for 5 minutes.

Close the flame remove the excess  water.

Mix bitter gourd with chilli powder, gram flour, rice flour and salt.

In a non stick flat pan add oil.

Add the bitter gourd over the pan in one layer to cook.

Flip and cook the other side,  once the bottom layer is cooked sprinkle some jaggery and toss.

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Nandu Kuzhambu

South Indian Crab curry

Ingredients

1/2 kg crab

2 red onions finely chopped

2 red tomato chopped

10 curry leaves

1 tbsp fennel seeds

2 tbsp gingely oil

10 garlic cloves chopped half

1 cup coconut shredded

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp pepper corns

1 tsp cumin seeds

Salt to taste

 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves 

Preparation

Remove legs and clean crab removing all the dirt on back of the front shell.

Cut the crab.

Rub the flesh with turmeric powder allow it to sit for 5 minutes.

Wash it again and keep aside

Grind coconut ,turmeric powder, chilli powder and pepper by adding some water into fine paste.

chop onion,tomato and garlic.

 Method

Heat oil in a pan

Add fennel seeds, curry leaves and onion .

Once the onions are translucent add tomato and garlic.

Fry for further 5 minutes and add the crab.

Cook crab for 2 minutes and add the coconut  paste  with salt.

Add 1 cup of water. when the curry starts to boil

close the pan and cook the crab for 10 minutes.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaver.

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Pondu Milagai Podi

Dry Garlic Dal Powder

Ingredients

1 cup whole urad dal(white lentil)

¼ cup chana dal

¾ cup shredded coconut

10 to 12 dry red chillie

15 garlic glove
10 curry leaves

1 tsp cooking oil

Salt to taste

Method

Heat oil and fry urad dal, chana dal, red chilli, garlic, curry leaves and coconut one by one until raw smell goes.

Once the mixture is cold add salt and grind.

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