A flavored rice that could be added to your Mattu Pongal menu. Ellu is rich in minerals and Omega acids. Most of the Tamil brahmin families used to prepare Ellu sadam once a week, the natural way of nutrition. So make a start this Mattu Pongal.

Ingredients

Raw rice                1 cup

Ellu                          2 tbsp

Urad dal                 1 tbsp

Dry red chili          2

Whole pepper      ½ tsp

Cashew nuts        5-6

Mustard seeds     ½ tsp

Channa dal           1tsp

Sesame oil           2-3 tbsp

Salt                       1 ¼ tbsp.

Few curry leaves.

Method

Cook rice and spread it on a plate, drizzle 1 tbsp oil and allow it to cool. Take a pan and roast the ellu, when the ellu starts popping remove it. In the same pan dry roast urad dal, pepper and red chili. Coarsely powder all the roasted ingredients.

Heat the remaining oil, add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds crack add the channa dal and cashew nuts and fry till they change colour. Lower the flame and add the curry leaves, powder, give it a stir. Now add the salt, and the cooled rice, mix everything together, close and cook for a minute. Ellu sadam is ready.

Lemon Rasam

Ingredient
Toor dal— 1/2 cup
Tomato—- 1
Green chili— 1
Ginger— 1/2 inch
Rasam pwd– 1/2 tsp
Turmeric ped– 1/4 tsp
Hing– 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds— 1/2 tsp
Salt —- 1 tsp
Oil—- 1tsp( I used coconut oil)
Lemon juice– 4tbsp
Fresh coriander and curry leaves.

A Puliinji with a difference, enjoy spicy Capsicum Puliinji.

Ingredients

Capsicum—- 1 cup, cut into small pieces
Green chilis—4
Ginger — 1inch
Tamarind—— size of big lemon
Jaggery———-1 tbsp
Red chilli pwd— 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida—– 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds —1/2 tsp
Oil ———- 2tbsp
Rice powder— 1tbsp
Salt ——– 1 1/2 tsp
Few curry leaves.

Method

Heat a kadai, add the oil. Add mustard, when they crack Add the cut chillis, ginger and curry leaves. Saute for a minute
Add the capsicum, saute for 2 mnts
Add the tamarind pulp, add the turmeric , red chilli pwd, asafoetida, salt and jagger. Give a stir and cover and cook in medium flame for 5-7 mnts
Mix the rice powder in quarter glass of waterPour it in the gravy, give a stir.
Allow to boil for future 2mnts.

Capsicum Puliinji ready.

As we are nearing Maatu Pongal, Puliyodharai is a dish that is definitely prepared down South. This is a recipe that was taught to me by my mother-in- law, and the paste can be stored for a long time and yet is a simplified version of the traditional recipe.

Ingredients:-

Tamarind– size of a gooseberry
Red chilli– 12+2 nos
Coriander seeds– 2 tablespoons
Fenugreek seeds– 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida– 2 small pieces
Sesame seeds– 1/2 teaspoon
Pepper– 1/2 teaspoon
Fresh coconut– 2 tablespoons
Jaggery– 1 tablespoon
Turmeric pwd– 1/2 teaspoon
Salt– 1 1/2 teaspoons
Peanuts– 2 tablespoons
Mustard seeds– 1 teaspoon
Sesame oil– 4 tablespoons
Rice– 1 1/2 cups
few curry leaves.

Method
Cook rice, each rice should be separate and shouldn’t stick to each other. spread it in a plate and drizzle some oil.

Take a pan dry roast sesame seeds and pepper,powder it.
Heat 1 spoon of oil and add the asafoetida,coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds and red chillies,fry till they change colour.
Grind together tamarind, coconut, jaggery,turmeric,salt and the fried ingredients add water to make a paste.
Heat the remaining oil in the pan add the mustard seeds, when it starts spluttering, add the 2 chillies, peanuts and curry leaves. once the peanuts are fried add the grounded paste and stir.Cook till you get a thick paste and the oil starts separating.(cover and cook to avoid the paste spluttering all over.) Now mix in the powder of sesame seeds and pepper.
Your pulikachal is ready.
Add your pulikachal to the cooled rice and mix gently.
Enjoy your puliyodharai.

Prepare this paste and store it in fridge, relish puliyodharai whenever you feel like having it.😊

An absolute Kerala favorite! A pickle that is an essential in every sadya and is as well a family favorite! Here is my take on this classic.

Ingredients : –
Raw mango– 1
Red chilli pwd– 2 tablespoons
Tumeric pwd– ½ teaspoon
Asafoetida– ½ teaspoon
Methi powder– 1 teaspoon
Salt– 1 ½ teaspoon
Mustard seeds– 1 teaspoon
Sesame oil– 3 table spoons.
Method :-
Wash the raw mango cut it into small pieces and add salt.Heat oil in a pan,add the mustard seeds, when they start to splutter add the turmeric pwd, asafoetida and red chilli pwd , stir well and put of the heat.Now  add the cut mango with salt, methi pwd and mix well, Manga curry is ready. Store it in a air tight container. Refrigerate and  this pickle stays fresh for a week.

The season of tender Jackfruit are here, couldn’t resist myself.So here is a traditional recipe of tender Jackfruit.

Ingredients

Idichakka / Tender Jackfruit–. 1
Fresh coconut–. 1/2 cup
Green chillies–. 2
Turmeric– 1/2 teaspoon
Salt –. 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds–. 1 teaspoon
Urad dal –. 1 teaspoon
Coconut oil–. 3 tablespoons.

Method

Cutting idichakka needs some preparation and a little patience. Spread some news paper, about 3 layers. Oil your palms and knife well. Cut the idichakka into half. You will find white milk like liquid which will be verrrrryy sticky. Use paper bits to clean the liquid. Now cut it again into small bits. Remove the thick skin and the center part.

Now  cut the idichakka into small bits and wash it well. Add turmeric and salt to idichakka and pressure cook it for 2 whistles. Once cool , you need to pound it. Either you a wooden smasher or a glass which I used. Grind the coconut and green chillies together without water. Heat a pan with 2 spoons of oil, add the mustard seeds ,when they start spluttering add the udal dal. When the dal turns red add the pounded idichakka, sauté. Now add the grounded coconut and mix well. Put of the heat. Drizzle the remaining oil and you could add 2 more spoons of fresh grated coconut. Enjoy your idichakka Thoran.
Don’t think about extra oil and coconut used , authentic food require it and that’s the reason our grandmother’s food always taste the best.

Here’s a palakkad cuisine. Each household of pakakkad origin have their own recipe. Here’s how I prepare Mathan Pulinkari.

Ingredients: –
Mathan /Red pumpkin— 1 cup, cut into one-inch cubes
Tamarind— a small gooseberry size
Turmeric— ½ teaspoon
Salt— 1 1/4 teaspoon
Jaggery— 1 tablespoon
Urad dal— 1 tablespoon
Toor dal— 1 tablespoon
Fenugreek seeds— ½ tablespoon
Red chillies— 5 nos
Mustard seeds— ½ teaspoon
Fresh coconut— ¾ cup
Oil— 3 teaspoon
Few curry leaves.

Method
Soak tamarind in a cup of water, remove the tamarind extract. Boil mathan cubes in tamarind extract. To this add one cup of water, turmeric, salt and jaggery. Cook till the mathan cubes are soft. Heat 2 spoon oil (I use sesame oil) fry red chillies, urad dal, toor dal and fenugreek seeds till the dals turns light brown in colour, remove from fire and allow it to cool. Grind together the fried ingredients and fresh coconut to get a smoot paste. Add this paste to the cooked mathan gravy and mix well. Lower the flame and cook it for 2-4 mnts .(check the consistency and adjust). Heat the remaining oil, add the mustard seeds, once the mustard splutters add the curry leaves, add this to the mathan and coconut gravy.
Your Mathan Pulinkari is ready.

Kasi Halwa

Kasi halwa is a authentic sweet which is normally served during breakfast for any marriage or religion functions down South. I love it! Hence I decided to make it. The recipe is simple yet takes patience to prepare this dish.

This is my first attempt in creating a preparation video. Hope you guys enjoy it!

Enjoy the last day of 2019 and have a great New Year.
Happy New Year!🌟。♥。😉。🍀
。🎁 。🎉。🌟
✨。＼｜／。🌺
Happy New Year!
💜。／｜＼。💎
。☀。 🌹。🌙。
🌟。 😍。 🎶

One of its kind raita where the main ingredient is cooked and added into the raita for textured flavor.

Ingredients:-

Cauliflower                         1 cup

Onion                                  1 small

Curd                                    3 cup

Red chili pwd                    ¼ tsp

Salt                                     ½ tsp

Oil                                       1 tsp.

Method

Cut cauliflower into small florets. Cut onion into small pieces. Wash the cauliflower well. Steam the cauliflower florets. Heat oil in a pan, add the onion and fry them till the onion changes color add the chili powder, stir and put of the flame. Wisk the curd. Add the steamed cauliflower and salt to the curd. Before serving add the fried onion. Cauliflower raita is ready to be served.

Do you enjoy soft chapati’s? Then you are sure to enjoy this recipe. A very simple recipe but very tasty. Be sure to knead more dough because my experience says once you start serving or having it yourself, the question will always be, can I have one more? This once again is my chithi’s recipe.

Ingredients

Potato                    2 medium

Bread                      4 slices

Maida                    2 cups

Salt                         1 tsp

Oil                          1 tbsp

Fresh coriander leaves    2 tbsp

Ghee or butter.

Method

Scrape the skin of the potato and boil them. Cut the crust of the bread. Take a bowl, mash the potato’s well, sprinkle little water over the bread and crumble the bread and add it to the mashed potato. To this add maida, salt, chopped coriander leaves and knead them all together well. Add oil and knead once more.

Make the dough into balls. Dust and roll the balls into thin chapati’s. Heat a tawa, cook the chapatti from one side, flip the chapatti and cook the other side. Drizzle ghee over the chapatti, flip once again and drizzle some more ghee. Your chapatti is ready, enjoy it! Just for a day don’t mind having white flour or white bread.