Lauki Raita Recipe / Dudhi Raita Recipe / Lauki ka Raita / Bottle Gourd Raita

Lauki Raita

Tempering
Coconut oil - 2 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Red chillies - 1
Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Hing - a generous pinch
Curry leaves few
Other ingredients
Grated bottle gourd/Sorrakai/Lauki - 2 cups
( squeeze out the water from lauki and use,if you don't want to eat raw then fry it in 1st of oil or steam the lauki and make the raita )
Salt to taste
Thick beaten curd - 1 & 1/2 cups
Ingredients ground to a thick smooth paste
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Green chillies - 2 small
Ginger - 1 tsp
Method
Add lgrated lauki, salt and the ground paste to the curd mix and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a pan and temper it with above ingredients,switch off the stove.
Cool and add it to the curd mixture mix it well,garnish with curry /coriander leaves.
Serve cold with plain rice or pulao.

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Karamani Murungai Poo Curry / Thatta Payir Murungai Poo Curry / Black Eye Bean & Drumstick Flowers Curry / Lobia And Drumstick Flowers Curry

Karamani Murungai Poo Curry

Ingredients
Black eye bean-1/2 cup
(soaked overnight and cooked with little salt)
Drumstick flowers / Murungai Poo - 2 cups
Onion chopped -1/2
Chopped Tomato - 1 large
Ginger & Garlic paste-1tsp
Coriander leaves 1 tsp for garnish
Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
Salt to taste
Chilly powder-1tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
MDM Kitchen king masala or garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Method
Heat oil in a pan temper with jeera and mustard seeds.
Add onion,tomato,murungai poo,ginger & garlic paste and fry till light brown & till raw has smell disappeared.
Add all the dry masala powders,fry for 2 minutes,next add the cooked beans along with the water.
Cover it with a lid and in low flame cook till the curry is thick,
Switch off the stove,garnish with coriander leaves & serve it with rice or roti.

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Masala Kadalai / Masala Peanuts / Fried Spicy Peanuts / Masala Groundnuts

Masala Kadalai

Ingredients
Raw peanuts/groundnuts - 2 & 1/2 cups
( slightly fry in a pan till just warm)
Besan / Kadalai Mavu - 3 tsp heaped
Rice flour - 2 tsp heaped
Salt to taste
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Grated garlic - 2
Hing - 1/4 tsp
Crushed fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves few
Oil to deep fry

Masala Peanuts

Method
Take a bowl add the rice flour,besan,salt,red chilly powder,hing,garlic and the warm groundnuts,mix  everything well.
Sprinkle water little by little till all the peanuts are coated with the mixture.Do not pour too much water and make it like a bajji batter.Each peanuts will look dry but all well coated to the mixture.
Heat oil in a pan and carefully drop the coated peanuts separated and not in bunches.
In medium high flame fry till brown on all sides and crisp.
Remove to a plate and garnish with fried curry leaves.
Enjoy this crispy peanuts with tea.

Note:
a) You will be using very little water to coat the peanuts ,do not pour water and make it like a bajji batter,See picture above.
b) Deep fry in medium high flame otherwise the peanuts will turn brown fast and they will not be crispy,You will end up with a chewy texture.
c) 1 tsp of hot oil can be added to the peanut mixture before frying,but i did not add still got a crispy texture.
d) Beginners can arrange each peanuts separately in a plate and then carefully drop it into the hot oil.
e) Sometimes peanuts may pop up while frying so i always fry the peanuts till just warm and then use.If masala is well coated chances are less to pop.
e) As my family don't like the peanuts fully coated with besan i have reduced.If you want to coat fully add 1 or 2 tsp extra besan.

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Stuffed Idli / Potato Stuffed Idli Recipe / Stuffed Tumbler Idli / Aloo Stuffed Idli

Stuffed Idli

Ingredients for Filling
Oil - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chopped curry leaves - few
Chopped onion - 1 tbsp
Chopped green sillies - 2
Grated ginger - 1/4 tsp
Grated carrot - 1 medium size
Boiled and mashed potato - 1 large
Method
Heat oil in a pan temper it with jeera.Add the chopped curry leaves,onion.ginger and green chillies fry till colour changes.Add the grated carrots,salt and turmeric powder saute for a minute.Lastly add the mashed potato and mix well till combined.
Cool and roll it out in small equal size logs,keep it aside.
For Coating
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Sesame seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves few
Kashmiri red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Idli Podi Or Chutney podi - 1 tbsp
Method
Heat oil in a pan temper it with mustard,sesame seeds and curry leaves.Switch off the stove add the Idli podi or Chutney podi mix and keep it aside.

Stuffed Idli

Other ingredients
Idli Batter as needed
Method
Grease some oil inside a stainless steel tumbler pour 1 or 2 ladles of Idli batter,
Place a aloo roll in the center and cover it up with some more batter till the top.
Steam these stuffed Idlis for 8 to 10 minutes or till done.
Cool completely loosen the edges using a knife and carefully unmould the idlis from the tumbler.
Roll these idlis into the tempered Idli podi mixture making sure all sides are well coated.
Carefully cut into circles and serve.

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Beetroot Rava Kesari / Beetroot Kesari / Kesari Recipe

Beetroot Kesari

Ingredients
Rava/Sooji/Semolina - 1/4 cup
Water - 1 & 1/2 cups
Beetroots finely grated - 1 & 1/2 cups
Palm sugar - 5 tbsp
( As my home grown beetroots were not sweet i added more sugar,adjust according to the sweetness of the beetroot)
Ghee -2 tbsp
( add more if you want)
Chopped almonds - 15
Crushed cardamom - 8
Method
Fry nuts in 1tsp of ghee till light brown & keep it aside.
Heat 2 tsps of ghee and roast the rava till slightly colour changes & nice aroma comes.
In another pan add some ghee & fry the beetroot till raw smell has disappeared,pour water and bring it to a boil.
Reduce the flame and add the roasted rava mix well make sure there are no lumps and cover it with a lid and cook till rava has absorbed all the water and is cooked.
Now add the sugar and in low flame cook till well combined.
Add extra ghee if your kesari is dry.
Add the fried nuts and cardamom powder,mix and switch off the stove.
Serve the Kesari warm.

Beetroot Kesari

Note:
a) Fry rava well otherwise your kesari will be sticky.
b) Adjust sugar according to the sweetness of the beetroot.
c) Fry the beetroot well till raw smell had disappeared otherwise the end product will taste raw.

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Murungai Poo Thogayal / Murungai Poo Thuvaiyal / Drumstick Flowers Chutney

Murungai Poo Thogayal

Ingredients
Murungai poo / Drumstick Flowers / Moringa Flowers - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Channa dal - 1/2 tbsp
Red chillies - 4
Chopped ginger - 1 tsp
Tamarind - a small piece
Grated coconut - 3 tsp
Hing - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Method
Heat oil in a pan add urad dal,channa dal,hing,ginger and red chillies.fry till its light brown.
Add the murungai poo and saute till raw smell has disappeared.
Add coconut and give a mix and switch off the stove.
Take a blender/mixi jar add the fried ingredients.salt,tamarind and grind to a coarse thick chutney.Sprinkle very little water if needed.
Enjoy this thogayal by mixing it in hot rice with little ghee or sesame oil.

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Thukkada Recipe / Namak Para / Namak Pare / Spicy Diamond Cuts

Thukkada

Ingredients
Maida / All purpose flour - 1 cup heaped
Salt to taste
Red chilly powder - 3/4 tsp
Ajwain - 1/2 tsp
Grated garlic - 2
Chopped curry leaves - 8
Hot oil - 1 tbsp for the dough
Oil as needed to deep fry

Spicy Diamond Cuts

Method
Take a bowl add all the above mentioned ingredients and mix well.
Pour water little by little and form a tight dough.Cover and rest for 5 minutes.
Dust your working place with some flour and roll out the dough to a thin sheet.
Take a knife and cut into diamond shape pieces.
Heat oil in a pan and deep fry in batches till crisp and light brown on all sides in medium high flame.
Remove it on a kitchen paper for excess oil to get absorbed if any.
Serve hot with tea as an evening snack

Note:
This recipe can be made with just wheat flour/Atta too.

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Baingan Biryani Recipe / Brinjal Biryani / Guthi Vankaya Biryani / Vankaya Biriyani Recipe / Stuffed Brinjal Biriyani

Ingredients for dry roasting

Dry coconut / Kopra - 1/4 cup

Peanuts - 1/4 cup

Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp

Red chilly - 2

Kashmiri red chilly - 2

( dry roast these ingredients till light brown,cool and add 1 tsp coriander powder,salt to taste,1/4 tsp turmeric powder and 1 tsp ginger and garlic paste and dry grind to a semi smooth mixture,Stuff this mixture inside the slit brinjals - see picture)

Guthi Vankaya Biriyani

Other Ingredients

Green brinjals - 6

( as it was big i cut into half and made a slit on top like a cross - see picture above)

Basmati rice - 1 & 1/2 cups

Water - 2 & 1/4 cups

Sliced onions - a handful

Cocktail tomato sliced - 1

Slit green chillies - 2

Mint leaves few

Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tsp

Lemon juice - 2 tsp

Homemade biriyani masala - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Brinjal Biriyani

Method

Wash and add the rice in an electric cooker pour water,add salt as needed,1tsp ghee,few mint leaves and 1/4 tsp biriyani masala cover and cook till done.

Heat oil and ghee in a pan fry onion,green chillies and mint leaves till light brown,now add the tomato and saute for a minute.Now arrange the stuffed brinjals and sprinkle the extra filling mixture if any and gently mix till all brinjals are coated with oil.Sprinkle very little water cover and in low flame cook till they are 1/2 cooked.

Spread the cooked rice on top sprinkle the remaining biriyani masala,mint leaves and lemon juice sprinkle water if needed,cover with a tight lid and in low flame cook for 10 minutes till done.

Just before serving gently give a mix and serve hot with raita!

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Homemade Grape Squash / Grape Juice Recipe / Grape Cordial

Grape Juice

Ingredients

Seedless red grapes - 5 cups

Sugar - 1 & 1/4 cups

( adjust sugar according to the sweetness of your grapes)

Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Salt a pinch

Water - 3 cups

Grape Juice 

Method

Wash the grapes well put it inside a sauce pan add sugar and pour water.

In medium low flame simmer the mixture till the grapes are soft and mashed,

Mash the grapes occasionally using a masher.

This will take about 15 minutes add the lemon juice and salt boil for couple more minutes and switch off the stove.

Cool the mixture and strain the juice and discard the skin.

Store the juice in a clean bottle in fridge.

Take a glass add 1 tbsp or more syrup pour cold water add ice and serve.

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Biulir Dal / Bengali Urad Dal Recipe / Bengali Dal Recipe

Biulir Dal

Ingredients

Urad dal - 1/2 cup

Water - 3 cups

Salt to taste

Sugar - 1/8 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Slit green chillies - 1

Tempering

Oil - 2 tsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

Bay leaf - 1

Whole or crushed fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

Grated ginger - 1/2 tsp

Hing - 1/8 tsp

Red chillies broken - 2

Method

Heat a pressure cooker add the urad dal and fry till slightly colour changes.

Add turmeric powder and pour 1 & 1/2 cups water,pressure cook till soft.

Cool and remove lid mash the dal,pour the remaining water,green chillies,sugar and salt,boil for couple minute and switch off the stove.

Heat oil in a pan and temper with bay leaf,fennel seeds,red chillies,hing and ginger,pour the hot tempering into the cooked dal.Lastly add ghee mix and serve with plain rice.

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