Meal haven

Brinjal Chana Dal curry

The unique combination of chana dal and brinjals adds to the flavour of this gravy. It goes well with chapathis and plain rice. You can also substitute brinjals with beans, knolkhol, chow-chow or cabbage.

Ingredients:

Bengal gram dal or Chana dal – 1/2 cup

Brinjals – 2 medium size

Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tsp

Chillie powder – 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Tomato – 2 small

Onions – 1 big

Bay leaf – 1

Ground coconut paste – 1 1/2 tbsp

Water – 1/2 cup + 1 1/2 cup

Oil – 1 tbsp

Garam masala powder – a pinch

Garam masala powder:

Patta – 1 inch

Cloves – 4

Elaichi -2

Saunf – 1 tsp

In a kadai, saute all these without oil and pulse it in a blender to make the powder. Store this powder in a tighly sealed bottle.

Use only a pinch of this for this recipe.

Preparation:

Soak chana dal for 1/2 hr . Cook chana dal in a pressure cooker separately. Add the soaked chana dal to the cooker with a little salt and a pinch of turmeric and add 1 1/2 cups of water to it. After the first whistle, reduce the flame to the lowest and boil for 3 to 4 minutes. After it cools, check if the dal has been cooked well.

Meanwhile, in a kadai, add oil and heat it. Add 1 bay leaf and the chopped onions to it. Saute it well and then add ginger-garlic and fry until the raw smell goes off. Then add tomatoes. When it becomes mushy, add the chillie powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder and mix well. Then in goes the brinjals and stir well. Cover and let it cook for some time. When the veggies r cooked, add the boiled chana dal and the ground coconut paste to the mixture and boil for 2 minutes. Add a pinch of the garam masala powder and stir well and put off the gas. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Markandam Soup (Mutton Rib bone soup)

Non-Vegetarian

Mom’s speciality. A soup bursting with flavours which is a big hit with the entire family. The broth is simmered with the spices and the bones cooked alongwith it, brings out the richness of this soup. It can be had with rice or can have it on its own.

Ingredients:

Markandam or Rib bones – 250 gms

Garlic – 3/4 tsp paste

Ginger – 3/4 tsp

Onion – 1 medium

Tomato – 3 medium sized

Coriander leaves – 1 1/4 tsp chopped plus some for garnish

Chillie powder – 2 tsp

Coriander powder – 3 tsp

Kashmiri chillie powder – 1/4 tsp (for colour only)

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Mint leaves/Pudina choped fine – 7 leaves (optional)

Water – 1 1/2 cups

Salt – To taste

Seasonings:

Garlic crushed – 3 or 4

Ghee – 1 tsp

Pepper powder coarsely crushed – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaf – 1 sprig

Preparation:

In a cooker, add all of the above ingredients except the seasonings. Close the lid and let it boil. After 1 whistle, reduce the flame to the lowest and let it boil for 8 – 10 mts, depending on the tenderness of the meat. Once done, open the ooker and check if the meat is cooked. If the soup is very watery, boil it for some more time without the lid on.

Heat a tsp of ghee and add coarsely ground pepper first. Then add the crushed garlic and curry leaves. Pour the seasoning in the soup and voila… the soup is ready.

Chicken Pepper Fry

Non-Vegetarian

An absolute favourite from the kitchens of Tamilnadu. If you enjoy the flavour of pepper, you will enjoy this one. You can have it with bread, parathas, chapati, pulav or white rice too. This authentic recipe has been passed down from my great grandmother and is relished by all.

Ingredients:

Chicken – 1 kg

Pepper – 1 1/2 tsp

Coriander Seeds – 2 tsp

Green chillies – 2

Onions – 2 big

Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Pudina or Mint leaves – a handful chopped (optional)

Coriander leaves – a handful chopped

Curry leaf – 1 sprig

Oil – 2 tbsp

Preparation:

Dry roast the pepper and coriander seeds and powder them fine. Heat oil, add the finely chopped onions and the green chillies slit lengthwise. Next, add the ginger-garlic paste and saute well. Add in the mint leaves, coriander leaves and saute again. Next in goes the chicken cut into pieces and the turmeric powder. Fry it well and add the curry leaves and the powder (pepper and coriander seeds). Saute well until the oil gets separated from the sides. Remove and serve garnished with curry leaf.

Oats Upma

Breakfast

I have always looked for recipes using oats as they are a good source of fibre, minerals and antioxidants. This one is an easy and quick oats recipe which can be done in a jiffy.

Ingredients:

Oats – 6 tbsp

Water – 1 1/4 cup

Green chillies – 3 slit lengthwise

Peas- 1 tbsp

Cauliflower flowerettes chopped – 3 small pieces

Carrot – 2 inch pieces chopped

Beans – 3 cut into 1 inch pieces

Onion – 1/2 chopped finely

Jeera powder – 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Seasoning:

Mustard – 1/2 tsp

Udad dal – 1/4 tsp

Jeera – 1/4 tsp

Curry leaf – 1 sprig

Preparation:

Heat oil. Add the seasonings. Then add the green chillies and onions and saute well. Then add the carrots, cauliflower and saute again. After 2 minutes, add the peas and beans and saute well. Then goes in the jeera powder and turmeric powder. Add water and let it boil for 2 minutes. Season with salt. Then add the oats and keep stirring so that lumps are not formed. Then, close the lid and let it cook. Once it is cooked, add a dash of lime and serve. Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Tomato Chutney

Chutneys

A simple tomato chutney to accompany dosas, idlis or utappam.

Ingredients:

Tomato – medium size 1 1/2

Onion – 1 medium size

Tamarind – a small pinch

Peanuts – 2 tsp

Coconut – 3 tsp

Red chillies – 3

Udad dal – 1 tbsp

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Udad dal – 1/4 tsp

Curry leaf – 1 sprig

Asafoetida – a pinch

Heat oil. Add udad dal. When dal becomes slightly brown, add red chillies, then onion and saute it. Add the tomato and saute till it turns mushy. Turn off the gas and let it cool. Grind this in a mixie coarsely alongwith coconut, tamarind and peanuts. The paste should not become too smooth. Season it with mustard seeds, udad dal, curry leaves and asafoedtida.

Sabudana Utthapam

Breakfast

Ingredients

Sabudana – 1 cup

Semolina – 1/2 cup

Curds preferably sour – 1/4 cup

Onion – 1 big

Green chillies – 2 cut into pieces

Jeera – 1 tsp

Coriander leaves – 1 sprig chopped

Curry leaves – 1 sprig chopped

Coconut pieces chopped – 1 tbsp

Kadala parippu (bengal granm dal) – 1 tsp soaked in water for 30 mts

Mustard – 1/2 tsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Salt- as required

Water – 1/2 cup water

Preparation:

Soak sabudana in water for 1 hour. Empty the sabudana in a bowl and pour just enough water so as to cover the sabudana.

In a kadai, heat oil and add mustard, jeera, bengal gram dal. When it splutters and becomes golden, add the green chillies, finely chopped onions, curry leaves and the coconut pieces and saute well. Put off the fire and keep it aside.

In a mixing bowl, add the sadudana. Drain any excess water. Now add semolina and curds to it and mix it well. Add the sauteed items to it and salt. Add half a cup of water to it. The batter should be a bit thick and not runny.

Heat a tava or a non stick pan and pour it like a uthapam. Add 1 tsp oil and cook on slow fire, taking care not to burn the sides of the uthapam. When done, take off the pan and serve alongwith chutney or sambar.

Bread

Baking

The staff of life. Mainstay of existence of many. It is a staple food for many, prepared with flour and water and is one of the world’s oldest foods. Comes in combinations of different flours, shapes, sizes and textures. I have tried a lot of bread recipes but the one that I absolutely loved is this one. Soft with a perfect crispy crust, this one is easy to make, with minimum ingredients. This makes 2 loaves.

Ingredients:

Warm water- 2 1/4 cup

Dry yeast – 2 1/4 tsp

Salt – 1 tbsp

Sugar – 3 tbsp

Maida or All Purpose Flour – 6 1/4 cups

Olive oil – 2 tbsp + 1/4 tsp

Preparation:

Take the warm water in a deep big bowl. Add yeast to the bowl and stir well. Then add sugar and stir again well. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until it becomes to foam.

To this bowl, add salt, 2 tbsp oil and 3 cups of flour and mix well. Add flour again little by little and knead it by hand or if you have a electric dough hook, knead it well for about 10 minutes. The dough should not be too sticky. If after adding 6 cups, the dough is still sticky add 1/4 cup or else, leave it at 6 cups.

Add 1/4 tsp oil to the bowl and turn the dough over a few times to coat the outside of the dough with the oil. Cover and allow to rise until double in size (1-2 hours).After it’s risen, shape bread into two loaves and place in two 9×5 inch greased bread pans. Cover again and allow to rise until about double in size (about 30-45 minutes). Brush a light coating of egg wash (whole egg beaten with 1 tbsp water) on top of the dough before baking. Bake on 190 degrees Celsius (375degrees F) for 30-35 minutes. Brush a light coating of butter on the top of the bread, and allow the bread to sit in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Then remove from pan and set on a wire rack to cool.

Peas Rice with coconut milk

Rice

A quick rice recipe loaded with flavours. This rice is also known as “Birinji” which is served on occassions. It is a lunch box quick fix and perfectly combines well with a raita.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 2 cups

Onions – 2 sliced

Green chillies – 4 sliced lengthwise

Ginger & Garlic paste – 1 tsp

Cloves – 2

Cinnamon – 1/2 inch piece

Saunf – 1/2 tsp

Bay leaf -2

Tomato – 1

Frozen or Fresh Peas – 3/4 cup

Pudina – 1 sprig

Coriander leaves – 1 sprig

Thick Coconut milk – 1 cup

Water – 2 1/4 cups

Ghee- 1tbsp

Oil – 1 tsp

Preparation:

Wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes. Drain the water and keep it aside.

In a kadai, heat oil. When the oil becomes hot, add the whole garam masala (cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, saunf and bay leaf). Add the onions sliced lengthwise, ginger garlic paste and saute well until the raw smell dissappears. Then, add green chillies , tomato and saute again for some time. Now add the mint leaves and coriander leaves and the peas to it. (If you are using fresh peas, you will need to cook it separately). When the peas has been cooked, add water and the coconut milk to it. Adjust the salt and close the lid and let it cook for 7 -10 minutes, depending on the rice quality. Open and check if the rice has been cooked and all the water has been absorbed. Serve hot and garnish it with fried cashews and coriander leaves. You can also add a few chopped pieces of fried coconut as garnish.

Dal Dhoklas

Snacks

I once had these at a Gujarati friend’s place in Bahrain in 1998 and have been hooked to it ever since. Now universally popular, these dhoklas just melt in the mouth……

Ingredients

Chana dal – 1 cup

Udad dal – 1/2 cup

Enos fruit salt – 3/4 to 1 tsp

1/4 cup curds/yogurt

Green chillies – 2

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Coriander leaf chopped – 1 tbsp

Sugar – 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Shredded coconut – 1 tbsp

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Curry leaf – 1 sprig

Soak both dals for 4 hrs and grind it to a smooth paste. Make a paste of green chillies and ginger and add to it. Add curds/yogurt and ferment it overnight. After it is fermented, just before u steam the batter, add sugar, salt and enos fruit salt to it and mix it well. The batter will start to froth. Pour it into a greased plate and steam for 10 mts. Once it is cool, add the seasoning of mustard seeds and curry leaves. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaf and shredded coconut on top.

Note : Enos Fruit Salt is essential to make this recipe.

Kozhukattai

Breakfast

Easy to make , these steamed dumplings of raw rice are perfect for breakfast

Ingredients:

Raw Rice – 1 cup

Coconut – ½ cup

Oil – 1 tblsp

Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1 tblsp

Asafoetida or hing – a pinch

Curry leaves a sprig

Red Chillies – 2 chopped finely

Water – 2 cups

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Take raw rice in a mixer and powder it coarsely.

Heat oil in a pan, add in mustard seeds, urad dal and let it sizzle. Add in curry leaves, asafoetida and green chillies. Mix well.

Add water and bring it to a boil.

Add salt and coconut and mix well.

Then add the ground coarsely ground rice and mix well. Keep stirring for some time and then cover and cook for 15 mins.

Shape it into balls and steam for 10 mins.

Serve with coconut chutney or tomato spicy chutney.