Simple Tomato Kurma - Side dish for Idly/ Dosa

Ingredients 

Tomatoes       : 3 
Chopped onion   : 1/2 cup
Red chilly powder   : 3/4 tsp 
Green chilly             : 1
Coriander leaves 
Salt 
Oil 

To grind 

Grated coconut   : 2 tbsps
Fried gram          : 1 tsp
Fennel seeds       : 1/2  tsp

Method 

Grind the things under 'To Grind' into a very smooth paste.
Chop tomatoes finely.
Heat oil in a kadai, add onion, slit green chilly and fry.
Add tomatoes and salt to it.
Add red chilly powder, stir ,cover & cook for few minutes.
Add the ground coconut paste and little water to it,reduce the flame and cook for few minutes till it thickens.
Add coriander leaves and Switch off the flame.
Serve hot with Idly or Dosa. 

Milagu Sadam / Pepper Rice

Ingredients 

Cooked & cooled rice        : 1 cup
Pepper corns                      : 1 tbsp
Peanuts                              : 2 tbsps
Ghee                                 : 1 1/2 tbsp
Urad dal                            : 1 tsp
Mustard seeds                   : 1/2 tsp 
Curry leaves
Salt

Method

Heat 1/2 tsp ghee in a pan,fry pepper corns till it starts popping .
Keep aside, allow it to cool and make a coarse powder.
Heat remaining ghee in a pan,add mustard seeds,urad dal,peanuts,curry leaves one by one and fry till golden brown. 
Sprinkle salt and pepper powder over the cooled rice.
Pour the seasoning over the rice and mix everything well.
Serve with Papad.  

Coconut Burfi / Thengai Burfi/Coconut Fudge

Ingredients 

Grated coconut         : 1 cup 
Sugar                        : 1 cup 
Cardamom powder   : 1/4 tsp
Chopped cashew nuts : 1/4 cup
Ghee                          : 1 tsp

Method

Fry cashew nuts in ghee & keep aside.
Mix sugar & coconut well.
Transfer it into a heavy botttomed pan, cook and stir continuously. 
Add cardamon powder and fried cashews and mix well.
Continue cooking for 10 minutes till the mixture begins to leaves the sides of the pan. 
Pour the mixture into a greased tray and spread evenly.
Cool and cut into pieces and serve. 
Sending this to End of the year contest entry event by www.awesomecuisine.com 

Biryani Rolls from Leftover Vegetable Biryani with step-by-step pictures

Ingredients 

Leftover Vegetable Biryani       : 2 cups
Wheat bread                            : 3 slices 
Oil 

Method 


Place the Biryani in a bowl.

Mash it using potato masher. 

Remove the brown sides of the bread slices,dip them in water and squeeze immediately and add it to the mashed biryani & blend everything well.

Shape the mixture into rolls.

Shallow fry the rolls with little oil until golden brown on both sides. 

Hot & Yummy Biryani Rolls are ready to serve..Enjoy..

Paneer Tikka

Ingredients 

Paneer cubes             :  10 nos
Onion  cubed             : 1/2 cup
Red capsicum cubed  : 1/2 cup
Green capsicum         : 1/2 cup
Yellow capsicum       : 1 /2 cup
Thick curd                : 3/4 cup
Red chilly powder     : 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder : 1/2 tsp
Ginge-Garlic paste     : 1/2 tsp
Amchur powder           : 1/2 tsp
Salt

Method

Preheat oven to 200C.
In a bowl mix curd ,red chilly powder,garam masala powder,amchur powder,salt,ginger-garlic paste well.
Add the paneer cubes to the curd mixture and let it sit for 2 hours.
Take it out and insert the paneer , red,yellow,green capsicums and onion in a skewer alternatively..
Bake it for 15 minutes .
Turn the skewer in between for even cooking.
Serve hot with green chutney. 

Basic Eggless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients 

Maida / All purpose flour    :  1 1/2 cups
Milk                                   : 1 cup 
Powdered sugar                 : 1 cup  
Refined oil                          : 3 tbsps
Cocoa powder                   : 3tbsps
Baking powder                   : 1/2 tsp 
Baking soda                        : 1/4 tsp 
Lime juice                         : 1 tsp
Vanilla essense                    : few drops
Salt                                      : a pinch
  

Method 

Preheat oven to 180 C 
Sieve maida,baking powder, baking soda,salt,cocoa powder together for 2 times.
Mix milk,sugar ,oil in a wide bowl.
Add vanilla essense to it .
Add the sieved flour little by little to the milk mixture and keep mixing. 
Add the lime juice now and mix.
Pour the batter into greased baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Once done cool it on a wire rack.
Cut the cooled cake into pieces and Enjoy. 

Paruppu Urundai Mor kuzhambu with step-by-step pictures

Ingredients 

Toor dal : 1 cup 
Curd      : 2 cups 
Grated coconut   : 1/2 cup
Green chillies       : 4 nos
Red chillies         : 5 nos 
Cumin seeds       : 1/2 tsp 
Rice flour            : 1/2 tsp 
Asafoetida  
Salt
Coconut oil 
Curry leaves 
 Mustard seeds 

Method 



Wash & soak the dal for 1 hour & grind along with red chillies and 1/4 tsp salt.

Stir fry the grounded paste for few minutes. 

Make it into balls and steam it in the idly cooker or in microwave.

Grind coconut,green chillies,cumin seeds,rice flour and curd into very smooth paste.

Boil the coconut paste with salt and some more curd. When the mixture starts to boil, add the dal balls and let it cook for 2 minutes.

Heat coconut oil in a frying pan,add mustard seeds, curry leaves, red chilly, when the mustard starts to splutter,pour it on the kuzhambu and mix. Garnish with coriander leaves..

The Mor Kuzhambu Is ready...

Quick Chana Masala /Chole/Chickpeas Curry

Ingredients 

Chana/Chickpeas     : 2 cups ( soaked overnight & cooked ) 
Chopped onion        : 1/2 cup
Chopped Tomatoes  : 1/4 cup
Ginger - Garlic paste   : 1 tbsp 
Garam masala powder  : 1 tsp
Red chilly powder         : 1 tsp
Cumin powder              : 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder        : 1 tsp 
Amchur powder           : 1/2 tsp 
Salt
Oil 
Coriander leaves 

Method

Heat oil in a pan, add onion and fry till tender.
Add ginger- garlic paste and stir.
Add tomatoes and stir,cover & cook until the tomato is well cooked.
Now add the spice powders,salt and mix well .
Add the cooked chickpeas ,reduce the flame and allow it to boil.
Garnish with coriander leaves & serve .. 
Enjoy

Pori Urundai

Ingredients 

Aval Pori          : 4 cups 
Jaggery             : 11/4 cup 
Chopped coconut pieces   : 1/4 cup 
Roasted Peanuts                : 1/4 cup 
Dry ginger powder             : 1/4 tsp 
Cardamom powder            : 1/4 tsp 

Method 

Powder the jaggery and heat it with 1/2 cup of water .
After it dissolves completely, strain it.
Again boil the syrup ,till it reaches the consistency of rolling a ball.
To check the correct consistency, take a drop of jaggery syrup ,add it in a cup of water,if the syrup able to form a ball,then that is the correct consistency. 
Immediately add the pori,peanuts,coconut pieces, dry ginger powder,cardamom powder and mix everything well. 
Grease both the hands with ghee or with rice flour and roll tightly into balls.
Store in an air tight container & Enjoy..

Paal Payasam / Milk & Rice pudding

Ingredients 

Basmati rice         : 1/4 cup 
Milk                     : 4 cups 
Sugar                   : 3/4  cup 
Cardamom powder 
Saffron 

Method 

Soak saffron in little milk.
Fry rice in 1/4 tsp ghee and powder it to a coarse powder.
Boil milk in a heavy bottomed pan.
Once the milk comes to a boil,add the powdered rice,simmer the flame,cook till the rice is soft. 
Stir in between to prevent sticking at the bottom. 
The secret of its unique flavour is in the slow cooking.
Once the milk has been absorbed ,and the rice has become soft,add sugar and let it boil for few minutes. 
Add saffron, cardamom and mix well. 
Garnish with cashew nuts & raisins fried in ghee if desired.
Serve hot. 

Curd Rice / Thayir Sadam

Ingredients 

Cooked raw rice      : 1 cup
Thick curd               : 1 cup 
Milk / Cream           : 1/4 cup
Pomegranate           : 1/4 cup 
Salt 

For Tempering 

Mustard seeds
Red chilly
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves 
Oil

Method 

Mash and cool the rice.
Add salt, coriander leaves and mix. 
Now add curd and mix well.
Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add mustard seeds,red chilly and curry leaves.
Switch off the flame and pour the seasoning on the rice and mix well. 
Finally add cream/ milk, pomegranates and mix well.
Serve with any pickle.. 

Baked Ladies Finger/Okra(step-by-step pictures)

Ingredients 

Ladies finger / Okra           : 10 
Red chilly powder             : 1/2 tsp 
Cumin powder                  : 1/4 tsp 
Oil                                    : 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder  
Salt 

Method

Preheat oven to 180C
Wash and wipe ladies fingers. 


                                                           Cut each okra in 4 strips.

                                                 Sprinkle spice powders,salt over the okra. 

                                                                       and mix. 

 

Place okras on a baking tray & Bake for 10 minutes until crisp.

Serve hot ..