Bitter gourd Fry (Pavarkkai Varuval)

Some people love pavarkkai and most do not.  In my childhood days, my mom used to cook this varuval. This is my mom’s specialty recipe. When this is cooked at my home, I don’t even leave any trace in my plate. Ghee along with bitter gourd mixed with white rice really tastes good. Typically 40+ people enjoy this. Kids keep a mile distance.

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd                                  2 cups

Chili powder                                 2 tsp

Besan( Kadalla Mavu)                    1 tbsp

Rice powder                                 1 tsp

Lemon juice                                 1 tsp (removes bitterness)

Salt                                            to taste

Hing                                           2 pinch

Method

• Discard the seeds and slice the pavarkkai into thin round pieces.
• Put in the microwave and cook for 4 mins (Or  you can  do steam cook )
• Now mix the pavarkkai with chili powder, hing, salt ,lemon juice and besan. Keep aside for 30 mins
• Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the pavarkkai till it turns crispy
• Remove and stain the oil.
• Serve with rice, Sathumamuthu.

Parruppu Thogayal (Lentils Paste)

This is very easy and simple to make. This is very good  item for Pathiya Thaligai. Unlike a podi, a paruppu thogayal cannot be stored for long. This thogayal goes well excellently with Milaghu Kuzhambhu.

Ingredients: 

Thuvar Dhal (Red gram Dhal)  -   ¼ cup

Chenna dhal                             1 tsp

Black Pepper                             ¼ tsp.

Coconut                                   2 tbsp.

Salt                                         to taste

Method: 

• .Heat  a pan  ,when it gets warm pour the Dal and black pepper
• Roast till golden brown and cool it.
• Grind the ingredients adding coconut and a little bit of water and salt to it.
•  The consistency should be thick.
• Don’t forget to add a teaspoon of sesame oil while mixing this thogayal with rice.
• This thogayal is good combination with Milaghu kuzhambhu, sutta Pappad, fried Manathathakali.

Kovaikkai Pirattal (Tindora Fry)

Coccinia grandis, the ivy gourd, also known as baby watermelon, little gourd or gentleman's toes is a tropical vine. Coccinia grandis' native range extends from Africa to Asia including India. This medicine fruits have been used to treat leprosy, fever, asthma, bronchitis and jaundice. Some countries in Asia like Thailand prepare traditional tonic like drinks for medicinal purposes.

Tindora can be cooked as a subzi all by itself or mixed with other vegetables like potato.

This Pirrattal recipe  is very famous from Chettinad Cuisine. You can serve with rice or chapatti

Inngredients :

Tindora -                                           500 gms / 1 pound

Potato -                                            2no

Red, green, Orange Bell peppers -        1 no each

Tomato                                             1 no

Jeera –                                             ½ tsp

 Salt                                                 to taste

Oil                                                   for frying

Grinding ingredients:

 Fresh Grated Coconuts –                   6 tbsp.

 Red Chilies -                                   10 no

 Poppy Seeds                         -         2 tsp

 Aniseed (Fennel)                             1 tbsp.

Turmeric Powder                              ½ tsp.

Chutney dhal (Pottukadalai)             1 tsp.

Curry leaves -                                  few  

Method:

• Grind  all grinding ingredients to make a coarse paste without adding water. Keep aside
•  Peel the potatoes, and slice thinly.
• Cut all bell peppers, Tindora  into thin lengthy pieces. Cut tomatoes into pieces.
• Microwave the potatoes and tindora for 4 to 5 minutes.
•  Heat the oil and add green curry leaves and jeera.
• Add potatoes, Tindora, bell peppers into it.   Shallow Fry the vegetables at the medium flame. Cover it and cook it for few minutes.
• Remove the lid , add tomato and salt.  Mix it well.
• Now add grinded paste. Turn over the mixture well. Fry for few minutes in very low flame.
• Fry till the good smell come out.
• Tindora Pirattal can be served as accompaniment to rice, Chappati.

Kovaikkai Pirrattal

Nellikkai Pachadi- Indian Gooseberry Raitha

Nellikkai is very rich in Protein. It is widely used in In Indian Ayurveda Medicines.  These are mostly available in winter season.

My mother makes powder of this and stores it in normal temp / refrigerator. The method of making the powder is to remove the seed. Cut it into small pieces and dry it in the sun. When it is dried thoroughly it can be grinded to make it into powder OR the dried pieces can be stored too. Here I used store bought frozen gooseberry. I used to make this Pachadi in Dhuvadesi days.

Ingredients:

Frozen or Fresh Gooseberry               -   5 no

 Grated Fresh Coconut                    – 2 tbsp.

Green chilies                                  – 2 no

Chopped coriander                           – 1 tsp.

Curd                                           -  1 cup

Salt                                            to taste

Seasoning:

Oil                                            - 1 tsp.

Mustard Seeds                           – ½ tsp.

Curry leaves                             – 1 tsp.

Hing                                         – 1/8 tsp.

Method

• Cook the Nellikkai in boiling water. Cool and remove the seeds.
• Grind the boiled Nellikkai, and other ingredients except curd. Make like chutney.
• Churn the curd with little water.
• Mix the Nellikkai chutney into the curd. Mix well.
• Heat oil in a small pan, add all seasonings, till they splutter and pour it into the Pachadi.
• Serve with hot plain rice.

Tomato Ginger Gravy

This is a quick side dish for Pongal / Dosa /Rice Uppuma. It`s pretty much easy and simple to make.

Ingredients

Big Ripe Tomatoes                     - 4 no

Ginger Grated                           – 1 tsp

Green chillies                            – 2 no

Red Chili Powder                       – 1 /2 tsp

Turmeric Powder                        –a pinch

Salt                                         to taste

Seasonings:

Oil                                          - 1tsp

Mustard Seeds                         -1/2 tsp

Hing                                       - 1/8tsp

Curry leaves                               - few

Method:

• Chop all the tomatoes very nicely and set aside.
• In a kadai, add a spoon of oil and when hot, pop in all seasonings.
• When the mustard splutters, add grated ginger, slit green chilies and a pinch of Hing .Saute for few seconds.
•  Now add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric, salt and red chili powder and  mix and stir in well.
• Simmer for about ten minutes and switch off heat.
• Serve with dosa,Idli,Venn Pongal

Sathuamuthu Powder (Rasam Powder) 2

This is my sister Jayathy’s recipe.  

Ingredients:

Tovar Dhal   -            2 cups

Black Pepper -           ½ cup

Cumin Seeds             ½ cups

Red Chilies –              2 ½ cup

Curry Leaves –           1 /2 cup

Method:

•  Heat the frying pan, dry fry only the curry leaves.
• Mix all the ingredients and grind it into a coarse powder (Do not grind them as very fine powder)
• Store the powder in an air tight container and use it for making Saathuamuthu.

Coriander Thogayal

This simple coriander thogayal with rice is my comfort food. Generally its prepared fresh and traditionally served with Lemon rasam and other side dishes in a traditional Indian meal to contrast the flavor.

Ingredients

Coriander leaves -                 2 bunches

Urad dal -                             2 tbsp.

Chenna Dhal                         2tbsp

Grated coconut                    – 2 tbsp

Red Chili                             - 2 or 3

Asafetida                            - 1 pinch

Tamarind                             - a marble sized ball

Salt                                    - as needed

Oil                                     - 1 tsp.

Water                                - a little to grind

Method:

• Wash and clean the coriander leaves.
• Heat oil and add the Ural   & Chenna dals, red chili,. Fry till the Urad dal starts to turn light red. Set aside.
• Transfer all the roasted ingredients and coriander leaves to the mixer and grind along with coconut, Tamarind, Asafetida, salt and little water.
• Serve hot with steamed rice with a teaspoon of sesame oil and roasted pappad.