Chettinadu cuisine is so famous for its freshly grounded
masala powders. This spicy powder can be used to making poriyal, vegetable dry
subjis and Masala Gravies.
Ingredients:
Dry coconut ¼ cup
Coriander seeds 2 tbsp.
Badayeki Chilies 10 no
Black Pepper 1 tbsp.
Fennel
Seeds (Sombhu) 2 tbsp.
Chutney
Dhal 2
tbsp.
Urdh
dhal 1 tbsp.
Cardamons 4 no.
Poppy
Seeds 1
tbsp.
Method:
Heat the pan dry fry all above ingredients till they
turn into golden brown color.
Put all them into a coffee mixer and grind it
together very nice powder.
Store it into an airtight glass jar.
Use this powder for poriyal and vegetable subjis. It
will give fantastic aroma to the vegetables.
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Kara Boodhi is a simple savory. This crunchy snack,we both like
it. This is can be eaten alone or with curd. Make delicious Kara Boondhi using
this simple recipe from Madappalli. Try this recipe and share your comments..
Ingredients:
Gram flour (Besan) - 2 cup
Rice Flour –a handful
Water - 1 to 2 cups (make sure u add slowly)
Red Chili powder 4 tsp.( Adjust to your spice level)
Asafetida - 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves- few stems
Peanut - 1/4
cup
Cashew nut - ¼ cup
Kismish (Raisins) 1/4cup
Salt- to taste
Oil- for
deep fry
Ghee 1 tbsp.
You Need
A bowl
Jalli karandi - 1 (Making boondi)
Kuzhi Karandi – 1 (for pouring batter)
Jalli karandi - 1 no (draining them from oil)
Method:
Take a bowl; add the Besan flour, rice flour, salt,
asafetida, little chili powder and one small ladle of hot oil.
Mix well, make a batter of curd like consistency.(add
water gradually till it gets dripping consistency)
Heat the oil in a kadai. Hold the Jalli karandi over the
heated oil.
Pour a ladle full of batter on the Jalli karandi and rub
it very fast with the back of ladle through the holes.
Cook until golden yellow color and remove from the fire,
when the hissing sound ceases.
Repeat the procedure with the remaining batter.
Fry red chili powder and Hing (in a low heat) and add to
the boondi.
Fry cashews, raisins, peanuts, whole red chilies and
curry leaves separately in ghee.
Add to the boondi, and mix well. Sprinkle salt if needed.
Karasev
is simply and tasty savory. I did not have ‘karasev jalli karandi” ( a
special holed ladle used for this) , so Iused murukku achchu .I was able to get the same effect.
Ingredients
Besan
(Gram Flour)
2 cups
Rice
flour ¾ cup
Asafetida
(Hing) ½ tsp
Red
chili powder ½ tsp
Crushed Black Pepper 1 tsp.
Turmeric
Powder
¼ tsp
Ghee 1 tbsp.
Cooking
soda one pinch
Salt to taste
Cooking Oil for deep frying
Method:
Sieve
both flours together in a bowl.
In a
plate, cream the ghee & cooking soda ,very well till the paste looks white.
Add
sieved flours, crushed black pepper, red chili powder, turmeric powder, hing
and slat.
Mix well
with hands. Add enough water to get soft dough.
Heat a
oil in a kadai. Keep the medium stove heat.
Fill the
murukku press with the prepared dough using the 3 eyed blade and squeeze it in
the oil directly .
Fry till
crispy & golden color. Remove to a kitchen tissue and let it cool.
If you are
using KarsevJalli Karandi, Heat oil
& keep the ‘ karasev jalli karandi” above the oil.Rub the dough on it so
that long strands will fall into the oil.
Wash the “
jalli karandi” ( ladle) with water every time after use, so that the rubbing
will be easy.
Ribbon Pakoda is a very popular South Indian tea time snack made from gram flour and rice flour. Ribbon Pakoda are an inclusion to all festivals and occasions. My husband loves it a lot, and I am sure you would too… Even though many of us know the recipe, this is my version.
Ingredients:-
Rice flour - 1 cup
Besan flour – 3 cup
Urdh dhal powder – 3 tbsp.
Unsalted Butter – 3 tbsp.
Red chili powder – 1 tsp. (according to taste)
Asafetida powder – ¼ tsp.
Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp.
Crushed Black pepper – ½ tsp.
Salt to taste
Water 1 cup
Cooking oil for deep frying
Tools:
Sev Press
Slotted Spoon
Paper Towel
Kadai
Method:
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. The stove heat should be in medium flame.
Combing all above ingredients expect water and oil. Gradually add water to make it a stiff dough, adding extra water if required.
Grease the Sev Press with oil. Fill in the dough into the press.
Press out thin strips of the dough into the hot oil. Only press in enough to cover the oil.
Fry it till becomes golden brown, strain the excess oil in a paper towel, let it cool.
Press the remaining batches of the dough in the similar manner.
Cool the entire ribbon Pakoda and store in an air tight containers.
Tea is drunk in many countries of the world, and each one has its own particular ways for preparation and service. Tea can be served hot or cold. India produces and consumes more tea than any other country in the world, except for China, including the famous Assam tea and Darjeeling tea.
In India, chai is available from street vendors called chaiwallahs. These chaiwallahs carry pots of chai and serve it in freshly fired earthen cups that are discarded after use. It is also a family tradition in India to welcome your guests with cups of chai .Each family has their own recipe and preparation method..
This warming beverage is easy to prepare by steeping spices in hot water and milk before adding black tea. It's not as milky as the chai often sold at American coffee bars. To make it richer, add more milk and sugar to taste.
Darjeeling teas are light and refreshing but they do not hold up well to strong spices like cinnamon and ginger. A simple cardamom infusion works well with Darjeeling teas. Nilgiri teas accept flavoring easily and work well for iced chais. Assam has a much more robust flavor and work well for strongly spiced hot chais. Green teas are also used but they do not hold up well to strong spices and must not be boiled or steeped for more than 3 minutes or you will end up with a bitter brew. If you need to avoid caffeine then you have a few options. Decaffeinated teas generally do not have the robust flavor that chai needs. A decaf breakfast blend will offer the best flavor. Another zero caffeine option is Rooibos, an herbal tea that is readily available.
Masala chai (literally "spiced tea") is a beverage from the Indian subcontinent made by brewing tea with a mixture of aromatic Indian spices and herbs.My Friend Mayura makes very tasty chai. Thanks Mayura for the wonderful tip.
Cold "chai"
As an alternative to the hot tea format, several types of cold "chai" beverages have become popular in the United States. These range in complexity from a simple spiced iced tea without milk to a slush of spiced tea, ice, and milk (or non-dairy creamer) mixed in a blender and topped with whipped cream.
Ingredients:
A deep dish container
Water – ¾ cup
Whole milk – ½ cup (No other milk can be substituted (if you really want the taste of real chai))
Black tea 2 tbsp. (Tetley ‘s loose tea I am using it)
Sugar to taste
Masalas:
Grated Fresh ginger 1 tsp
Cloves 2no
Green Cardamoms 3 nos
cinnamon Powder a pinch
Method:
In a mortar, crush the cloves, cardamom pods and pepper.
Take a small saucepan, add water, crushed masalas, sugar, fresh grated ginger and bring to a boil. Add tea leaves and let it boil one more minute.
Remove the pan from the heat, cover and keep aside for 5 minutes.
Take another sauce pan, add the milk and sugar to the pan and bring to a boil . Let it boil in simmer heat for few more minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the strained tea. Cover and let sleep for 3 minutes.
Stir the chai, strain it into am warmed teapot or directly into teacups.
Enjoy with cookies and evening snacks.
Note:
DO NOT USE GREEN LEAF TEA, IT WILL RUIN THE TASTE.
Always use fresh ginger (powder or prepackaged cannot be substituted)
Optional items: You can use fresh green soanph powder (green dried, not roasted)
For those who prefer to drink chai without milk, the portion is replaced with water.
South Indian Coffee, also known as Filter Coffee is a sweet milky coffee made from dark roasted coffee beans (70%-80%) and chicory (20%-30%), especially popular in the southern states of Karnataka,Andra,Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Indian coffee is generally not black coffee and is made using milk instead of water. Coffee is something of a cultural icon in Kerala, Andhra, Karnataka and Tamilnadu. It is customary to offer a cup of coffee to any visitor. Coffee was originally introduced by Baba Buda to South India in 16th century and became very popular under the British Rule. Until the middle of the 20th century traditional households would not use granulated sugar but used jaggery or honey, instead in coffee. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_filter_coffee
Not a day starts without the filter coffee for every South Indian. Early in the morning, waking up to the aroma of the freshly made thick decoction blended with thick milk always makes the day a very fine one. In USA , my combination of coffee powder is: (1:1:1) Brookband coffee powder - 450gm Narasus or any other brand coffee powder - 450gm Columbia coffee powder (medium) -1 pound
Mix well all above coffee powders and store it in an airtight container.
Ingredients
Depending on your tastes and the size of your filter, you can modify the following .
Coffee powder 3tsp
Farm fresh cow milk 3/4 cup
Hot water – ½ cup
Sugar – 1 tsp (as an overdose will kill the essence of the coffee)
Coffee filter
Methods/steps
Place the coffee powder in the upper compartment of the filter and gently tap it down and place the plunger on top of the powder. Do not push the plunger down in a manner that gives no breathing space for the coffee. Jokes apart, do not pack up the powder tight.
Boil the water vigorously, by this I mean the water should bubble up and boil with a lot of vigor, before it is considered good enough for the filter.
Now pour the boiling water into the upper compartment and wait.
As the decoction is percolating, boil the milk. (on low flame so that it takes just as much time as the decoction takes to percolate)
Within 10-15 minutes, percolation should be complete. Add the decoction to the freshly boiled milk along with sugar.
In true madras style, pour the coffee back and forth between the dabara and tumbler, topping it off with a rich layer of froth. Enjoy!!!
Indian Filter Coffee
Few interesting Madras filters coffee notations:
Degree coffee- Coffee made with degree milk (pure milk as per the lactometer) and degree decoction (first degree - freshly percolated and the strongest).
Meter coffee - Coffee poured into the dabara from (I am not sure of this fact though) the height of one meter, to create the froth without lowering the temperature of the coffee. Tips:
You can make the decoction and use it when you need within a few hours.
Make the decoction thicker by adding more coffee powder or by reducing the water you add.The taste and thickness will depend on the quality of coffee powder, the amount of chicory used in coffee powder, the freshness of the coffee powder, the quality of the milk etc. So experiment with these till you get your desired taste.
This is a great Indian snack. I always love Grand sweet’s cornflakes mixture. This is my first attempt to make it at home. Use your imagination when it comes to the nuts and seeds. It makes a healthy snack for both kids and adults. Have it at tea time along with a cup of hot masala chai or coffee.Store in airtight container for up to three weeks.
Ingredients
Raw Cornflakes (not fried) - 4 cups Maize Poha - 2 cup
Thick Beaten rice (Aval/poha) - 1 cup
Split roasted gram dal (dalia/porikadala)- 1/2 cup
Roasted peanut – 1cup
Raisins - 1 cup
Cashews – ½ cup
Curry leaves
Oil- for deep frying
Whole Red chillies – 4 no
Masala (for sprinkling)
Powdered salt - 1 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 1/4 tsp
Citric acid - (OPTIONAL) 2 pinches
Sugar - 1 tsp
Asafetida powder - 1/4 tsp
Roasted cumin seed powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Method:
Select cornflakes which are raw and meant for frying. (Do not buy breakfast cereal)
Deep fry handful of cornflakes each time in hot oil.
Drain away the excess oil.
Fry each of the other ingredients separately and mix with fried cornflakes.
Mix all mentioned spices under masala powder together.
Sprinkle over fried ingredients when it is still hot (whenever powdered spices are added to any mixture, it should be sprinkled when it is still hot).
Store in air-tight container after it attains room temperature.
Pazham pori /Plantain fritters is made out of a special variety of plantain called "Nendrapazham" which is highly nutritious and good source of potassium and vitamins A & C. Ethakappam has been the popular and the favorite snack of keralites. The plantain slices dipped in sweetened flour and then deep fried in oil.This snack is common street item in Kerala and one of the fastest and hot selling snacks in trains.This snack is often fried in most of the homes and relished by all along with a cup of steaming tea or coffee. It's also a very tasty, fast and easy to make.
Ingredients
Ripe Nendran bananas -2 (peeled)
Water – ½ cup
Maida (all-purpose flour) – 3/4cup
Rice Flour – ¼ cup
Sugar – 2tbsp
Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
Yellow color – 1 drop
bicarbonate of soda A pinch of
Refined vegetable oil – for Deep fry
Method
Cut each banana into 3 pieces, lengthwise.
Make a thick batter with both the flours and ½ cup water. Add sugar, yellow color and bicarbonate of soda.
Dip the banana slices in the batter and deep fry in hot oil till golden brown.
The name Mysore Bonda says it all. It is also famous in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. This is classified as evening snacks and often it is very popular in home and Indian restaurants. Mysore Bonda goes well with chutney and Sambhar. It is a very important item during - almost forgotten - "pon parka varadhu" event. People 40 and above might remember the legendary joke "Mappillai enna pannindu irukkar" and "Bonda chaptundu irukkar" from old Tamil movie "Kalyana Parisu"
Ingredients :
Maida - 1 cup
Finely chopped Green chilies/Jalapenos)- 4 no( I used jalapenos chilies)
Rice flour- ¼ cup
Sour curd- 1 cup mix with little water
coconut pieces 1 tbsp
cooking soda(Soda uppu) 1/2 tsp
cumin seeds 1 tsp
ginger chopped 1 tsp
Salt to taste
baking soda A PINCH
Chopped coriander leaves 1 tbsp
Oil for frying
Method:
Take a bowl add Maida, rice flour, salt, soda mix well then add buttermilk make it into a Vada batter consistency.
Now add cumin seeds,finely chopped coconut pieces , chopped Jalapenos chillies and chopped Coriander leaves, mix well keep aside for 1 hr.
Heat oil to fry, make into small round bondas and put in to the oil, cook in a very slow flame.Remove once it is golden brown color.
Serve it with coconut chutney or mint chutney. Typically it is served with Kesari followed by Coffee/Tea.
Karnataka is known for its great hospitality, filter coffee and Bisi bele bath. BBB aka Bisibelebaath (Bisi=Hot, Bele=dal/lentil, baath=rice), is a traditional food in Karnataka. You can use homemade or MTR BBB powder. Here I used homemade Bisi Bela bath powder.
Wash rice and dal together and put it in the pressure cooker. Add 6 cups of water and 1 tsp of ghee. Pressure cook them till 4 whistles. Take out from the cooker and transfer into heavy bottom pan. Gently mash them.
While the rice and dal are cooking, in another kadai, heat a tablespoon ghee or oil. Add the seasoning ingredients and roast the tadka them.
Now add the cut vegetables and saute. When they start to get tender, add the tamarind pulp, Jaggery, turmeric, BBB powder and salt. Boil for few minutes. Now add the cooked and mashed rice- dal mixture. Stir in the masala along with two cups of water. Combine well. Adjust the spices to your liking. Cover the pot and simmer for about ten to fifteen minutes on medium-low heat.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and add some ghee just before serving.
