Palm Jaggery / Karuppatti Paniyaram

      Karuppatti is a iron rich sweetener. In  villages people take karuppatti in many dishes which city people have forgotten. Karuppatti paniyaram is a very good way to make children take karuppatti. This is ideal for an evening snack.

Recipe Cuisine : South Indian | Recipe Category: Breakfast

Preparation Time: 5 mins  | Cooking Time: 5 mins | Yields: 10-12 nos.

Ingredients:

Paniyaram Batter or Idli Batter	1 cups (1 cup = 250 ml)
Grated Palm Jaggery / Karuppati	½  - ¾ cup

Procedure:

1. Add the grated palm jaggery and ¼ cup water in a bowl. Heat this mixture till the palm jaggery dissolves completely.

2. Then strain this mixture using the steel strainer. Allow it to cool down.

3. Now mix this mixture with the paniyaram batter, mix them well.

4. Heat the kuzhi / kuli paniyaram pan, pour few drops of oil and then pour this karuppati  paniyaram batter upto ¾ of the kuzhi (depression).

5. After few min, turn them to the other side and cook till it becomes golden color on both sides.

   Colorful and tasty karuppatti paniyaram is ready. Serve this without any sidedish.

  Click here for Paniyaram Batter Recipe and here for Idli Batter Recipe.

Note:

1. You can use Idli batter also.

Related Links:

1. Beetroot sweet paniyaram

2. Strawberry sweet paniyaram

3. Javvarisi paniyaram

4. Dry fruits paniyaram

5. Jowar Paniyaram

6. Wheat Flour sweet paniyaram

7. Kuthiriavali Appam         

8. ThinaiAppam

9. Carrot Paniyaram

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Mixed Vegetable Dry Curry

     Dry curries are very good for taking dishes while travelling. Mixed vegetable dry curry is very good side dish for chapathi, roti and poori. You can also stuff it with bread.

Recipe Cuisine : Indian | Recipe Category: Sidedish

Preparation Time: 7 mins  | Cooking Time: 15 mins | Yields: 1 ½  cup

Ingredients:

Chopped Mixed Vegetables (carrot, beans, peas)	1 cup
Big Onion	2
Tomato	1
Salt	To taste
Dry Powders:
Red Chilli Powder	1 tsp
Turmeric Powder	¼ tsp
Garam Masala Powder	½ tsp
To Temper:
Oil	2 tsp
Cumin Seeds	1 tsp

Procedure:

1. Heat the oil a pan, add cumin seeds and wait for popping.

2. Then add the chopped onion and sauté till the onion becomes translucent.

3. Now add the chopped tomato and fry till the tomato becomes mushy.

4. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt. Mix them well and fry for few seconds.

5. Now add the chopped vegetable and sprinkle little water. Cook till the vegetables become tender.

6. Finally you can add the garam masala powder and mix them well. Cook till the raw smell goes off. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

                        Serve it with roti, chapathi, etc.,

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Fenugreek / Venthaya Kuzhambu

     Fenugreek / Venthaya Kulamabu is a very good traditional recipe for summer season. Venthaya Keerai is a medicinal plant for reducing heat in summer and is a staple recipe in the villages in Tamil Nadu.

Recipe Cuisine: South Indian | Recipe Category: Kuzhambu

Preparation Time: 5 mins  | Cooking Time: 15 mins | Yields:1 cup

Ingredients:

Fenugreek Seeds/ Venthayam	1 tsp
Tamarind	Gooseberry size
Jaggery (optional)	Turkeyberry size
Salt	As requied
Dry Powders:
Turmeric Powder	½ tsp
Sambar Powder	2 tbsp
To Temper:
Sesame Oil	2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds	½ tsp
Curry Leaves	1 spring
Small Onion	½ cup

Procedure:

1. Dry roast the feneugreek till the nice aroma comes out. Allow it to cool down and powder it using the dry mixie.

2. Soak the tamarind in ¼ cup of warm water for 5 mins. Then extract the juice from the tamarind with 1 cup of water and keep it aside.

3. Heat the oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and wait for popping.

4. Then add the curry leaves and sauté till they become crisp.

5. Now add the chopped onion and sauté till they become translucent.

6. Add the tamarind juice, turmeric powder, sambar powder salt. Mix them well. Allow this mixture to cook till the raw smell of the tamarind goes off and the mixture becomes thick. This will take 7-9 mins.

7. Finally add the powdered fenugreek and jiggery (if used). Mix them well and switch off the flame.

        Serve this kuzhambu with rice or curd rice.

Note:

1. You can add red chilli powder (1 tsp) and coriander Powder (2 tsbp) instead of sambar powder.

2. Adjust the spice level according to your taste.

Related Links:

1. Kara Kuzhambu

2. Milagu / Pepper Kuzhambu

3. Onion Garlic Kuzhambu

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Agathi Poo Poriyal / Hummingbird Tree Flower Stir Fry

      Normally we make poriyal using Agathi keerai leaves. But in our countryside Agathi keerai flowers also used and is also available in normal shops as packets.  If it is available in cities you should definitely try this once. It is full of nutritious elements.

Recipe Cuisine : South Indian | Recipe Category: Fry / Poriyal

Preparation Time: 10 mins  | Cooking Time: 15 mins | Yields:1 cup

Ingredients:

Agathi Poo	1 packet
To Temper:
Oil	2 tsp
Mustard Seeds	¼ tsp
Urad Dal	½ tsp
Cumin Seeds	½ tsp
Curry Leaves	½ spring
Green Chilli	1
Chopped Onion	¼ cup
To Garnish:
Grated Coconut	2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash the flower and drain the water from the flowers.

2. Remove the stem from the flowers and keep it aside.

3. Now chop the flowers into small pieces.

4. Heat the oil in pan, add mustard seeds and wait for popping.

5. Then add the urad dal, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Sauté them for few seconds.  

6. Then add the chopped green chilli and fry for few seconds.

7. Now add the chopped onion and sauté till the onion becomes translucent.

8. Add the chopped flowers and fry for few seconds. Then sprinkle little water and close the lid of the pan. After 2 mins, add salt and mix them well. Cook till the flowers become tender.

9. Switch off the flame and add the grated coconut. Mix them well and transfer it into serving bowl.

    Serve this fry with rasam and curd rice.

Note:

1. Adjust the chilli level according to your taste.

2. You can use red chilli instead of green chilli.

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Foxtail Millet Flour Fruit Custard / Thinai Fruit Custard

During summer time, we  all prepare fruit custards. We buy the custard powder and use it. Why not use thinai instead of custard powder? This idea was suggested by my mother. I tried it and it came out really well.

Thinai Custard is a very good way to make kids take millets disguisedly.

Recipe Cuisine : Indian | Recipe Category: Dessert

Preparation Time: 5 mins  | Cooking Time: 7 mins | Yields: 1 cup

Ingredients:

Boiled Milk	1 ¼ cup
Foxtail Millet / Thinai Flour	1 tbsp
Sugar	3 tbsp
Vanilla Essence	¼ tsp
Chopped Mixed Fruits (apple, banana, chikku, fig, tutti frutti)	1 cup

Procedure:

1. Take the foxtail millet flour in a small bowl, add ¼ cup of milk and mix them well without lumps.

2. Boil the remaining milk, add sugar and mix them well. Keep the flame at simmer.

3. After sugar has dissolved, add the mixture (from 1) and cook till the mixture becomes little bit thick. At this time, you can stir continuously without lumps.

4. Switch off the flame, add vanilla essence. Then allow the custard mixture into cool down completely.  

5. Refrigerate this mixture for atleast half an hour or till you can serve.

6. Take chopped fruits in a serving bowl, then add the chilled custard on the top of the fruits. Serve it immediately and enjoy

Note:

1. I have used mixed fruits but you can use any single fruit also.

2. Adjust the sugar level according to your taste.

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Mint Onion Chutney

Normally Mint Chutney is prepared without onions. Adding a few onions changes the taste of the chutney quiet dramatically. Another good thing about adding onions is that you can get much more quantity of chutney than without adding the onions.

Recipe Cuisine : South Indian | Recipe Category: Chutney

Preparation Time: 5 mins  | Cooking Time: 10 mins | Yields: 1 cup

Ingredients:

Mint Leaves	1 cup (tightly measured)
Chopped Onion	½ cup
Red Chilli	1 or 2
Tamarind	Turkey Berry (sundaikkai) size
Urad Dal (white or black)	1 tbsp
Salt	As required
Oil	2 tsp

Procedure:

1. Clean, wash and drain the water from the mint leaves.

2. Remove the skin of the onions and cut them into small pieces.

3. Heat the oil in a pan, add urad dal and sauté till nice aroma comes out.

4. Then add the red chilli and fry for few seconds.

5. Now add the onion and sauté till the onion becomes translucent.

6. Add mint leaves and fry till the raw smell goes off. Switch off the flame and add tamarind and salt. Allow it to cool down completely.

7. Grind this mixture using the mixie with little water into a smooth paste. Transfer the chutney into serving bowl. Use little water to wash the mixie and mix this water with chutney.

       Aromatic and healthy green chutney is ready to serve.

Note:

1. Adjust the red chilli level according to your taste.

2. You can use split gram (kadalai paruppu) instead of urad dal.

3. I have used small onion, but you can use big onion also. But small onion gives very nice taste than big one.

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