Spicy Plantain Fry (கார வாழைக்காய் வதக்கல்)

Plantain (வாழைக்காய்) is rich in vitamin A, B6 and C, as well as minerals and dietary fiber. Though plantain can be cooked in different ways, ‘spicy plantain fry’ made with curry masala powder, is the most popular recipe in my home. It is yummy, tasty and goes very well with rice and sambar or rasam. Try this recipe when you cook plantain next.

Ingredients: (Serves two)

Plantain – 1 no, sliced thin

Onion – 1 no, large, sliced

Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon

Curry masala powder (பொரியல் பொடி) – 2 teaspoons (adjust to taste)

Salt – to taste

Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon

Split urad dhal – ½ teaspoon

Peppercorns - ¼ teaspoon (optional)

Cooking oil – 2 tablespoons

Curry leaves – a few

Spicy Plantain Fry (கார வாழைக்காய் வதக்கல்)

Method: Wash and peel the plantain. Slit it into two halves vertically. Cut the slit half into thin slices. Soak the cut pieces of plantain in water immediately, lest the pieces will turn dark if left exposed to air. Slice the onion and keep aside.

Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, when they start to sputter, add urad dhal and peppercorns. Fry till the dhal turns golden brown. Add onion slices and fry till they become transparent. Add the sliced plantain, turmeric powder, curry masala powder and salt and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame. Do not add water. Once the vegetable is cooked, remove the lid and cook on low flame till oil separates. Switch off the stove and garnish with curry leaves. Serve hot with rice and rasam or sambar. 

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Pepper Kootu or Milakootal (மிளகூட்டல்)

Pepper kootu or ‘milakootal’ (மிளகூட்டல்) is a pepper based gravy preparation usually made with snake gourd and moong dhal. My grandmother used to make carrot milakootal! Recipes, in which pepper is used as the main spice replacing chilly are often made during convalescence. However, pepper kootu can also be made as part of the regular meal. Milakootal has the flavor of pepper and is light on your stomach.

Ingredients: (Serves four)

Vegetables – cut into small pieces, 3 teacups*

Moong dhal – ½ tumbler or 100 ml measure*

Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon

Salt – to taste

Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon

Split urad dhal – ½ teaspoon

Oil – 1 tablespoon

Curry leaves – a few

To be ground into a paste:

Coconut – 1 tablespoon

Coriander seeds – 1 tablespoon

Urad dhal – 1 teaspoon

Peppercorns – 1 teaspoon (adjust to taste)

Asafoetida – a pinch

*Broad beans (அவரைக்காய் ) and snake gourd (புடலங்காய்) are often used to make milakootal. However, carrot may also be prepared in this manner.

*Toor dhal may be used instead of moong dhal. Pressure cook toor dhal separately, and add to cooked vegetables.

Broad Beans Pepper Kootu (அவரைக்காய் மிளகூட்டல்)

Method: Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a kadai and fry coriander seeds, urad dhal and peppercorns till the dhal turns golden brown in color. Add asafoetida and switch off the fire. Transfer the fried ingredients to a bowl and allow it to cool. Later, grind coconut and fried ingredients into a fine paste.

Place cut vegetables and dhal with 2 tumblers (400ml) of water in a kadai. Add turmeric powder and salt to the vegetables. Cover and cook on a low flame. Keep a ladle in the kadai, to prevent dhal from boiling over. Once the vegetables and dhal are cooked well, add the ground paste, mix well and bring it to boil. Switch off the fire. Heat the remaining oil in a tadka pan/spice pan (தாளிக்கிற கரண்டி), add mustard seeds, when they start to splutter, add urad dhal and fry till the dhal turn golden brown. Remove from fire. Add the seasonings and curry leaves to the kootu. Serve hot with rice and rasam or kuzhambu. 

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Vegetable Dosa (காய்கறி தோசை)

Dosa is a common breakfast item in a Tamilian household. Dosa can be made crisp (முறுகல் தோசை) or thick and spongy. You can also make ghee roast (நெய் தோசை) or masala dosa (மசாலா தோசை). You can further add variety by making vegetable dosa (காய்கறி தோசை). Vegetable dosa is nutritious, tasty and filling. Of course, you can make the humble dosa very interesting to your child. Just use your creativity to make different toppings for dosa such as vegetable combos, paneer, fruits, nuts etc.

Vegetable Dosa Topping - Ingredients

Ingredients:

For the topping: (For approximately 8 dosas)

Onion – large, 1 no, finely chopped

Ginger – ½” piece, grated

Green chilli – 1 no, finely chopped (optional)

Curry leaves – chopped, 1 tablespoon

Coriander leaves – chopped, 1 tablespoon

Carrot – medium sized, 1 no grated

Capsicum – finely chopped, 1 tablespoon

Cabbage – finely chopped, 3 tablespoons

Salt – to taste

Oil – for making dosas

How to prepare the batter: Click here to find out how to make dosa batter.

How to prepare the topping: Chop onions and green chillies finely. Wash carrot and ginger, and grate them using a fine grater. Chop coriander leaves, curry leaves, capsicum and cabbage finely, wash well and drain. Mix all the ingredients with required salt. Let it stand for 10 minutes.

Vegetable Dosa (காய்கறி தோசை)

How to prepare dosa: Mix the batter well before using. Heat the tava on medium flame. Once ready, spread the batter evenly on the tava, making it 2-3mm thick. Sprinkle the toppings over the dosa covering the entire surface. Add oil around the dosa and allow it to cook for a minute. When cooked, bubbles will appear on the surface and the edges will turn golden brown. Now, turn the dosa over and cook for a short while. Remove from the tava and serve hot with chutney and sambar. Vegetable dosa tastes great with coconut chutney.

Onion Oothappam (வெங்காய ஊத்தப்பம்)

Oothappam (ஊத்தப்பம்) is nothing but a thick pancake, and the batter is almost similar to dosa batter. Traditionally oothappam is made in a kadai. However, you can make oothappam using a dosa tava as well. You can make plain oothappam or make it with different toppings such as onion, vegetables, fruits and even paneer. Of these, onion oothappam is the most popular variety.

In common practice, oothappam is made with dosa batter that has turned sour. Dosa batter, even if refrigerated, turns sour on the third or fourth day, especially in summer. This batter is often used to make oothappam, topped with onion, green chilli, curry leaves and coriander leaves. You may choose to make oothappam with dosa batter, fresh or old, or prepare a separate batter as given below.

Ingredients:

For the batter: (makes approximately 20 oothappams)

Par boiled rice/ Idly rice (புழுங்கல் அரிசி/ இட்லி அரிசி) – 2 tumblers or 400ml measure

Urad dhal – ½ tumbler or 100ml measure

Salt – to taste

For the topping: (For approximately 8-10 oothappams)

Onion – large, 3 no, finely chopped

Ginger – 1” piece, grated

Green chilli – 2 no, finely chopped

Curry leaves – chopped, 2 tablespoons

Coriander leaves – chopped, 2 tablespoons

Salt – to taste

Idly chilli powder – as required (optional)

Oil – for making oothappam

Onion Oothappam (வெங்காய ஊத்தப்பம்) served with coconut chutney

How to prepare the batter: Wash par-boiled rice and urad dhal separately, and soak them in sufficient water using separate containers for 4-5 hours. Grind urad dhal using the wet grinder very well till it becomes a smooth spongy mass (நன்கு குடைய அரைக்கவும்). Transfer the dahl batter (உளுத்த மாவு) into a large container.  Now grind soaked rice using the wet grinder into a fine paste. Transfer the rice batter (அரிசி மாவு) to the same container. Add salt, mix dhal and rice batters together very well. Allow the batter to stand overnight or at least eight hours. Next morning, mix the batter well. Add water, if required, to make the batter into pouring consistency. You may refrigerate the batter and use it make oothappam as needed.

Note: Use a larger container to hold the batter overnight, as the batter will rise (மாவு பொங்கும்) when fermented.

How to prepare the oothappam: Chop onions and green chillies finely. Mix the chopped items with grated ginger, curry leaves, coriander leaves and required salt. Let it stand for 10 minutes.

Mix the batter well before using. Heat the tava on medium flame. Once ready, spread the batter evenly on the tava, making it 3-4mm thick.  Sprinkle idly chilli powder (இட்லி மிளகாய் பொடி) on the surface. You may skip this step, if you prefer the oothappam to be less spicy. Sprinkle the onion topping over the oothappam covering the entire surface.

Add oil around the oothappam and allow it to cook for a minute. When cooked, bubbles will appear on the surface and the edges will turn golden brown. Now, turn the oothappam over and cook for a short while. Remove from the tava and serve hot with chutney and sambar. Onion oothappam goes well with coconut chutney. 

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How to grow Methi or Fenugreek Plant (வெந்தயக்கீரை வளர்ப்பது எப்படி)

In South Indian cuisine, lot of different spices are used on a daily basis. Traditional kitchen masala box (அஞ்சறைப் பெட்டி) contains mustard seeds, cumin seeds, methi seeds, coriander seeds, red chillies, urad dhal and Bengal gram dhal. In most kitchens, two masala boxes are used, one to contain the above mentioned items, while the other holds poppy seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, star aneez, bay leaves and the like. As we use dried spices, we also use fresh ones such as curry leaves (கறிவேப்பிலை), coriander leaves (கொத்தமல்லி), mustard leaves (கடுகு கீரை), and fenugreek leaves (வெந்தயக்கீரை).

Some of these can be easily grown either in your garden if you have the space or in small spaces such as your balcony or even on your window sill. 

Methi or fenugreek: Fenugreek leaves (வெந்தயக்கீரை), which have a slight bitter taste, are rich in dietary fiber, minerals and vitamins. In native medicine, fenugreek is used to treat gastrointestinal problems. In Indian cuisine, fenugreek leaves are used in curry, gravy, kuzhambu or even making paratha/roti. Fresh methi leaves are available in the market as small bunches. However, you can grow methi plant easily in your kitchen garden. 

How to grow methi in a pot: Choose a clay pot or plastic pot (பூந்தொட்டி) of your choice. Usually there are one or two holes at the bottom of the pot for the excess water to drain. In a plastic pot you may have to make these holes at times. Now place a piece of roof tile (ஓடு) or coconut shell (தேங்காய் ஓடு) to cover the hole so that it does not clog with the soil. Fill the pot with soil up to ¾ of its capacity. Red soil (செம்மண்) is good enough. If you have access to black soil (கரிசல் மண்) it would be great. Alternatively, you may get potting soil from a nursery. You can add manure or compost (உரம்) on top of the soil. Of course, you can make your own compost at home. You may skip this step, if your potting soil is good. Now, water the pot till excess water oozes out. Let it stand for some time. You can use the methi seeds from your masala box. Just make sure they are not infested or very old.

Now mix a handful of methi seeds (வெந்தயம்) with 'sand' in a plastic container. Spread this mixture evenly on the top of the soil prepared. Cover the seeds with some more sand. Sprinkle water on top. Now, you have finished sowing. Keep the pot at a place, where Sun light is available for some time during the day. It could be anywhere, your garden, balcony, window sill or any other suitable place.

Methi plants (வெந்தயக்கீரை) - 5 days old!

How to make compost at home: Make a small pit in your garden soil. Fill the base with coconut fiber, coconut shell and twigs; add dry leaves and organic kitchen waste in layers on top of the base to fill the pit. Top it with soil. Water the pit every now and then. You may turn the contents of the pit once in a while. Your compost will be ready in a few weeks. 

How to care for potted methi: Water the pot every morning by sprinkling water gently. Check if there is moisture in the soil. Don’t water if the soil is wet due to climatic conditions. Ensure that the soil doesn’t dry up. Sounds tricky?  Not really. You would soon get a hang of it.

The methi seeds germinate within 2-3 days in optimal conditions. You will see the saplings in 3-4 days of sowing. It would be a great satisfaction to see the seeds grow into plants. Continue to take care of the pot as instructed and you can harvest (!) methi in 3-4 weeks time.

I have posted the picture of methi saplings that are five days old! They are growing as I write this post. I shall keep you updated on the progress! Happy gardening! 

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Curry Masala Powder (பொரியல் பொடி)

South Indian meal is not complete without a ‘poriyal’. Though there are many ways of making a poriyal, it is always handy to have a ‘ready-made’ masala to spice it up. Curry masala powder offers you the convenience to get the poriyal ready in a jiffy. In addition you can add variety, taste and flavor to your routine dish!

Curry Masala Powder - Ingredients

Ingredients: 

Red chillies (குண்டு மிளகாய் வத்தல்) – 1 teacup or 200ml measure

Coriander seeds – ½ teacup or 100ml measure

Peppercorns – ½ teaspoon

Methi seeds – ¼ teaspoon

Jeera – 2 teaspoons

Dried curry leaves – 1 tablespoon

Note: The ingredients given above make the powder spicy. You may adjust the quantity of red chillies depending on your taste. Alternatively, you may use kashmiri chillies, which make the powder less spicy and also add color to the powder! 

Method: Remove the stalk of red chillies. Heat a kadai on medium flame and roast red chillies till they start to become darker. Transfer to a bowl. Then roast coriander seeds, peppercorn, jeera and methi seeds till you get the nice aroma of roasted spices. Transfer the fried ingredients to the bowl. Switch off the stove. Add the dried curry leaves to the hot kadai and sauté for a few seconds. Transfer to the bowl. DO NOT let the ingredients burn while roasting. DO NOT use oil for frying the ingredients. Cool to room temperature and grind them into a medium fine powder using the mixer-grinder.

Curry Masala Powder (பொரியல் பொடி)

How to store: Allow the powder to cool and then store it in a clean, dry, airtight container. Always use a dry spoon. If stored and handled properly, curry masala powder remains fresh for at least two months. 

Use curry masala powder to spice up poriyal, curry or gravy. Adjust the quantity of masala powder used depending on your taste.

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Sesame Chilli Powder (எள் மிளகாய் பொடி)

Though I have posted more than 130 recipes on this site, not many ‘masala powder’ recipes have been covered so far. Hence, I decided to post a couple of home-made masala powder recipes today!

Sesame Chilli Powder - Ingredients

Sesame is an oilseed rich in protein, minerals especially copper and calcium, vitamins and dietary fiber. In Ayurveda sesame seeds are used to treat gastro-intestinal problems like indigestion, colic and spasm, and menstrual problems such as painful periods. Sesame chilli powder (எள் மிளகாய் பொடி) is a variant of idly chilli powder (இட்லி மிளகாய் பொடி) and it has the wonderful flavor and taste of sesame. This powder mixed in oil or ghee can be served with idly or dosa, either alone or along with chutney or sambar. Masala powders are best made at home as they can be tailor made to suit our taste.

Ingredients: 

Red chillies – ¾ tumbler or 150ml measure (குண்டு மிளகாய் வத்தல்)

Urad dhal – 1 small hollow ladle or 50ml measure

Bengal gram dhal – 1 small hollow ladle or 50ml measure
Black sesame seeds (கருப்பு எள்) – 1 small hollow ladle or 50ml measure

Salt – to taste

Note: The ingredients given above make the powder medium spicy. You may adjust the quantity of red chillies depending on your taste. 

Sesame Chilli Powder stored in a container

Method: Remove the stalk of red chillies. Heat a kadai and roast red chillies, urad dhal and Bengal gram dhal till the dhals become golden brown in color. Transfer the fried ingredients to a bowl. Roast sesame seeds on medium flame. The seeds start to sputter and the nice aroma of the roasted sesame wafts the air. Switch off the stove at this stage. Transfer the roasted seeds to the bowl. DO NOT use oil for frying the ingredients. Cool to room temperature and grind them with salt into a medium fine powder using the mixer-grinder.  

How to store: Allow the powder to cool and then store it in a clean, dry, airtight container. Always use a dry spoon. If stored and handled properly, sesame chilli powder remains fresh for at least two months.Sesame chili powder mixed with gingelly oil or ghee makes a great accompaniment for idly or dosa.

Sesame Chilli Powder (எள் மிளகாய் பொடி)

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Potato or Aloo Palak (உருளைக்கிழங்கு பாலக் கறி)

Spinach is rich in dietary fiber, vitamins mainly vitamin A, minerals especially iron and potassium, and anti oxidants. Spinach helps to prevent constipation and stomach ulcers. Pasalai keerai (பசலை கீரை) is Indian spinach, which has large dark green leaves with a thick stack (red or green). When you cook pasalai it gets sticky. Whereas, Delhi palak (பாலக் கீரை) is different from pasalai - It also has large green leaves, but with a thinner light green stalk and the leaves are crisp. There are several palak recipes, palak paneer being the most popular one. Potato palak is a spicy palak dish. Give it a try.

Ingredients: (Serves four)

Delhi palak – cut into small pieces, 4 liter measure*

Potato – medium sized, 3 no

Onion – 1 no, sliced

Tomato – 1 no, cut into small pieces

Ginger – 1” piece, grated

Jeera – 1 teaspoon

Oil – 2 tablespoons

Salt – to taste

Coriander powder – 2 teaspoons

Cumin powder – ¾ teaspoon

Garam masala – 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder –½  teaspoon

Red chilli powder – 1 teaspoon

*Choose a vessel that would hold 4 liters of water to measure palak quantity. You may use a standard fridge water bottle of 1 liter capacity and fill a large vessel with four bottles of water. Use the water level as an indicator for the 4 liter measure. Usually 3 bunches of palak would be equvivalent to this quantity. 

How to clean palak: Delhi palak has large leaves with a stalk. Separate the leaves of the palak. Cut them into smaller pieces. Soak the cut palak in large quantity of water for 5-10 minutes. Leaves float on the surface. Remove the leaves with your hand and discard the dirty water. Repeat this process 2-3 times, before cooking palak.

Potato or Aloo Palak (உருளைக்கிழங்கு பாலக் கறி)

Method:  Cut palak into small pieces, wash well and drain. Cover and cook with little water for approximately 5 minutes. Palak cooks very fast. Once cooked, switch off the fire and allow it to cool. Mash the palak in a liquidizer into a fine paste. 

Cook potatoes in a pressure cooker for 5 minutes or 5 whistles. Switch off the fire. Once the pressure subsides, remove potatoes and allow them to cool. Later peel the potatoes, and cut them into cubes. Prick the potato cubes with a fork. Mix required salt, turmeric powder and 2 teaspoons of oil. Coat the potato pieces well with this mixture in a microwave safe bowel. Cook for 2 minutes in micro-high. Remove from the oven and keep aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a kadai, add jeera and when they start to sputter, add onions and fry till they become transparent. Now add tomato pieces, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder and required salt. Cover and cook on low flame till oil separates. Now add garam masala powder and sauté for a minute. Add the mashed palak, potato pieces, ginger and salt as needed. Mix well. Cover and cook on low flame till the contents boil. Simmer for 5 more minutes and switch off the fire. Serve hot with roti or chappati and onion salad.

Note: Palak requires lesser quantity of salt when compared to other vegetables. 

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