Banana Halwa (Vazhaip pazha Halva / Vaalai Halwa / Waalai Hulva)

It is a very delicious, energetic, and easy to prepare dessert.

Ingredients:

• Ripe banana: 4
• Jathikkai / Jaiphal (Nutmeg): 4
• Cardamom (elakkai / elaichi): 2
• Ghee (clarified butter): 1 tablespoon
• Sugar: 1 cup
  

Method of preparation:

• Peel and mash the banana.
  
• Make powder from nutmeg and cardamom.
  
• Make powder from sugar.
  
• Heat ghee in a heavy pan.
  
• Add bananas and cook under low flame with constant stirring for about ten minutes.
  
• Add more ghee if it starts sticking.
  
• Add sugar and stir till dissolving.
  
• Add nutmeg and cardamom and remove from flame.
  
• Spread evenly on a plate.
  
• Cut into pieces after cooling.
  
• Serve with a smile.
  
  

Aval payasam

It is an easy to prepare, easy to digest, delicious dessert.

It is also called Awal paayaasam, rice flake pudding, pressed rice pudding or beaten rice pudding.

Aval is also called attukulu, atukulu, avval, avvalaki, avalakki , poha or rice flake.

Payasam is also called payas.

Ingredients:

• Rice flakes: ¼ cup
• Milk – 2 cups
• Sugar: ¾ cup
• Cashew nuts: 5 to 10
• Raisin (Kismis / ular drakshai): 5 to 10
• Almond (Badam): 4 to 6 (optional)
• Pista: 4 to 6 (optional)
• Cardamom powder: A pinch
• Ghee (nei / clarified butter): for frying
• Saffron: A few strands (optional)

Method of preparation:

• Fry badam, pista, kismis and cashew nuts in ghee.
• Break them into small pieces.
• Boil milk under low flame.
• Roast a little the rice flakes (with a very little ghee) till golden brown.
• Add the rice flakes with boiling milk and stir.
• Add sugar and stir. Add pista, badam, kismis, cashew nuts and cardamom powder.
• Remove from heat.
• Garnish with saffron.
• Serve hot or cold with great pleasure.

Valaikkai Bajji / Plantain bajji

It is a very tasty snack, prepared from unripe banana fruit called plantain, liked by everyone at all time. It is also called vazhaikkai bajji. Kela ka pakora and kele ka pakoda are the names in Hindi.

Ingredients:

• Gram flour: 1 cup
• Rice flour: 1/4 cup
• Red chili powder: 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
• Cooking soda: 1 Pinch
• Plantain (Raw banana): 1 or 2 according to size
• Oil for frying
• Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

• Make a thick batter of gram flour, rice flour, turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt and cooking soda.
• Peel the skin of raw bananas with the help of a knife and make thin slices lengthwise.
• Dip the slices one by one in the gram flour batter and deep fry them in hot oil till the appearance of brown color.
• Serve hot with or without chutney, pickle or thokku.
  

Black pepper Kuzhampu

It is a very delicious and tasty sambar like liquid preparation, taken and enjoyed with rice, puri, chappathi, bread, paratha, idli, dosai, oothappam, etc.

• Cut 200 gm sambar onion (small onion) and a tomato.
• Dissolve lemon sized tamarind in water.
• Fry one tsp each of black pepper (kali mirch / milagu), cumin seed (jeera- jeeragam), black gram (uluttham paruppu /urad dal), Bengal gram (kadalai paruppu / channa dal), ¼ tsp of fenugreek (methi / vendhayam), a piece of dry ginger (sukku / shoont) and 4 red chilies. Garlic (lasoon / poondu) can be added with this as optional.
• Add a little water and grind well into paste.
• Heat a pan and fry in oil the seasonings consist of mustard (kaduku / rai), black gram, fenugreek and cumin seed.
• Add onion, tomato, tamarind extract, salt, the well grinded paste and curry leaves.
• Add some water if required.
• Remove from flame after boiling.

Tasty tomato pickle

This is a very delicious and tasty pickle, suitable to enjoy with purotta, paratha, parantha, puri, chappati, chappathi, idli / idly, dosai / dosa, curd rice, biriyani / briyani.
It is called ‘Suvaiyana thakkali oorukai’ in Tamil.

Ingredients:

• Tomato: 1 Kg
• Garlic: 150 gm
• Turmeric powder: As required
• Chili powder: As required
• Fenugreek powder (Methi): 1 tbsp
• Asafetida (Hing): a little
• Gingelly oil (sesame oil / edible oil / til ka tel): for sauté
• Mustard (Sarson / Rai): for sauté
• Salt: As required
  

Method of preparation:

• Wash tomatoes and dry them.
• Remove skin from garlic.
• Grind them together in a mixer.
• Add salt and mix.
• Pour this on a wide plate and keep under hot direct sunlight so as to get it dry like jam.
• Heat and stir this in a sauce pan (Kadhai).
• After some time add turmeric powder, chili powder, fenugreek powder (methi powder) and asafetida (hing).
• Stir and turn the stove off.
• Use another sauce pan for sauté and mix well.

To view this recipe both in English and in Tamil, Visit

http://dailycookingtips.blogspot.com/2009/08/tasty-tomato-pickle.html

Godhumai Mavu Halwa

It is also called Wheat Halwa / Wheat Flour Halva, Atta ki hulva, a very tasty and delicious sweet dish.


It is an easy to prepare dessert. It can be had at any time.

Wheat flour is called Godhumai mavu / Gothumai maavu / Godumai mavu in Tamil language.

It is also called Atta in Hindi.


Ingredients:

• Wheat flour: 1 cup
• Sugar: ¾ cup
• Ghee: 3 tbsp
• Cardamom powder (yelakkai podi): 1 tsp
• Roasted Almond or peanut / ground nut: 20
• Fried Raisins (Poriththa kismis): 20
• Saffron / Kesari powder / food color: A pinch (optional)

Method of preparation:

• Heat ghee.
• Add the wheat flour.
• Roast till pleasant aroma with a change in color.
• Add 3 cups of boiling water.
• Stir well avoiding formation of lumps.
• Add cardamom powder, color and sugar.
• Continue stirring to get thick halwa.
• Some more ghee may be added according to your choice.
• Garnish with roasted nuts and fried raisins.

Red Chili Chutney / Varamilagai Thuvaiyal

It is an easy to prepare Tamil home recipe, also called Milakai / Chilli / Lal mirchi / Lal mirch / tuvaial / thohaiyal / thovaiyal / thovial / thovaial.


Ingredients:

• Red chili (Varamilakai): 7
• Tomato (Thakkali): 2
• Onion (Vengayam): 1
• Tamarind (Puli / imli): A little (A small lemon sized ball)
• Curry leaves (Karuveppilai / kari veppilai / kari patha): About 10
• Mustard (Kadugu / Rai / Sarson): ½ tsp
• Black gram (Uluntham paruppu / uluththam paruppu / Urad dhal / dal): ¼ tsp
• Split chick peas (kadalai paruppu / Channa dal): 1 tsp
• Oil for frying: 1 table spoon
• Salt: As required
  
  

Method of preparation:

• Cut the onion.
• Cut the tomatoes.
• Heat 1 tsp of oil in a wok (iruppu chatti / tawa).
• Add split chick peas, curry leaves and red chilies.
• Wait for spluttering and add onion.
• Sauté well.
• Add the tomatoes.
• Continue sauté for a while.
• Add the tamarind ball and stir.
• Remove from flame.
• After cooling, finely grind all the ingredients with salt.
• Heat again 2 tsp of oil in a wok.
• Add mustard followed by black gram.
• Allow to splutter.
• Mix this with the chutney and transfer to a serving dish.
  

Tastes good with hot idli / idly, dosai / dosa, Puri, purotta / barotta / parantha, vellai paniyaram, kulipaniyaram, etc.

Wheat Laddoo (Godhumai mavurundai / Atta laddu)

It is an easy to prepare energetic dessert. It is enjoyable to have during tea time along with snacks. It is also called kodhumai maavu urundai.

Method of preparation:

• Roast 250 grams of wheat flour (Atta / Godhumai mavu).
• Mix 200 grams of grated jaggery (Gud / Vellam) with the roasted flour.
• Add 30 grams of ghee (clarified butter / makkan / vennai).
• Mix well.
• With the help of your palm, prepare ball shaped laddus of your preferred size.
• Serve with or without snacks and tea or coffee.

Vellai Paniyaram

It is a very popular, tasty, easy to prepare Chettinadu dish, white in colour and soft to touch.
Vendanpatti, Veguppatti, Velangudi, Vairavankoil and Pillaiyarpatti special.

Method of preparation

• Wash and soak 1 cup of raw rice ( Pachcharisi / Kachcha Chawal) and 1/6 cup of Black gram (Uluntham paruppu / Urad dal) in water for about an hour.
• Drain the water.
• Finely grind to obtain batter.
• Add water little by little while grinding to get Dosai batter consistency.
• Add salt as per requirement at the last stage of grinding.
• Transfer the batter to a vessel.
• Heat three cups of oil in a deep pan (Iruppu chatti / Wok / Tawa)
• Pour the batter in the hot oil using a ladle (Soup Spoon).
• The batter will become flat and float on the oil.
• Turn to the other side so as to be cooked well equally on both the side.
• Remove this Vellai Paniyaram from the pan, drain the oil and keep it on a plate.
• Continue making Vellai Paniyarams and add them to plate.
• Serve hot with tomato chutney (Thakkali thuvaiyal).
  
  

Kalkandu Vadai

It is a delicious Chettinadu sweet, karkandu vada, tastes good hot or cold.

Ingredients (for Qty 20):

• Raw rice (colam rice / pachcharisi / kachcha chawal): ¼ cup
• Husked black gram (Urad dal / Uluntham paruppu): 1 cup
• Sugar candy (Kalkandu): 1 cup Sugar: 1 ¼ cup
• Oil for deep frying: 3 cups
• (If sugar candy is not available, 1 ¼ cup sugar can be used)
  

Method:

• Wash and soak the raw rice and black gram together in water for an hour.
• Drain the water well.
• Grind this using a grinder by adding sugar gradually, without adding water for about 20 minutes.
• Transfer the batter to a vessel.
• Turn upside down a small flat bottomed vessel, wet with a little water and place a plastic sheet on top of it.
• Wet your palms with water.
• Take a small scoop of batter.
• Keep it on the plastic sheet and gently flatten it.
• Make a hole in the centre.
• Carefully remove from the plastic sheet and deep fry in oil under medium flame.
• When both sides turn golden brown, drain the oil well and keep it on a plate.
• Serve hot or cold.
  

Tip: In the U.S., one cup (8 fluid ounces) is equal to 237 milliliters, In the U.K., one cup is 227 millilitres and in Australia, one cup is 250 milliliters.

Kummayam

It is an excellent, easy to prepare, delicious chettinadu / chettinad sweet dish or dessert.

Ingredients:

• Raw rice (pacharisi / colam rice / kachcha chawal): ¼ azhakku (approx 60 ml)
• Black gram (uluttham paruppu / urad dal): ½ azhakku (approx 125 ml)
  Split green gram (pasipparuppu / moong dal wash): 2 azhakku (approx 500 ml)
• Jaggery (vellam / gud): 500 gm
• Ghee (nei): 200 gm
  
  
  Method:
  
  
• Roast the rice, black gram and green gram separately.
• Mix them together and grind to fine flour.
• Sift with the help of a sieve and keep aside.
• Take the jaggery in a vessel.
• Add a little water.
• Heat a little till the jaggery dissolves and filter.
• Mix this with the flour.
• Make up the consistency like that of dosai batter.
• Now, heat it slowly by adding ghee gradually.
• Cook till the appearance of shiny colour.
• Serve hot or cold.
  

Suitable to prepare during festivals and special family functions.

Ragi idli / Finger millet idli / Kezhvaragu idli

Ragi (finger millet) is rich in protein and calcium. It is easily digestible and good for all ages. It is also called as ragee, African millet, coracan, corakan, kurakkan, eleusine coracana and keppai.

Ingredients:

• Ragi: 200 gm
• Rice: 100 gm
• Black gram (Urad dal / Ulundham paruppu): 100 gm
• Fenugreek (Methi / Vendhayam): 2 tsp
• Curd (yogurt): 50 gm
• Salt to taste
  
  

Procedure:

• Clean ragi thoroughly and soak overnight.
• Also soak the black gram, rice and fenugreek overnight.
• Grind them separately and mix them together.
• Add salt, curd and keep for 5 to 6 hours for fermentation.
• Grease (apply edible oil) idli plates and pour the ragi batter.
• Cook in pressure cooker without using whistle or cook in idli cooker.
• Remove idlies using a spoon. (Same as making common idli).
• Serve hot with coconut chutney, Kuruma, puli kuzhambu or Kaara kuzhambu .

Thengai Mangai Pattani Sundal

It is a tasty evening snack, also called chundal, rich in protein.

Ingredients:

• Dry green peas (pattani): 2 cups
• Raw mango (mangai / kachcha aam): 1
• Coriander seeds( malli / dhania) : 4 tsp
• Coconut (thengai / nariyal): 1/4 cup
• Mustard (kadugu / rai / sarson): 1/4 tsp
• Red chili (vara milakai / lal mirchi): 8
• Asafetida (Perungayam / Hing): one pinch
• Husked black gram (Ulundham paruppu / Urad dal): 1 tsp
• Oil: 1 tsp
• Salt: 1 tsp

Method:

• Soak peas overnight in four cups of water, pressure cook in medium flame for two whistles, strain the excess water and keep it aside.
• Grind coriander seeds, coconut, and red chilies.
• Fry mustard, black gram and asafetida in oil and add the ground masala.
• Keep frying until a pleasant flavor comes out.
• Now add peas and salt.
• Cook for a few minutes.
• Remove from flame.
• Garnish with chopped mangoes.
• Serve hot or cold.
• Suitable to serve during festivals like Navarathri and Ayudha puja / Saraswathi puja. During non season of mangoes, mango powder can be used effectively.

Ellurundai / ellu urundai / Til ke Laddoo

Sesame seed sweet ball (Winter laddu). It is a suitable dessert that warms up our body during winter season. Narimedu (Madurai special)

Ingredients:

• White Sesame seeds : 1 cup
• Jaggery (gud) : 1 cup
• Grated dry coconut : 1/2 cup (Optional)
• Peanuts (groundnuts) : 1/2 cup
• Cardamom Powder : 1 tsp
• Ghee : 1 tbsp

Procedure:

• Roast the sesame seeds till golden brown.
• Roast the grated coconut.
• Roast the groundnuts and coarsely powder them.
• Melt jaggery in a heavy bottomed pan, add 1 tbsp of ghee and stir.
• On boiling, add all other ingredients and stir.
• Remove from flame.
• Grease your hands with a little ghee and make laddoos when the mixture is of bearable warmth. You can heat again a little, if mixture becomes cold.
• Laddus can be stored for 10 to15 days in an air-tight container.