Vendhaya Kuzhambu ~ வெந்தய குழம்பு

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Yesterday, Hubby Dear was reading a book, and i was watching serial, my son was playing with his car. Hubby Dear Interrupted me, on how would வெந்தய குழம்பு , உருளை கிழங்கு பொடிமாஸ் {Fenugreek Curry and Potato masal } would make a great combination. He was reading a book written my la.sa.ra. I did'nt have an idea, other than, it will be very bitter in taste. 

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Vegetable Gravy

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In Weekends, i need to cook something special and also i want it done with less labour. This Gravy is one such preparation. The highlight of the gravy is, its very creamy and has healthy vegetables on it. I have prepared this Vegetable Gravy for Vegetable Pulao and Chapathi. It complimeneted well to both the main dishes.



Ingredients:

1. Carrot - 1
2. Beans - 10
3. Potato - 1
4. Peas - 1/4 cup
5. Cauliflower - 5 small florets

6. Onion - 1
7. Tomato - 1
8. Oil - 2 tsp's [ to saute onion and tomato ]

9. Oil - 1 tbsp [For Seasoning ]
10. Cinnamon - 1/2' inch stick
11. Cloves - 3

12. Fresh Cream - 75ml
13. Chilli Powder - 2 tsp's

Method:

1. Wash and Chop the Vegetables [Carrot, Beans, Potato(skin peeled) and Cauliflower] into small pieces. Steam Cook them for about 5 minutes and keep aside. / Microwave them with little water for about 4 minutes in very high mode.

2. Heat 2 tsp's of oil in a pan,
- add chopped onion and saute it, till it turn translucent.
- add chopped Tomato and saute it along with onion for 2 minutes.
- remove from the flame and cool it down.
- grind it into a smooth paste and keep aside.

3. In a Pan, Heat a tbsp of oil,
- add cinnamon and cloves and let it fry for few seconds.
- add the steamed vegetables and fry them for a minute.
- add the grinded onion-tomato paste and mix well.
- add salt and chilli powder according to your taste.

4. Add Fresh cream and stir well along with vegetables. slow the flame and rest the gravy for about 4 to 5 minutes in the pan.



Garnish with chopped corriander leaves and serve it with Rice or Roti.

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Spicy Potato Curry - For Rice

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Spicy Potato Curry, I prepare this dish, whenever iam in short of vegetables and in need of curry with lots of kaaram. If you have tasted the chettinaad dishes..their main spice ingredient would be the Pepper..but it will be a hidden spice, dominated spice would be of red chilli's. In same way, I have added Pepper powder here.

Here is the Recipe.....

Ingredients:

Potatoes-2 (peel the skin)
Red onion-1 (medium size) - chopped very finely
Tomatoes-2 - chopped very finely
Tamarind - a small lemon size

Dry Red chilli's-3
Curry leaves-8
Garlic-3

Mustard-1/2 spoon
Fenugreek-5 seeds
Asafoetida powder-1/4 spoon

Butter-2 spoons
Oil - 4tbsp's

List of Powder's:

• Turmeric Powder-a pinch
• Chilly Powder-1 tbsp
• Corriander Powder-2 tbsp's
• Cumin Powder-1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves Powder- 2 tsp's (Optional)
• Pepper Powder-1/2 tsp

Method:

In a Thick Bottomed Kadaai / Pan, heat 4tbsp's of oil.

Add mustard. when it crack's add fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, garlic, red chilli's & asafoetida powder. fry them for few seconds till the garlic gets sauteed.

Now add Finely Chopped onions, saute them till they turn translucent. and add finely chopped tomatoes. saute the tomatoes along with onions, till they mix up along. You got to saute for atleast 3-4 minutes, till they mix up.

Now add Salt to taste and all the powder's mentioned in the order. fry them well for 2 minute's, till the oil comes out on the sides.

Now add cubically cut potatoe's and mix them well with the masala's.

Add 1/2  cup of Tamarind water and close the kadaai with its lid. slower the flame. let the potatoe's get half-cooked.

After10 minutes..open the lid, add the butter and close the lid.

After 5 minutes..the potatoes would have cooked. you can check that, by inserting a knife into the potato. if the potatoes are not cooked, cook for another 5-10 minutes and remove from flame.. Now the spicy potato curry is ready.

Trying to please Non-Vegan's with some spicy stuff's with vegetables alone is little difficult. but with the above dish..iam sure you can certainly impress them with the spiciness evolving inside this dish.

Since i don't use Tamarind..i have left it in the recipe. But adding Little tamarind water will surely enhance the taste.

Plus Points:

* The differences in the above recipe are, Potatoes getting cooked in the masala gravy. so you can expect tasty potatoes.

* Adding Curry leaves Powder will give you a secret taste..you can't sort it out.

* The Spice of pepper will truly be enjoyable. and

* Adding butter will make this one a finger-licking curry:)

Try this, iam sure this will become your favorite. do let me know how you and your family liked!

I got a very bad habbit of doing every thing in the last minute. here this Spicy Potato Curry goes to The Potato Feast hosted By DK of Culinary Bazaar & ODE to Potato hosted by Dear Sia of Monsoon Spice.
Now This Curry also leaves to RCI - Kongunadu, hosted by dear Priya.

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Tofu Pad Thai - Rice Noodles with Tofu

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It's my second Thai Food post in this month, Iam enjoying cooking Thai Food and i really love it's unique flavourfull taste. This Noodles amazes by its taste and its topping's. As the original version call for shrimp / chicken, for vegetarians, it can be substituted with Tofu / Paneer(Cottage Cheese). I also tried it with egg's and loved it. To Prepare this Pad Thai, first you got to have some bean sprouts - so prepare the sprouts before in hand. Then You need to have Pad Thai Sauce, its just easy to make. and Rice Noodles is another main ingredient. I luckily happened to find Rice Noodles - Rice Vermicelli at Nut's & Spice's store.

Ingredients for Pad Thai Sauce: (Vegetarian Pad Thai Sauce)

1. Tamarind - small lemon size soaked in 1 cup warm water / Tamarind Paste - 2 tbsp diluted in a cup of water.

2. Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp

3. Chilli Powder / Cayenne Pepper Powdere / Red Chilli Sauce - 2 tbsp's

4. Palm Sugar /Brown Sugar - 2 tsp's

5. Worcestershire sauce - 1 tbsp

6. Salt - 1/2 tbsp

Let the Tamarind get soaked in a cup of warm water for 5 minutes. Then squeeze the pulp out.
Now mix all the other ingredients along with Tamarind water and heat them in a pan. Let it boil for about 5 minutes and start thickening. Remove it from the pan to a cup and let it cool.

Depending on the thickness, you get about 5 - 6 tbsp's of sauce with the above ingredients.

The sauce will be very spicy, tangy, sweety, but when you add this to noodles, it will all mingle up and give you a nice taste.


How to Prepare Tofu Pad Thai:


Bean Sprouts - 1 cup

Roasted Peanuts - 1 cup

Lemon Grass - 1/4 cup (chopped) - Spring Onions cal also be used.

Chilli Flakes - 2 tbsp's

Lemon Wedges - 4

Tofu - 50 gms



Shallots / Small Onion's - 5

Garlic - 4



Rice Noodles - 75 gms ( i used Rice Vermicelli)

Oil - 2 tbsp's

Pad Thai Sauce - 2 tbsp's

Salt to Taste.


Get Ready First: (as its cooking time is less, first get ready with ingredients)

Soak the Rice Noodles in warm water for about 5 minutes and Drain them. Leave them aside for 5 minutes after drained.

Though the noodles was little crisp after soaking and draining, when i started to cook along with sauce, it became soft.


1. Wash the Bean Sprouts and keep aside.

2. Roast the Peanuts(without skin) and cut them into small pieces. I just crushed them in my Mixie using pulse button.

3. Grind 5 Dry Red chilli's into flakes in your mixie.

4. If your Tofu is freezed, put it in warm water for 5 minutes and slice them into cubes.

5. Mince the shallots or finely chop them.

6. Chop the Garlic Finely.

7. Prepare the Pad Thai Sauce.

Starting to Cook:


1. Heat Oil in a Wok / Pan. Add the Garlic and Shallots and bit of salt and fry till they turn translucent.

2. Now add the Tofu Cubes and fry them, till the edges get browned.

3. Now add the soaked and drained rice noodles to the Wok / Pan and stir well. (let the flame be slow)

4. Add the Pad thai sauce and stir well along with the noodles. add a little bit of salt (as the sauce has salt already) and mix well.

5. Now add the Lemon Grass, Bean Sprouts, Chopped Peanuts.

6. Stir well and remove from flame.

Now Serve it with some chilli flakes, chopped peanuts and lemon wedges on side.

We loved it so much. The peanuts and sprouts gave a crunchy taste to the spicy noodles.

I found this one serving of pad thai costing 170rs. in a restaurant nearby our home. In stores Rice Noodles costs around 35rs. and iam sure the other all ingredients are easily available in home. also its easy to make.

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Kezhvaragu Murungai Keerai Adai / Finger Millet Roti

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I was searching for my favourite childhood adai recipe and found at Nirmala's blog. But i could'nt get drumstick leaves/murungai ilai, all these days to try this adai, Thanks to our Apartment Security Guard, for he managed to get me few bunches of drumstick leaves yesterday. I remember my AVVA(Kollu Paati) preparing this for evening snack, and we will be served this adai very hot with stone ground coconut chutney. It used to taste great, as my grandmom use lots of oil to prepare this adai. I prepared this Adai Today and enjoyed the memories associated with the adai and my mom and grandmom.

Iam now sending this Ragi Adai for Meeta's Monthly Mingle-Heirloom, hosted by Jai and Bee of Jugalbandi. also the the above picture is my entry for Click-Heirloom.

How to Prepare?

(Yields about 6 adai/roti)

* Have one Cup of Kezhvaragu maavu / Ragi Flour / Finger Millet Flour, Sieve it, add a little bit of salt to taste and keep it aside.

* Chop one Red Onion and 2 Green Chilli's Finely. (If you have Mormilagaai, crush it and use instead of green chilli's for special taste.)

* Take half a cup of Drumstick leaves and keep aside.

* In a Kadaai/ Pan, Heat a tbsp of oil, add 1 tsp of mustard and let it pop, add 1 tsp of split urad dal and weight till it gets golden in colour. Now add the chopped onions and green chilli's, bit of salt and saute them till the onions turn translucent. Now add the Washed Drumstick Leaves and fry them for a minute till they start shrinking.

* Now add the onion-drumstick mix in the kadai to the ragi flour and mix well.

* Add 5 tsp's of water and mix well, till the dough is soft and come togeather into a shape. form the dough into small lemon size ball's.

* Now Heat a Griddle or Tawa.

* Have a Ziplock cover / Banana Leaf. Apply a tsp of oil over it. and keep a small ball sized dough and pat it with your palm. Now pat them evenly on all sides with your finger's, so that the adai is thin and evenly spread.

Adai Patted with Fingers ready to go on tawa.

* Now just put the Banana Leaf / Ziplock cover with adai facing the tawa, over the Hot Tawa and slowly remove the cover/ leaf, leaving the adai over the tawa. Its little complicated step, but you will learn it while doing.

* Cook the adai in slow flame and cook it on either side, it takes 4-5 minutes to get cooked evenly.

Enjoy the Adai / roti Hot with Coconut Chutney.

Iam sending this Ragi Rotti, which is healthy packed with Ragi and Drumstick leaves to Radhika's event Food for Seven Stages of Life - Pregnancy, which is co-hosted with Sudeshna.

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Chocolate Walnut Brownie

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Blogging Teaches me a Lot. Iam trying to bake few goodies for my home nowadays. and this brownie is one such attempt. I have posted my first brownie recipe here. This time, it tasted more like a brownie, but i could'nt get fudge brownie's, i should try making it next time.

Ingredients: ( yields 12 sqaures)

1. Dark Chocolate - 350 gms / 12 oz (Morde Dark chocolate i used 1 and half bar)
2. All Purpose Flour / Maida - 1 cup / 6 oz
3. Butter - 100gms / 3.5 oz
4. Castor Sugar / Powdered Sugar - 1/2 cup / 3 oz
5. Walnuts - 1/2 cup (chopped)
6. Egg's - 2
7. Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp
9. Salt - a pinch

How to Prepare?


1. Melt the Dark Chocolate by double boiling method or microwave it for 90 secs in Microwave High.

2. Powder the Sugar by running the sugar in your mixer grinder. (do not powder very finely)

3. Bring the Butter to Room Temperature, by immersing the Butter with its carton in a bowl of water. replace the water twice or thrice, whenever it gets chilled. It takes around 10 minute's.

4. Now Beat the Butter with Sugar, using a hand whisk for about 3 minutes atleast.

5. Whisk the Egg's with Yolk's and keep aside. I use my mixie to whisk the egg's. its done in a minute.

6. Sift the Flour with Baking Soda, Bkaing Powder and pinch salt. Sift the flour for atleast three times.

7. Chop the Walnuts and keep aside.

8. Pre-Heat the oven for 10 minutes at the temperature of 180 C. / 350 F.

9. While the oven get's Pre-Heated,

Add the Melted Chocolate to the whisked Butter-Sugar Mix and blend the chocolate with a spatula.

Add the Whisked Egg's to the Chocolate-Butter-Sugar mix and mix well.

Also add the sifted flour and mix well. Now add the chopped walnuts and mix well.

10. Pour the Flour+Egg+Butter+Sugar mix to a Greased Baking Bowl. Bake in the Pre-Heated oven at 350F for about 20 minute's.

11. Cool the Baked Brownie's for about 30 minute's and then cut them into sqaure's.

* No Need to check for cooked, by inserting a tooth pick and ensuring it comes out clean.

Any suggestion's on how to get fudge brownie's.

Sending these Chocolate  Walnut Brownie's to Cooking for Kids Event Orginated from Sharmi, now Hosted by Hema.

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Thai Massaman Curry with Eggplant and Potato

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When i was bored to cook ennai kathrikka kuzhambu, i got the idea of trying Thai Eggplant Curry. I just Googled and went ahead to cook with what all ingredients i had at hand. I should tell you, that this is not an authentic Thai Recipe, this is customised recipe for an South Indian Vegetarian Palatte. But this won' t cheat you in any way. This is such a Flavourfull Curry that i have ever cooked. It was little spicy, little tangy, little sweety, little heavy. No flavours' dominated the curry and all played its role perfect.

Massaman Curry Paste:

Dry Roast the following:

1. Dry Red Chilli's - 8 - 10
2. Corriander Seed's - 2 tbsp's
3. Cumin Seed's - 2 tsp's
4. Cardamon - 2 pods
5. Cloves - 3
6. Cinnamon stick - 1" inch size (2 nos)
7. Nutmeg - 1/4 (crush a nutmeg and use a small part) **
8. Peanuts - 1/4 cup (Roast it seperately)

Grind along with the Dry Roasted spices:

1. Shallots - 10 - 12 / one Red Onion
2. Garlic - 5
3. Galangal / Ginger - 1 inch size
4. Soy Sauce - 1 and half tbsp.
5. Basil Leaves - 10
6. Tamarind Paste - 4 tbsp's.

It's authentic to grind using pestle and mortar. If you feel its tough to grind, add some tamarind water and grind to a fine paste.

Curry Paste on Top left and Tamarind water on Bottom right.

Ingredients for the Curry:

1. Eggplant's - 8
2. Potato's - 4 (chopped cubically)
3. Coconut Milk - 3 cup
4. Cooking Oil - 5 tbsp's
5. Tamarind Juice - 2 tbsp's
6. Palm Sugar - 3 tsp's

First Heat the oil in a Pan and add the chopped potatoes and and roast the potatoes till they are semi-cooked.

Add the freshly chopped Eggplant's to the pan and fry along with the potato's, till the eggplant's start to shrink and change its skin colour. add little bit salt to cook the eggplant's fast.

Now add the Massaman curry paste to the pan and saute it along with the eggplant's and Potato's. Let the curry paste get sauteed along with eggplant's for a minute. Add the Tamarind juice and let it boil for 2 minute's.

Slow the flame and add the Coconut Milk. Mix well. add salt to taste and Let it rest in slow flame for about 10 minute's.

Add the Palm sugar and mix well. also let the curry stand on slow flame for about 5 minutes.

Serve with some chopped spring onion's on top with Rice.

This is such a flavourfull curry with soft eggplant's and Potato's. It was little spicy, little tangy, little sweety, little heavy. No flavours dominated the curry and all played its role perfect.

A must try dish!!

** Do not use Nutmeg more than specified in the recipe, it makes your curry sweeter. so make sure its presence is not felt.

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Baked Pasta with White Sauce

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When we had Guest's from France for Lunch on last week-end, me and my hubby were confusing each other on planning the menu for them. We wanted to show off our Pacca Tamil lunch also got to satisfy them. Somehow we both planned the Menu with, * Badam Kheer, * Vadai, * Appalam, * Baked Pasta with Cabbage & Egg Salad, * Tomato Rice, * Curd Rice, * Chapathi, * Tomato Dal and * Chocolate Cake.

I prepared every food except chocolate cake, Yes, I did'nt have any for dessert and finally managed with Apples. They enjoyed the Baked Pasta very much. The Vada's and Badam Kheer was also liked. the other all items were failure one's, as they felt everything spicy. I was glad that i made the pasta, credits goes to my hubby for choosing it on the menu.

How I made it?

Cooking Pasta:

Pasta - 20 nos.
Water - 2 cup's
Salt - 1 tsp

I bought Tri-Colour Pasta, took some 20 pasta in no's.
Boiled 2 cup's of water with a tsp of salt.
Added the Pasta to the Boiling water and cooked it for about 10 minute's.
I Drained the Pasta and kept it aside.

While the Pasta was getting Cooked, I Prepared the White Sauce.

White Sauce / Be'chamel Sauce :

Butter - 1 tbsp
All Purpose Flour / Maida - 1 tbsp
Milk - 1 and half cup
Fresh Cream - 2 tbsp's
Salt - a pinch

Heated a Pan, then i added a tbsp of butter and let it to melt on low flame.

After the Butter got melted, i added a tbsp of all purpose flour and mixed with butter with a whisk. Don't let lump's get formed.

The flour started to change its colour to golden yellow. (Just wait till the flour starts changing its colour). Add Milk and stirr well in the low flame.

Do not allow any lumps to be formed. Keep stirring for about 2 minute's or till the sauce get's thicker, if it's too thick add some more milk and let it get thick a bit. The consistency is, it should be able to coat the spoon and little thin.

Switch of the flame. Add the Fresh Cream and Salt. Stir well and keep it aside.

How to Bake?

Processed Cheese - 3 tbsp's Grated
Mozarella Cheese - 2 tbsp's Grated
Oregano - few sprinkled on top
Pepper Powder - a pinch

Pre-Heat the oven for about 10 minutes. While the oven get's heated, Place the cooked pasta in a glass baking bowl, add the white sauce on top and mix well. add some grated Processed Cheese and Mozarella Cheese on top.

If desired, add Oregano and Pepper Powder on top.

Place the Pasta bowl in the oven and Bake it on 180C / 350F for about 20 minute's.

The Cheese on top should have melted and should have turned golden in colour.

Serving Suggestion:

Serve it with some Cabbage Salad and Boiled Egg's and Tomatoe's. I also served with boiled potatoe's.

We all Loved this Creamy, Cheesy Pasta. I learned that this is also called as au gratin, as it is cooked till it gets golden colour top. It can be called as Baked Pasta / Pasta au gratin.

Tip at the End:

If you want to substitute the pasta, go for some spaghetti or some vegetables like corn's, broccoli, bell pepper's and mushroom's. Iam sure this would be a great dish to please your guest's.

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