kuzhi paniyaram

   My mom made this kuzhi paniyaram in my last India trip. My son was a bit reluctant at first to try this new dish but my daughter really enjoyed the dish. Eventually, my son tried and he also loved them. He  thinks them as fried Idlys. So I started making this as a tiffin / evening snack.  

           

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of Idly rice
1/2 cup of raw rice
3/4 cup of urad dhal
1 small cup of grated carrot(optional)
1 small onion (finely chopped)
finely chopped coriander
2 green chillies(~spice level)
oil as required
salt as required

Seasoning:

1/2 tsp of mustard
1/2 tsp of Bengal gram dhal
pinch of asafoetida
curry leaves

Preparation:

1.Soak the rice and urad dhal separately for 6 hours. Grind them separately. Mix the batter together and add salt to the batter. Ferment for 24 hours.
2.Heat 1 tsp of oil in the pan and add the seasoning. Once the mustard sputters, add onion, green chillies, carrot to the pan. Saute well for 5 minutes in medium flame and add salt. Transfer to the batter.
3.Mix the batter. In the Kuzhi paniyaram skillet, add oil in each hole. Once the skillet is hot, pour 1 small ladle of batter in each hole. Close the lid and steam in medium flame. Once the edges start turning golden brown, turn to the other side.

4.Serve kuzhi paniyaram with chutney.

Cauliflower dry curry/ Gobhi masala/ Gobhi fry

   Gobhi masala is very simple recipe..can be made with ingredients readily available at home. This recipe goes well with roti or can be tried as a side dish for dhal and rice.

Serves up to 3 people
Preparation time: 30 minutes


Ingredients:


1 medium sized cauliflower
1 large onion                             
1 tsp of red chilly powder
1 tsp of garam masala
1/4 tsp of turmeric
1-2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of chopped coriander leaves
1 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste 
1 green chilly

salt as required


Seasoning:


1/2 tsp of fennel seeds
1 inch of cinnamon


Preparation:

1.Cut the cauliflower in to small florets. Heat oil in the skillet and add the seasoning. 
2.As the nice aroma from the fennel comes, add the chopped onion and saute for a minute. Then add ginger-garlic paste, green chilly and saute till the raw smell disappears.
3.Add the spices( turmeric, red chilly powder and salt) to the skillet. Close with the lid and allow to cook for 15 minutes. Sprinkle some water in between and stir.
4.Add the chopped coriander leaves and garam masala, then close the lid. Add some oil to roast the vegetable. Check whether the cauliflower is cooked. 
5.Gobhi masala is ready. Serve with rice/ roti and a cup of yogurt.

Beans channa dhal curry/Beans kadalai paruppu porial

   Fresh beans has 90% of B vitamins (like vitamins B6 and B2). When the beans is cooked with channa dhal and coconut, the taste is decadent!

Serves up to 4 people
Preparation time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

500 grams of beans
1/2 cup of channa dhal/ Bengal gram dhal
1 chopped onion 
1/2 tbsp of ginger paste

1/2 tsp of red chilly powder
1/2 tsp of sambhar powder 
1/4 tsp of cumin powder
1/4 tsp of turmeric
1/4 tsp of mustard
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
pinch of asafoetida
6 curry leaves
1-2 tbsp of grated coconut
1 1/2 tbsp of oil
salt as required


Preparation:

1.Cut the beans in to small pieces. Cook the Bengal gram dhal separately. Heat oil in the pan and add the mustard, asafoetida, cumin seeds and curry leaves. 
2.As the cumin sputters, add onion and saute for a minute, then add ginger. Saute till the onion becomes translucent.
3.Add the beans to the pan and saute well for 5 minutes. Add the spices (turmeric, sambhar powder and chilly powder) and salt to the pan and close the lid. Add water and stir occasionally.
4.Once the beans are 80% done add the Bengal gram dhal, cumin powder and close the lid. Check if the beans is cooked. Add the coconut to the beans curry and saute well for 2 minutes. Serve with rice/ roti.