Mor kuzhambhu (MOSS)

Serves 3

Ingredients:
Butter milk - 3-4 glasses
Onion - 1
Red chillies - 1
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Oil - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Chana dal - 1 tsp
Salt to taste


Preparation:
1. Chop onion to thin pieces.
2. Finely chop green chillies

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan.
2. Add urad dal and chana dal, curry leaves, red chilli for seasoning.
3. Add onion and fry until it turns pink.
4. Add the mentioned powders and salt and fry for 30 seconds.
5. Pour the butter milk in the pan and add sufficient water checking the consistency.
6. Remove from heat, as soon as there is an evidence of butter milk heated.

Don't allow to boil.

Serve it with hot rice.

Vendakkai Puli Kuzhambhu (MOSS)

Serves 3

Ingredients:
Ladies finger - 500 gm
Onion - 1
Grated Coconut - 6-7 teaspoons (tsp)
Tomato - 2
Tamarind - 2 lemon size
Chilli powder - 3-4 tsps
Coriander powder - 2 tsps
Sambar powder - 1tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

For seasoning:
1. Jeera - 1 tsp
2. Urad dal - 1 tsp
3. Curry leaves - 1 strand
4. Garlic - 6-7 (can add more if flavor is preferred)
5. Oil - 2-3 tsp

Preparation:
1. Cut Ladies finger into 1 inch pieces.
2. Cur Onion into small pieces.
3. Grind coconut and tomato pieces to a smooth paste.
4. Soak the tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes.

Method:
1. Take a pan, and heat oil.
2. Add the items provided for seasoning.
3. Add onion and fry till golden brown.
4. Add ladies finger and fry for 10-12 minutes until the stickiness is lost. Keep stirring to avoid them getting burnt.
5. Add the mentioned powders and salt.
6. Add the tamarind water and let it boil.
7. Add the ground coconut and tomato paste and stir well to avoid any lumps.
8. Add sufficient water (3glasses) and let it boil and condense to a thicker gravy.
9. Check if ladies finger is cooked and remove from stove.

Serve with hot rice, idli or dosa.

Beetroot salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:
Beetroot - 2 Medium size
Green chillies - 1 or 2 as per required taste
Coconut - 4-5 tsp grated

Preparation:
1. Grate Beetroot and Coconut.
2. Finely chop green chillies

Method:
1. Add all the ingredients in a bowl and mix it.

Serve it as a snack or salad.

Variation: You can add 1tsp of curry powder while mixing the ingredients.

Rajma masala

Serves 2-3.

Ingredients:
Onions - 2 Medium size
Tomato - 4 Medium size
Rajma - 1cup
MDH Rajma Masala - 2 tsps (I used this readymade masala)
Oil - 2 tsps
Salt to taste

Preparation:
1. Soak Rajma overnight and cook in pressure cooker for 1 whistle.
2. Finely chop onions and tomatoes

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan and add onions.
2. Saute till onions turn golden brown and add tomatoes along with Rajma masala.
3. Let it cook till it becomes a paste. Keep stirring to avoid getting the curry burnt.
4. Add required salt and Rajma to this paste, and water to reach required consistency.
5. Simmer it for 15 minutes and remove from heat.

Serve it with rotis, chapathis.

Kollu paruppu / Horsegram dal

Serves 2:

Ingredients:
Horsegram dal - 1 cup
Onion - 1 medium size
Green chillies - 2 to 3 (as required)
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Coriander leaves - little (optional)
Salt to taste

For Seasoning:
Oil - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 3/4 spoon
Curry leaves - Few leaves

Preparation:
1. Wash the dal in water twice, and cook in a Pressure cooker for 2 whistles.
2. Chop Onion and green chillies into small pieces.

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan and add Urad dal and curry leaves. Add finely chopped onion and green chillies, and a pinch of turmeric powder.
2. Saute until onion turns golden brown.
3. Once cooled, grind hoarsely the above mixture along with cooked horse gram dal with required salt. You can keep aside the extra water from the cooked dal. Make sure that you don't grind it to a paste, which will make the dal sticky.
4. Pour the ground mixture in a pan, and add water as per the required consistency, and cook it in a medium flame for 5 minutes. You can use the water that you kept aside in Step #3.
5. Remove the pan from heat, and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot with rice.

Nov 2010 Onwards

Since Nov 2010 onwards, I started being conscious on the food intake. All credits go to the famous Dr. Manthena.

Till then, though I was not much keen in cooking, later, I have been very alert on what I add as ingredient in my recipes.

At small level, I have tried some variations and alternates from the traditional recipes, that I will add in this blog.

Appreciate your feedback and suggestions.