Homemade Rasam Powder/Rasam Podi

Indian basics is the theme for the second week of Blogging Marathon#18 and today's recipe is rasam powder.
Rasam is a very comforting food and it is made on almost everyday in most of the South Indian families for lunch or dinner menu.
We make rasam everyday and without rasam our meal won't be complete and satisfied.I always keep the rasam powder in my pantry to make the rasam in a jiffy.
Each family has their own signature recipe to make the rasam powder and rasam,this is my mom's recipe.Now on to the recipe.......

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Toor dhal/thuvaram paruppu	1/2cup
Coriander seeds/varakothamalli	1/2cup
Red chilly/varamilagai	10nos.
Cumin seeds/jeeragam	3/4cup
Black pepper/milagu	3/4cup
Curry leaves/karivepillai	4-5sprigs

Method

• Sun dry all the ingredients separately for 2 hours or dry roast all the ingredients separately without changing the color.
• Powder the toor dhal,red chillies,coriander seeds in a blender to a coarse then add the cumin seeds and pepper to it.Grind it till it becomes grainy.

Store it in a air tight container.

• Do not grind it to a very fine powder,it should be grainy.
• First grind the dhal,coriander seeds and red chillies,after adding the cumin seeds and pepper pulse it.
• While roasting the ingredients make sure it doesn't change the color it should get warm for easy grinding.
• Instead of roasting or sun drying it can be kept in the microwave for 2 minutes to get crisp.
• This powder can be stored in room temperature for a month and in the freezer for 6 months.
• To maintain the freshness and flavor store it in an air tight container or a zip-lock bag.

Simple Rasam using the homemade Rasam powder

                   
This is a very simple rasam which can be made in no time without using any cooked and mashed dhal as the powder has dhal.I make this rasam when I am in a hurry or want to have a comforting dinner.This rasam tastes good with rice along with some potato fry or raw banana fry or some pickle and chutney.

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Tomato	1no.(medium size)
Tamarind paste	11/2tsp(diluted with 11/2cups of water)
Rasam powder	2tsp
Garlic/poondu	2 cloves(crushed)
Red chilly(broken)	1no.
Curry leaves/karivepillai	1sprig
Coriander leaves	as needed
Mustard seeds/kadugu	1/2tsp
Asafoetida/perungayam	a pinch
Turmeric powder/manjal podi	1/8tsp
Salt	to taste
Oil	1tsp

Method

• Chop the tomatoes to fine pieces and in a bowl take the tamarind water,add the chopped tomato.
• Add in salt,rasam powder,crushed garlic,coriander leaves and mix it well.
• Heat a pan with oil and do the tempering with mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds,add a pinch of asafoetida,turmeric powder,broken red chilly and curry leaves.Then add the prepared tamarind water to it and cook it for one boil.
• Transfer it to a bowl,add coriander leaves and close it with the lid.
• Simple rasam is ready to serve.

• Do not cook the rasam for a long time,it will change the taste.
• Here I used the store bought tamarind paste,if you are using the tamarind a big gooseberry size can be used for the given measurement.

Check out blogger friends running in  Blogging Marathon#18.
Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com

Mixed Bean and Dhal Adai

Adai is a traditional breakfast  which is served along with coconut chutney or avial in South India.The original recipe of adai is with dhal and rice and you can check the recipe here.
But to make it more healthier and protein packed I made the adai with mixed bean and dhal,it came out super soft,delicious.This adai can be made with the 16 bean soup mix and we enjoyed it with coconut chutney and spicy tomato chutney.Now to the recipe................

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Chick peas/kodakadalai	2tbs
Kidney beans/rajma	2tbs
Green peas/Pacchai pattani	2tbs
Black eye beans/vella karamani	2tbs
Red chori/karamani	2tbs
Mung beans/paasipayaru	2tbs
Black chick peas/karuppu kadalai	2tbs
Soya beans	2tbs
Channa dhal/kadala paruppu	1/4cup
Toor dhal/thuvaram paruppu	1/4cup
Moong dhal/paasiparuppu	1/4cup
Urad dhal/ullutham paruppu	1/4cup
Split yellow peas/pattani paruppu	1/4cup
Raw rice/paccaharisi	3cups
Red chilly/varamilagai	15nos.
Fennel seeds	1tbs
Asfoetida/perungayam	2 pinch
Ginger/inji	1 inch piece
Garlic/poondu	4-5cloves
Onion(finely chopped)	3nos.
Carrot(grated)	1no.
Curry leaves/karivepillai	4sprigs
Coriader leaves(finely chopped)	3tbs
Mustard seeds/kadugu	1tsp
Salt	to taste
Oil	to cook

Method 

                          Soak the beans for 8 hours or over night,soak the rice and dhal separately for 3 hours.Grind the beans and dhal to a coarse paste.

Grind the rice coarsely along with fennel seeds,red chillies,garlic and ginger.Mix both of them in a big bowl and add salt.

Heat a pan with 2tsp of oil and crackle the mustard seeds add the asafoetida,chopped onion,coriander leaves,curry leaves and grated carrot.Saute it till transparent.

Add it to the ground mixture,mix it well.Heat the griddle and once it becomes hot pour a big ladleful of batter,spread it.Drizzle a tsp of oil and cook it in a medium flame.

Flip it to the other side and cook it till it gets golden,transfer it to a plate.

Serve it with coconut chutney.

Enjoy.....................................

• Soak the beans atleast for 8 hours otherwise it won't grind properly.
• To make it more healthier instead of white rice brown rice can be used.
• If your are using the 16 beans soup mix,use 1 cup of beans for the given measurement.

Linking to Show me your HITS event  happenings in my space started by Sangeetha of Spicy Treats.

Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com

Aloo Gobi/Cauliflower and Potato Curry

For the final day of blogging marathon #18 under the theme dry vegetable sautes,I made aloo gobi.
Whenever feel bored with the regular potato curry,I make this curry for both roti and rice along with some green peas as my boy is fond of green peas.Here is the recipe for the flavorful curry............

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Cauliflower	1no.(medium size)
Potato	2nos.(medium size)
Green peas(optional)	1/4cup
Onion(finely chopped)	2nos.
Tomato(finely chopped)	1no.(medium size)
Ginger&garlic paste	1tbs
Chilly powder/milgai podi	11/2tsp
Coriander powder	2tsp
Garam masala powder	1/2tsp
Turmeric powder/manjal podi	1/4tsp
Kasoori methi	1tsp
Cumin seeds/jeergam	1/2tsp
Coriander leaves(finely chopped)	to garnish
Salt	to taste
Oil	11/2tbs

Method 

                               Cut the cauliflower into bite size florets and cook it in the boiled water for a minute along with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder.Drain the water and keep aside.Cube the potatoes to chunks and put in the water to prevent the color change.

Heat a pan with oil and crackle the cumin seeds and saute the onion till transparent with a pinch of salt.Then add the ginger&garlic paste and fry it for a minute till the raw smell disappears.

Now add the green peas,cubed potatoes and tomato and mix it well till the seasonings coated well.Add the chilly powder,coriander powder,salt and give it a mix till everything blends well.

Sprinkle 1-2tbs of water and cook it covered in a medium flame for 2-3 minutes.Now add the cauliflower florets and mix it gently and cook it covered for 10 minutes in a medium flame or till it gets cooked.Stir in between atleast couple of times to prevent burning.

Add the kasoori methi,garam masala powder and chopped coriander leaves and mix it well.Keep it uncovered in a medium flame for a minute or two.

Aloo gobi is ready.Serve it with roti or rice.

Enjoy.....................................

• Do not cook the cauliflower in the boiling water for more than a minute or two otherwise it will turn out mushy.
• Adding the green peas is optional and instead of kasoori methi,a fistful fresh methi leaves can also be added along with the potatoes.

Check out blogger buddies participate in Blogging Marathon#18.
Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com

Kathirikkai Podi Curry/Eggplant Curry with Freshly ground spice powder

Today's recipe is a flavorful eggplant curry which I make it often with freshly ground masala powder.This curry is served an accompaniment for sambhar rice,rasam rice,dhal  and curd rice or rotis.
It can also me made with sambhar powder in a hurry but the freshly ground masala is an added flavor.We enjoyed this curry for our lunch along with spinach sambhar.Now off to the recipe....................

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Small round eggplants/kathirikkai	10nos.
Onion	1no.(medium size)
Curry leaves	1sprig
Oil	2tbs
Turmeric powder/manjal podi	1/2tsp
Salt	as needed

To roast and grind 

Ingredient	Quantity
Red Chilly/varamilagai	4-5nos.
Coriander seeds/varakothamalli	2tsp
Channa dhal/kadala paruppu	2tsp
Peanuts/verkadalai	1tbs
Sesame seeds/vellai ellu	1tsp

For the tempering 

Ingredient	Quantity
Mustard seeds/kadugu	1/2tsp
Urad dhal	1tsp
Channa dhal	11/2tsp
Asafoetida/perungayam	a pinch

Method

               Dry roast the ingredients except sesame seeds in a medium flame till the aroma comes out and the dhal turns out golden.Now add the sesame seeds,turn off the flame and roast it.Cool and grind it in a blender to bit coarse powder.Slice the eggplants lengthwise into 4 or 6 pieces depending on the size and put it in water to prevent browning.keep aside.

Heat a pan with oil and add the mustard seeds,once it crackle add the urad dhal and channa dhal and fry it till golden.Now add the asafoetida and saute the chopped onion with curry leaves to transparent.

Add the sliced eggplants,turmeric powder and toss it well till everything gets blend,add the salt and mix it well and cook it covered in a medium flame for 5 minutes.

Once the eggplants get cooked add the ground spice powder and mix it well.Keep it uncovered in a low flame for 2-3 minutes.

Podi curry is ready,serve it rice or roti.

• Do not cook the eggplants for a long time otherwise it will turn mushy and no need to add water for cooking the eggplants.That also make the curry mushy.
• After adding the spice powder,if the curry is too dry the add 2tsp of oil and cook it.
• Adding the onion is also purely optional and this curry can be made without onion also.
• A tbs of fresh grated coconut can be added along with the spice powder for an extra flavor and taste.

Check out my fellow bloggers who are running in Blogging Marathon#18.
Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com

Beans Masala Curry(Dry Version)

Another session of blogging marathon has started and for this session I chose the dry vegetable sautee as theme. Today's recipe is a simple and interesting curry with beans which goes very well with rice and roti. We like to have this one as an accompaniment for rasam rice or any variety rice.
Here beans is available in a big pack in the farmers market and cannot consume it in a day.Whenever I buy beans make poriyal for a day and the remaining beans will be used for some variety rice and this dry curry.Now to the recipe.................

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Beans	1/2lb
Onion(finely chopped	1no.(medium size)
Curry leaves/karivepillai	1sprig
Oil	1tbs
Salt	a pinch

To grind 

Ingredient	Quantity
Coconut(grated)	3tbs
Tomato	1no.(small size_
Red chilly/varamilagai	5-6nos.
Coriander powder/dhania podi	2tsp
Fennel seeds/sombhu	1tsp
Ginger/inji	1/2inch piece
Garlic/poondu	2-3 cloves
Cloves/lavangam	2nos.
Cinnamon	1/2inch piece
Poppy seeds/kasakasaa	1/2tsp(optional)

Method 

                          Cut the beans diagonally to 1 inch piece and cook in the microwave for 3-4 minutes with little water,a pinch of salt.Grind the given ingredients to a fine paste with water.keep aside.
Start by heating a pan with oil and add the chopped onion,curry leaves.Saute it till transparent.Now add the ground paste and saute it till the raw smell disappears.

Rinse the mixie jar with 1/4cup of water and add it.Add the salt and let it boil for a minute.Then add the cooked the beans and mix it well.

Simmer it and keep it for 5 minutes or  till everything gets blended well and becomes dry.Finally add the coriander leaves and put off the stove.

Yummy yummy beans masala curry is ready.

Enjoy......................................................

• Cooking the beans in the microwave reduces the entire cooking time,otherwise it needs to be added after the onion is done.After the beans cooked add the ground paste.
• Adding the tomato is optional but gives a nice and tangy taste to the curry.

Check out my fellow bloggers participate in Blogging Marathon#18.
Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com

Show Me Your Hits-Legumes and Lentils Event Announcement

Hello friends I am happy to announce that I am hosting Sangeetha's Show Me Your Hits event for the month of July which starts from today and ends in 31st July.I am so much thankful to Sangeetha for giving me this wonderful opportunity.

I chose the legumes and lentils for the HITS as a theme,legumes are class of vegetables that includes beans and peas.Lentils are the whole form of dals like whole masoor which are rich in fiber, protein.

Legumes are typically low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are high in folate, potassium, iron and magnesium. They also contain beneficial fats and soluble and insoluble fiber. A good source of protein, legumes can be a healthy substitute for meat.

Please send in your entries with legumes and lentils and make the event successful.

Some of the common legumes are

• Adzuki beans/Red chori/Thattapayaru
• Black beans
• Black eye beans
• Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans/Channa
• Cranberry beans
• Cow peas/Vellakaramani/Alasanda
• Fava beans
• Green peas
• Lima beans
• Moth beans
• Mung beans
• Pinto beans
• Pink beans
• Red Kidney beans or Rajma

Lentils include

• Whole Massor
• Black lentil/whole black urad 
• Split Yellow peas

Here are the rules to participate in the event

1. Cook any course of recipe from any cuisine but vegetarian dishes only. Eggs are also included both in baking n as a recipe.
2.  But the recipe should be made with any lentils or legumes or combo.
3. Deep fried entries are not accepted.
4. Use of logo is appreciated as it helps spread the word.
5. All the entries should be Linked to my HITS announcement page and my announcement is mandatory.
6. Only 2 Archived entries are accepted as long as they are linked with both announcements.
7. Multiple New Entries are accepted. 
8. Event runs from July 1st-July 31st.
9. Link your recipes to the linky tool.
 

Looking forward for your wonderful recipes.
Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com