practical dear chitra, No this is not impractical. I wish to try this since my cousin has runny nose every moment. Mylapore is my back yard, though I live in Bangalore. Thanks for suggesting Singapore Sambrani. Can u suggest brands for Kasturi manjal podi & where I can get it? Also thanks for irupuli method. Can you give tomato ketchup made at house? thanks
Hello Jana ! Dear Jana, Kasthuri manjal is available everywhere - few are Srividya, Dabbachetty etc. Please don't use it in a regular basis - " alavukku meerinaal amirthamum nanju" ! May be once in 3,4 days should be fine. Not very frequently, for sure. I can post the tomato ketchup recipe, no problem. I was making it at home for many years . But now with so many brands available, I am surprised that you prefer to make at home rather than buy ! Also, moong dhal halwa _ I tried today. It does take time & so I made it in microwave. So it was less hassel for me. Please confirm whether you still want to make it - there is no shortcut. You can also try Ashoka halwa given in sweets, which is similar. After hearing from you, I shall post it. Regards, Chithra.
pls get used to me Chitra, Sorry that I am mailing ten mails in a day (first day), pls get used to me. Ketchup- homemade is best and cheap for my very big joint family. Can you post moong dal halwa, it is prestige question for me. Nobody teaches me this. I will make Asoka also by yr method. I am sorry that you had to make moong dal halwa for my sake. I wonder is this not expensive for you, trying a new dish for this forum everyday. I must not keep asking you new dishes. dhanyavaad Jana
Dear Jana ! Hello Jana, First of all, don't feel sorry for many mails. I am ready to answer any no: of queries, so long as I know them ! I did'nt make moong dhal halwa for your sake - I was planning to call on a friend. Since you had asked this, I decided to make it & take it to her house. You solved my problem of deciding what to make ! Please feel free with me, that is what I want. Since I have made ketchup many times, it is easy to post that recipe. Regards, Chithra.
Marunthu Rasam - We call it " aluppu rasam" in our house ! This is ideal to take when one has body pain or is feeling tired. Marunthu Rasa Powder: Kandanthippili - 50 gms Arisithippili - 10 gms Pepper - 3 tsp Jeera - 4 tsp Tur dhal - 4 tsp Gram dhal - 1 tsp Red chillies - 2 Dry ginger - 1’’ Curry leaves - few Heat 1 tsp ghee, roast all ingredients one by one & finally dry curry leaves. Powder everything together. Rasam: Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp Rasam powder - 3-4 tsp. Salt Add ½ cup water & boil together. When it boils, add 3 cups of water & remove when it froths. Temper in 1 tsp ghee with 2 pieces, garlic crushed.
AngaRappodi - yet another delicious podi ! This is different from angayapodi & is used when there is indigestion, diorrhea etc. Ideal to give to nursing mothers, immediately after delivery. Good for those who have stomach ulcers. This should be eaten with rice & ghee & for side dish, use fresh curds, not at all sour. Roasted sundakkai - 1 cup Roasted manathakkali - 1 cup Dry neem flowers - 1 cup Hing - 2 tsp Dry ginger - ½ cup ( crushed) Pepper - 2 tsp Salt Roast the first 3 ingredients, lightly in very little oil , individually, to make them crisp. Remove. In the same kadai, roast the other ingredients one by one. Cool & powder.
Burns & Small wounds - Sarma roga nivarani ! Chop 4, 5 peeled small onions into pieces. Heat 4 tbsp coconut oil in a small kadai. Add the onion pieces & fry till they become brown & crisp. Cool with the oil & preserve in a bottle. Apply for burns, boils, wounds, itching, insect bite etc as a first aid. In tamil it is said “ than kaayam pokka vengayam uthavum”.
Milakaanam - Sooths your stomach after festival heaviness ! Pepper - 1 tsp Jeera - 1 tsp Curry leaves - ½ cup Tamarind paste - 2 tsp ( to taste) Oil -- 2 tsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Hing - ½ tsp Salt. In I tsp oil, fry pepper, jeera & curry leaves. Grind fine with tamarind paste, salt & enough water. Heat 1 tsp oil, temper mustard seeds & add the ground paste with 1 cup of water. When it starts boiling, simmer & cook till thick. Mix with hot rice & serve with roasted appalam.
Andal Patti Powder - the source is Andal Patti who lived in Madurai, long ago ! 15 gms each of: Dry ginger Chitharathai Pepper Jeera Cloves Parangi chakkai Thaaleesha pathri Chiru thekku or gindu bhirangi Dhaniya Kandathippili 10 gms of: Vayu vilangam Naatu sakkarai - ½ kg. Powder all ingredients. Sieve & add Naatu sakkarai as per taste. A pinch taken in the morning twice or thrice a week,is very good for overall health.
Podiarisi Kanji & Chammandhi - Rice gruel & chutney ! This is a very common combination, considered very easily digestible & light on the stoamach as well, to be taken for dinner. Kanji: Podiarisi means broken boiled rice. In Kerala & now in Tamil Nadu we get “ mattarisi” which is pink in colour & is ideally suited for this with a characteristic flavour. Otherwise you can use plain boiled rice. Rice - 1 cup Lightly roasted moong dhal - 1 tbsp salt To temper: Ghee - 2 tsp Jeera - 1 tsp Cook rice-dhal mixture in 5-6 times the volume of water in a pressure cooker till soft. Cool, open, add salt, temper as given & serve hot with any of the following “ chutneys”. You can aso eat the kanji with “ manathakkali vathal” deep fried in ghee. Manga chammandi ( mango chutney): For this fairly sour mango is only suitable. Grated mango - 1 cup Grated coconut - 1 cup Red & green chillies each - 2 ( or either one variety chilli can be used) Salt, hing Curry leaves & coconut oil Grind coconut, mango, chillies, hing & salt to a thick paste, adding minimum water. Add curry leaves smeared with coconut oil. Some prefer to add 4,5 small onions in the “ last round of grinding “ – this is optional. Thenga chutta sammandi ( roasted coconut chutney) Big pieces of coconut,removed from the shell - half a coconut Red chillies - 5,6 ( lightly roasted in ½ tsp oil) Tamarind paste - 2 tsp ( or more to tase) Salt, hing Curry leaves & coconut oil Roast the coconut directly in the flame, holding it with a pair of tongs, till it gives a nice flavour & looks light brown. Grind with roasted red chillies, tamarind, salt & hing. Add curry leaves smeared with coconut oil. This can be made as spicy as you prefer.