Karasevai ( S I ganthiyas) - a delicios snack with tea! Besan - 2 ½ cups Rice flour - 1 cup Ghee - 1 tbsp Soda - 2 pinches Salt Oil - to deep fry Grind fine with water: Red chillies - 6 Pepper - 1 tsp Garlic - 7, 8 flakes ( optional) Sieve both flours together. In a big plate cream ghee & soda very well till the paste looks white. To this add flours & salt. Strain the chilli paste & add, mixing everything well. Add enough water to get a soft dough. Heat oil & keep the ‘ karasev jalli karandi” ( a special holed ladle used for this) above the oil. Rub the dough on it so that long strands will fall into the oil. Fry well & remove to a kitchen tissue. Wash the “ jalli karandi” ( ladle) with water every time after use, so that the rubbing will be easy.
Matri - Looks tricky to make, but is very easy ! Maida - 1 ½ cups Salt - 1 tsp Haldi - ½ tsp Hing - ½ tsp Onion seeds ( kalonji) - ½ tsp Kasuri methi leaves - ½ tsp ( crush with hand) Sieve maida, add all dry ingrdients. Add water gradually & knead to chappathi dough consistency. Make small balls & roll thin. Cut into 2 “ squares. Mark slits in the centre, pinch edges together & deep fry in hot oil. Onion seeds & kasuri methi give it a characteristic, nice flavour. [
Kalikindina dosai & Easy kuzambu. This is a very old fashioned recipe of Kerala. This is also called " koozu kachina dosai" This easy kuzambu, though given with this dosai, can be made for any tiffin & is a " jiffy" kuzambu. Boiled rice - ½ cup Raw rice - ½ cup Grated coconut - 2 tsp ( optional) Salt. Soak both rice together & grind vey fine adding coconut & little salt. Take 1 tbsp of the paste, mix with 1 cup of water & cook stirring to prevent lump formation, to get a porridge. This is called “ kali”. Cool it thoroughly & mix with the remaining batter. Pour this also like rava dosai – do not spread from the centre as we do normally for dosais. When the tava is hot, take in a small cup & pour from around in a circular fashion, till you reach the centre. Very little oil is enough. Cover & cook. Also do not turn over, fold & serve. Easy Kuzambu: Tamarind paste - 2 tsp Tomatoes - 3 – chop Sambar powder - 2 tsp ( or to taste) Salt, haldi To temper: Oil - 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Urad dhal - 1 tsp Red chillies - 2,3 Pepper - ½ tsp Saunf - ½ tsp Methi seeds - ½ tsp Small onions - 7,8 ( chopped) Curry leaves - few Mix tamarind paste, chopped tomatoes, sambar powder, salt & haldi in 2 cups of water & keep ready. Heat oil, add tempering ingredients as given & fry well. Add the tamarind mixture, boil & remove.
Vegetarian Kothu Parota - ideal for left over parotas ! This can also be called chappathi fry, but is made with layered parotas which are now available, frozen in packs. Ofcourse, left over chappathis & parotas can be used as well. Parotas - 4 Oil + ghee - 3 tbsp Onions - 2 – slice long & thin Cabbage – shredded long and fine – 1 cup Tomatoes - 2 – cut long &thin Red chilli powder - 2 tsp Dhaniya powder - 1 tsp Salt, haldi Coriander leaves, chopped - 2 tbsp Tear cooked parotas into irregular size pieces. Heat oil + ghee, add onions. Fry till transparent & then add tomato ,and cabbage Add all dry ingredients & fry for a while. Add parota pieces & mix thoroughly. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves & serve hot.
Clusterbeans Cutlet - not very common ! Select tender cluster beans, wash & cut the tips at both ends. String on both sides & chop into small pieces. Clusterbeans - 250 gms Methi seeds - ½ tsp Potatoes - 2 medium, boiled, peeled & mashed Bread slices - 2 – soaked in water for 2,3 secs & squeezed Salt Breadcrumbs - to roll Oil - 2 tbsp Grind to a thick paste: Haldi - 1 tsp Dhaniya powder – 4 tsp Chilli powder - 1 tsp Onion - 1 Garlic cloves - 6 Ginger - 1” String, chop & then cook clusterbeans in water. Drain very well & keep aside. Grind paste & keep ready. Heat oil, add methi seeds & add masala paste. Cook till oil starts separating. Now add boiled cluster beans & mix well in masala paste. Cook for 10 mts. Take out the mixture & grind it. Add mashed potato & squeezed bread. Knead well & form into cutlets. Roll in breadcrumbs & shallow fry.
Seeraalam - a very old fashioned dish. For SBS photos,please go to http://www.indusladies.com/forums/968325-post8.html Normally idli upma is made by using crumbled idlis, sauted with onions, green chiliies & ginger. This is a more traditional recipe. Cold ( preferably refrigerated) idlis - 6 Coconut - 4 tsp Salt - a pinch, if necessary To Temper: Oil - 2 tbsp ( not less, can be a little more) Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Urad dhal - 2 tsp Gram dhal - 2 tsp Red chillies - 2, 3 Green chillies - 1, 2 Jeera - ½ tsp Curry leaves - few Soak urad dhal & gram dhal in water for 30 mts & drain very well. Cut idlis into tiny cubes ( do not crumble). Heat oil in a kadai. Temper, red chillies, mustard seeds, both dhals & fry till dhals turn brown. Add jeera, slit green chillies, curry leaves & fry a little. Add coconut, fry lightly & add cubed idlis. If at all necessary, sprinkle very little salt. Simmer for 2, 3 mts, mix thoroughly & serve. If you add very little oil, the dish is lightly to stick to the kadai.
ArisiUpma - It still has a place in our favourites' list ! Raw rice - 1 cup Tur dhal - 3 tsp Gram dhal - 3 tsp Urad dhal - 2 tsp Grated coconut - ½ cup Salt To temper: Oil - 3-4 tbsp ( slightly more, gives a better texture & taste) Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Urad dhal - 2 tsp Red chillies - 4, 5 Pepper-jeera coarsely powdered - 1 tsp Hing - ½ tsp Curry leaves - few To prepare upma kurunai ( broken rava) at home: Mix the 3 dhals & grind in the mixi in low speed for a mte. Remove, add rice & grind in low speed till it crumbles completely & fairly well. Now add back the dhals & give one run again for proper mixing. If you have 1 cup of this, 2 cups of water will be required. This again depends on the quality of rice & hence keep some boiled water ready, to add on, if necessary for thorough cooking. This used to be traditionally prepared in a heavy vessel called “ vengala panai “ in olden days. Now any heavy saucepan or kadai or pressurepan can be used. Heat oil in the vessel & temper all given ingredients. Finally add the mix & roast lightly just to coat it with oil completely. Now lower the flame, add boiling water ( beware of splashing !) & salt. Add coconut, simmer & keep covered. Keep the flame as low as your settings will allow. It gets cooked in about 15 mts. Top with 2 tsp ghee for a nice flavour & rest for 10 mts, before serving. Serve with any gotsu ( preferably with brinjal.) Second recipe: Grind in the mixi 1 cup raw rice+1 tbsp tur dhal +2 tsp pepper (only). Proceed as above. There is no red chilli even in the tempering & this has a predominant pepper flavour.
Samosa - Always in popular demand. Outer Covering: Maida - 1 cup Salt - ½ tsp Oil - 1 tbsp Warm water to knead Sieve maida with salt. Add oil & knead first to breadcrumb consistency. Add warm water gradually to get a soft dough. Rest for 15-20 mts under a damp towel. Filling: Potatoes - 4 – peel & chop into small cubes Peas - 2 tbsp Salt, haldi Chopped green chillies -- 2 Red chilli powder - 1 tsp Dhaniya powder - 1 tsp Garam masala powder - ½ tsp Amchur - 1 tsp Hing - ½ tsp Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp Oil - 1 tbsp Whole dhaniya seeds - 1 tsp Jeera - ½ tsp Steam potatoes & peas. Heat oil temper whole dhaniya seeds & jeera. Now add chopped green chillies, steamed vegetables & all masala powders with salt. Saute on a low fire till dry. Add chopped coriander leaves. Making & frying samosas: Mix 2 tsp maida with water to get a creamy paste to stick. Make lemon size balls from the dough. Take a ball & roll into a chappathi not less than 5” diameter. This will determine the size of the samosa. Cut into 2 along the diameter. Take one & fold as shown in the photo. Imagine a centre line- one side curve should fall on the centre line – then apply lttle mada paste on the other curve & paste it over the first. Now you will get a cone, hold it in your hand & stuff with just enough filling. Stick the top with little maida paste. Heat oil in a kadai. When fairly hot, add not more than 3 samosas at a time & lower the flame. Fry on a low flame, turning frequently, till bubbles subside completely. This will take atleast 7-8 mts. This is very important to get crisp samosas. Serve with tomato ketchup. You can refrigerate the samosas & fry when you need them.
Kuzhi Paniyaram - my family's favourite, on my b'day ! For SBS photos,please go to Kuzhi Paniyaram (1) Kuzhi Paniyaram (2) Boiled rice - 1 cup Raw rice - 1 cup Urad dhal - ¼ cup Methi seeds - 2 tsp Salt Oil - to shallow fry To temper: Oil - 2 tsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Urad dhal - 2 tsp Finely chopped onions - ½ cup ( or more) Green chillies, finely chopped - 5,6 Grated coconut - 2 tbsp ( optional) Wash & soak rices, dhal & methi seeds together for 6 hrs. Grind fine adding salt & water. Allow to ferment for 10-12 hrs. Temper the given ingredients & mix well. Keep it in dosa batter consistency. Drop small amounts in appakaral & shallow fry. Serve with onion – tomato chutney. Big onion- tomato: OnHeat oil & fry 7,8 red chillies, 4 big onions chopped, when transparent, add 3 chopped tomatoes & fry till done. Cool, add 1 tsp tamarind paste & grind in mixie with salt. . Heat oil temper mustard seeds, hing & curry leaves, add paste & fry till done.
Masala Poli - Ideal for Sunday Samayal, serve it hot ! This is increasingly becoming a popular dish in Chennai. Outer covering: Maida - 1 cup Salt - a pinch Saffron or lemon colour - few drops Oil - sufficient to keep the dough immersed. Masala filling: Potato - 1 big Finely minced cabbage - 2 tbsp Finely grated carrot - 2 tbsp Green chillies, finely minced - 7,8 ( to taste) Coriander leaves, finely minced - 2 tbsp ( can use half & half of coriander & pudina) Red chilli powder - 1 tsp ( optional, depending on how spicy, you want it ) Salt Oil - 2 tsp Salt Outer cover; Add salt & colour to sieved maida. Add water & knead to a soft dough. Pour oil over it to completely soak & leave for 2 hrs. Filling: Boil, peel & mash potato. Heat oil & add minced green chillies & minced leaves. Fry for 1 mte & then add mashed potato, grated cabbage & grated carrot. Add chilli powder,salt & saute well. Cool & use as filling. Making poli: Take a small lemon size dough from the oiled & soaked dough. Spread it to a small puri. Keep a lemon size filling inside. Draw to the centre, dough from all around the edges. Now using a rolling pin, roll it uniformly thick to about 6” diameter. Put it on a hot tava. When the underside is lightly cooked, turn it over. Now again turn over, dribble 1 tsp oil over the first side. Then cook the other side also, without pouring any more oil. Remove when both sides are cooked & serve hot. Note: Plain potato can be used without cabbage or carrot. Either coriander leaves or pudina leaves completely can be used.