MUNTHIRI KOTHU

MUNTHIRI KOTHU

Its a famous authentic snacks of south Tamilnadu......even though we are Chennai based for many years now we like our traditional dishes of  Thirunelveli..... nothing can be compared to those authentic dishes of our native..... One such dish is Munthiri kothu   which means Grapes bunch .... when my mom makes it balls will be seen joined with .... but I have made it separate as I feel this is easy to store and also easy to eat....

MUNTHIRI KOTHU

INGREDIENTS:

Moong dal  [pachaipayiru]                             - 2 cups

Palm Sugar [ Karuppatti ]                             - 1/2 cup

Grated coconut                                              - 1/2 cup

Raw rice flour                                                - 1 cup

Turmeric powder                                           - 1/2 tsp


METHOD:

Dry roast moong dal well. Powder it. 

Add 2 cups of water to the palm sugar or  karuppatti and make syrup till it is dissolved. Cool it.

Mix moong dal powder, coconut and syrup  well.

Make small balls and let it dry for a 5 hrs.

Make batter with rice flour and turmeric powder.

Dip the balls in the batter and deep-fry them.

Cool it and store in air tight container..

Tasty authentic snack with evening tea..........

IDLIS WITH VEG AND NON- VEG STUFFINGS

IDLIS  WITH VEG AND NON- VEG STUFFINGS 

IDLIS  WITH POTATO STUFFING

INGREDIENTS:

Idli batter                           -   2 cups


INGREDIENTS FOR POTATO STUFFING:

Potatoes                             - 3 

Green chillies                      - 2 

Garlic Cloves                      - 3 

Mustard seeds                     - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder                - 1 tsp

Oil                                       - 1 tsp

Salt                                      - to taste

Coriander leaves                 - 2 tsp

METHOD:

Take 2 cups of Idli batter.

For the stuffing cook potatoes  and mash it well.

Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped  garlic, mustard seeds ,chopped chillies ,turmeric powder and mashed potatoes.one by one.

Saute well and let it cool. 

Add the chopped coriander leaves  mix well and set aside.

Grease the Idli plates with little oil .

First pour a tablespoon of the idli batter.

Keep 1  tsp of  stuffing on the batter.

Pour some more batter on the top of stuffing so that it covers the stuffing well. Set it well

Steam the idlis for 10 minutes..

Yummy idlis are ready to taste

Serve hot with any chutney and even chilli sauce.

CHICKEN STUFFED IDLIES 

CHICKEN STUFFED IDLIES 

INGREDIENTS OF CHICKEN STUFFING:


Shredded Chicken               - 1/2 cup 

Onion                                   - 1 

Shredded carrot                   - 3 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste              - 1 tsp

Red chili powder                  - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder                - 1 tsp

Cumin powder                      - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala powder         - 1/2 tsp

Salt                                        - to taste

Coriander leaves                   - 2 tbsp 


METHOD:

Take a frying pan heat oil..

Add the onions and saute till transparent.

Add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell fades away.

Add the red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder and mix well.

Add the shredded chicken and carrot and mix well. Add salt to taste.

Cook for 5mins.Turn off and let it come to room temperature. 

Add coriander leaves and mix well.

Grease the Idli plates with little oil .

First pour a tablespoon of the idli batter.

Keep 1  tsp of  stuffing on the batter.

Pour some more batter on the top of stuffing so that it covers the stuffing well. Set it well

Steam the idlis for 10 minutes..

Yummy Chicken idlis are ready to taste

THIRUNELVELI HALWA

THIRUNELVELI  HALWA

THIRUNELVELI  HALWA

INGREDIENTS:

Wheat                                            - 1 cup 

Sugar                                             - 2 cups

Ghee                                               - 1 1/4 cups

Cashews Nuts                                - 1/4 cup

Cardamom powder                        - 1/2 tsp

Water                                             - 1 1/2 cups

METHOD:

Wash wheat thoroughly in water or until water runs clear.Then soak the wheat in  water for overnight.

Grind the wheat, using the soaked water and filter it and  remove the  husk.

Place this wheat extract  without disturbing it for atleast 3 hrs.

The milk will be separated by now,   thick milk will be settled at the bottom and on top with water. Now carefully discard the water. 

Add sugar  to this thick milk  dissolve it properly. 

Heat a large wide heavy bottomed iron kadai [ use only iron kadai ].

Add  1 cup of  ghee to kadai  and  add wheat milk slowly  to it. 

Keep stirring  constantly and cook it over low-medium heat.

When  halwa starts  bubbling  and the wheat starts thickening.

Add in the balance ghee now. keep stirring, should not leave hand by this stage ...

Add cardamom powder and fried fried nuts.

When halwa consistency is reached the ghee will start oozing out and halwa with leaves the  kadai...

Halwa will be looking glossy and golden brown color.

Cool it to room temperature...

Yummy Thirunelveli halwa is ready to taste... 

KOLLU THUVAYAL

KOLLU THUVAYAL

KOLLU THUVAYAL

INGREDIENTS:

Horse Gram                                - 1/4 cup

Shallot                                         - 5

Garlic                                          - 2 cloves

Coriander Seeds                         - 1 tbsp

Red Chillies                                - 3

Mustard Seeds                           - 1/2 tsp

Urad dal                                     - 1/2 tsp

Curry Leaves                              - a few

Gingelly oil                                  - 2 tsp

Salt                                             - to taste


METHOD:

Wash and soak Horse Gram for an hour, pressure cook the dhal with 2 cups of Water until soft and mushy. drain water left in it save the Water.

Add the coriander seeds,dry red chillies roast it well

Add shallot and garlic flakes and roast for a while.

When shallot turns golden brown remove from heat.Let it cool 

First grind the roasted items well then ..

Add  Horse Gram and salt to it and grind
coarsely  blender without adding water.

Take a pan add 1 tsp oil,add mustard seeds,urad dal when splutter add  curry leaves.

Add it to  grounded chutney mix it well.

KOLLU RASAM OR HORSE GRAM RASAM

 KOLLU RASAM OR  HORSE GRAM RASAM 

Kollu Rasam

INGREDIENTS:

Horse gram                               - 1/2 cup

Water                                         - 2 cups

Garlic                                        - 3 cloves

Pepper                                       - 1 tsp

Tamarind Pulp                         - 4 tbsp

Tomatoes                                  - 2

Turmeric powder                      - 1/2 tsp

Black gram                               - 1/4 tsp

Red chilies                                - 2 

Mustard seeds                          - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds                             - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida                                - 1/4 tsp

Oil                                            - 1 tsp

Salt                                           - to taste

Curry leaves                              - 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves                       - to garnish

METHOD:

Horse gram takes more time to cook than other lentils..

Soak horse gram over night ..Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook it for 4 whistles. 

Drain the  water keep aside...

Keep the cooked horse gram  separately so that we can use it for making Sundal... 

Crush the garlic, cumin seeds and black pepper nicely and keep aside..

Soak the tamarind with extract thick pulp.. 

Take a frying pan  add the oil for tempering and when hot..

Add the black gram, mustard seeds,cumin seeds, crushed red chilies when splutters add asafoetida and curry leaves.

To this add the crushed the garlic, cumin and pepper and saute well. 

Add the chopped tomatoes and saute well.Till they turn mushy...

Add the tamarind pulp, turmeric powder and  salt 

Add drained  water of cooked horse gram  to it ..

Garnish with coriander leaves. 

Other Version of Kollu rasam is the same method of doing tomato rasam with RASAM PODI , can use cooked kolllu water for ordinary water....

KOLLU SUNDAL

kollu sundal

For seasoning:

Mustard Seeds                             - 1 tsp

Urad dhal                                     - 1 tsp

Hing                                             - 1/2 tsp

Red chilly                                     - 1 

Oil                                                - 2 tsp

Grated coconut                            - 3 tbsp

Salt                                               - to taste

Curry leaves                                 - 1 tbsp

METHOD:

Take a frying pan and add oil. When hot..

Add mustard seeds, urad dhal, hing powder. when mustard seeds splutter,add red chilly. when splutters add curry leaves.

Add cooked horsegram [kollu] and mix well

Now add salt and mix well.

Add the grated coconut.

Reduce the heat and mix well..

Kollu Sundal is ready to taste...

SECOND METHOD FOR KOLLU SUNDAL:

You can all avoid grated coconut if you are health cautious ..

Instead you can add a chopped onion and a chopped tomato and garnish with Coriander leaves ..

This method will also be Yummy and I prefer the second instead of ordinary sundal. 

DAL MAKHANI

DAL MAKHANI

Dal Makhani

INGREDIENTS:

Black urad dal                               -  1 cup 

Onion                                            - 2 

Tomato                                           - 2 

Butter                                             - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder                           - 1/2 tsp 

Coriander powder                          - 1 tbsp 

Chilly powder                                 - 1 tbsp 

Fresh cream                                   -  2 tbsp 

Milk                                                - 3/4  cup 

Cashew paste                                 - 2 tbsp

Oil                                                  - 1 tbsp 

Ginger garlic green chilly paste    - 1 tbsp 

Bay leaf                                          - 1 

Cinnamon stick                              - 1 inch piece

Cloves                                             - 3 

Coriander leaves                            - to garnish

Salt                                                 - to taste

Method:

Soak the black lentil  pressure cook  till dals are mushy,open and smash it well. Keep aside.

Strain the water from cooked urad dal as  it is used for the gravy.

Take a frying pan add  butter and  oil when hot.

Add  bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves,saute for a minute.

Add the chopped onion and saute till it golden brown.

Then add the ginger garlic green chilly paste.saute till raw smell fades off.

add the chopped tomato and saute for a minute.

Add the coriander powder, chilly powder and turmeric powder saute well.

Then add the saved  dal water and  boil till all the raw smell fades , 

Add the cooked black urad dhal and mix well , 


Then add the cream and cashew paste mix well ..

Add salt to taste..

Then add the  milk to required consistency.

Garnish with coriander leaves.. Goes well with Roti and Rice

SCHEZWAN FRIED RICE

SCHEZWAN FRIED RICE

INGREDIENTS: 

Cooked Basmati Rice                - 2 cups 

Onion                                         - 1

Sliced cabbage                           - 50 gms 

Carrot                                         - 50 gms 

Capsicum                                   - 50 gms 

Potato                                         - 50 gms 

Spring onions                             - 4 tbsp

Schezwan sauce                         - 2 tbs 

Tomato sauce                             - 1 tsp

Soy sauce                                   - 2 tsp 

Sesame oil                                  - 2 tsp

Aji-no-motto                               - 1/4 tsp

Salt                      - to taste

METHOD:

Cut the carrot,cabbage,capsicum,potato and onion lengthwise

Take a chinese wok or a frying pan.. 

Add chinese sesame oil. when hot..

Add the sliced onions, saute well.

Add in the sliced cabbage,carrot,capsicum, potatoes and stir fry in high flame.

Add in the 2 tbs of the schezwan sauce and salt.

When the vegetables are 3/4th done, lower the flame.

Add in the cooked rice and mix it up gently.

Add in the agi-no-motto,soy sauce.

If you need add salt to your taste.

Remove and garnish with the cut spring onion.

Serve hot.