HOME MADE BHEL PURI | EVENING SNACK | CHAAT ITEM | STREET FOOD

Bhel puri is a typical Indian street food made using puffed rice, cooked groundnuts, channa dals, fresh veggies. We can innovate more varieties in preparing this chaat, using some sauces and masala powders as a base with puffed rice.

BHEL PURI using Veggies

INGREDIENTS:-

Puffed rice - 2 cups

Grated Carrot - 2 tbsp

Cooked and smashed Potatoes - 2 tbsp

Finely chopped Onion - 1 to 2 tbsp

Fine Chopped Tomatoes, deseeded - 1 tbsp

Chaat masala powder - 1 tsp

Red chilly powder - 1/4 tsp

Pizza sauce - 1/4 tsp (optional)

Green Sauce - 4 tsp

Sweet Sauce - 3 tsp (or as per taste)

Finely chopped coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp

Rock salt - as per taste

Fine Sev - 2 tsp (optional)

   

METHOD:-

Set all the ingredients ready. Add all the ingredients mentioned above in the order.

 Finally add sev and garnish with Coirander leaves.

BHEL PURI using Pomegranate seeds, cooked groundnuts, masala powders and sauces.

TOMATO TIFFIN SAMBHAR without Toor Dal | SIDE DISH FOR IDLY, DOSA, CHAPPATHI & UPMA

This is one of the favourites during my college days. In our hostel, they serve this side dish for Broken Wheat Upma on Thursdays as Morning Breakfast. For night dinner, they serve us Tomato Rice with Kovaikai fry along with white rice, rasam & buttermilk. It did really tasted awesome. I never skip these varieties.

TOMATO TIFFIN SAMBHAR

INGREDIENTS:-

Medium-sized tomatoes, finely chopped - 3 nos.

Pizza Sauce - 1 tbsp

Salt - as required

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Roasted Gram dal - 1 tbsp

Black pepper - 8 nos.

Water - as required

Cooking Oil/ Gingelly Oil - 1 tbsp

FOR TAMPERING:-

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 leaflet

Finely chopped Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

METHOD:-

Heat Oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Then add cumin seeds, curry leaves,  asafoetida & half of the coriander leaves. Fry it.

Add tomatoes and required salt. Cover with lid and cook for 5 minutes in sim to medium flame. The water content in tomatoes oozes. 

Add pizza sauce, turmeric powder & mix well. Cover with lid and cook till the oil separates from the mixutre.

Add water to it ( I added 1.25 cups of water). Allow it to boil for 5 minutes. 

In a mixer jar, add black pepper and roasted gram dal. Make a fine powder. Add 1/4 cup of water and grind. Add this paste to Sambhar and allow it to boil till it becomes a mild thick consistency.

Tasty Tiffin sambhar without cooked dal  is ready... Garnish with the remaining coriander leaves.

Tastes better with Idly, Chappathi, Dosa, Broken Wheat Upma.

See also for
Broken Wheat Upma / Godhumai Rava Upma
Siru Thaniya Dosai / Millets Dosa

HOME MADE SPICY SAUCE | GREEN SAUCE | NO PRESERVATIVES

HOME MADE SPICY SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:-
Curry leaves - a handful
Coriander leaves - a handful
Mint leaves - a handful
Chilly flakes - 1 tsp or Green Chilly - 1 or 2 numbers
Salt - as required

METHOD:-
Clean all the leaves and add them to the mixie jar. Add the remaining ingredients and grind to a fine paste.

 
Restore it in a bowl for future use. Refrigerate it for 3 to 4 days.

HOME MADE PIZZA SAUCE | NO PRESERVATIVES | NO VINEGAR

PIZZA SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:-
Medium-sized Tomato - 4 nos
Small Onion/shallots - 4 nos
Dried Red Chilly - 6 nos
Garlic - 8
Salt - as required

METHOD:-
In a mixer jar, add Onion shallots/ small onion, red chilly, garlic and salt. Make a fine paste by adding little water. Then add roughly chopped tomato to the paste and make a fine paste.

TYPE 1:-
For tampering:-
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 leaftlet
Gingelly oil - 2 tbsp

TYPE 2:-
For tampering:-
Cooking Oil - 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 2 tsp ( or as per taste)
Dry Ginger Powder or Ginger juvenile - 1/4 tsp

We can tamper the ground mixture in any of the above types.

In the case of TYPE 1, 

First heat gingelly oil to the kadai, then add mustard seeds, allow it to splutter.; then add urad dal, fry it till it changes its colour; then add curry leaves and asafoetida. Now add the tomato-garlic paste to it. Mix well.  Cook till the oil oozes from the paste. Check for salt. 

In the case of TYPE 2,

Heat Cooking oil in a kadai, add the cumin seeds and allow it to splutter, lower the flame and add the red chilly powder and dry ginger powder. (avoid burning of the powders). Add the tomato-garlic paste to the tampering. Mix well. Cook till the oil oozes from the paste. Check for salt. 


                      Once it is done, we can restore it in airtight container and refrigerate it for  a week . We can use this sauce for Chappati Roll, Bread Sandwich, Chilly cheese toast, Pizza etc.

See also for:
Onion-Tomato Chutney
Onion-Coconut Chutney
Red Chutney

SWEET SAUCE | SWEET KETCHUP | SWEET CHUTNEY

SWEET SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:-
Tamarind - 30 gms
Dates - 50 gms
Jaggery Powder - 50gms
Dry ginger powder - 1/4 tsp
Red Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - a pinch
Water - as required

METHOD:-
In two bowls add Dates and Tamarind separately. Heat water in a pan and add to the level of tamarind and dates. Allow it to rest for 15  minutes.

Prepare tamarind syrup, by removing impurities. In a mixer jar, add the blanched dates, Jaggery powder, salt, and red chilly powder. Grind to a fine paste by adding little water. Remove the contents and add it to a pan.

Add the tamarind syrup to the above pan, add water for consistency and heat it in low flame for 10 to 15 minutes ( or till the raw smell of the tamarind goes off). Check for taste. If sweetness required, add jaggery powder. 

Allow it to cool. Filter it and store it in a container.

The sweet sauce is ready.

WALNUT COOKIES

Walnuts contain important phytochemicals as well as high amounts of polyunsaturated fats which do offer potential benefits for both brain health and brain function. Omega-3 plays a part by helping to reduce oxidative stress in the brain, but also by helping to improve brain signalling and neurogenesis, which is the creation of neurons.

WALNUT COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:-

Whole Walnuts - 50 gms
Wheat flour - 50 gms
Sugar - 50 gms
Salt - a pinch
Fruit Salt - 1/8tsp
Ghee - 3 tsp
Warm Milk - 3 tsp or as required

METHOD:-

Before preparing the dough for cookies, preheat a kadai with salt and a separator for 10 mins in medium high.
In a mixer jar, add whole walnuts, sugar and wheat flour. Make a powder out of it.
Transfer the contents to a bowl, add salt, fruit salt and mix well.



Now add 2 tsps of ghee and 2 tsps of warm milk. Knead it well. Add warm milk if required, till the dough gets combine. It will turn sticky.

Now add 1 tsp of ghee to the dough and knead for 2 minutes.

Grease little ghee on hands, and divide the dough in small equal parts.Grease an idli mould, place the doughs as shown.

Bake the dough for 15 minutes in sim flame.

After the stipulated time, Insert an knife and check whether the cookies sticks to the knife.

Allow it to cool, unmould it.

Homemade WALNUT COOKIES are ready.

Video Demo for Walnut Cookies:-

See also for
Cashew-Walnut Cake

Walnut Halwa 

Wheat Halwa

TOMATO GOTHSU | TOMATO KOOTU

TOMATO GOTHSU | TOMATO KOOTU

INGREDIENTS:-
Finely Chopped Tomatoes - 250 gms (about 4 to 5 medium sized)
Finely Chopped Onion - 100 gms
Ginger - 1/4 inch, slice thinly
Curry leaves - 2 leaflet
Moong dal - 50gms, washed & soaked for 20 minutes
Sambhar powder /All purpose powder - 1 tsp
Green chillies / Red Chillies - 4 nos. ( or depends upon the spice level)
Roughly Cut Capsicum - 50 gms
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Bengal gram - 1/4 tsp
Jaggery powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 3 tbsp
Water - as required

METHOD:-
Heat a pressure cooker ( I used 3 L cooker), with 2 tbsp of oil and add mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter. Then add Cumin seeds, sliced ginger, chillies, and Onion. Once the onion gets cooked slightly, add finely chopped tomatoes, capsicum and required salt. Mix well.

When the tomatoes turn mushy, add the sambhar powder/All purpose powder and mix well.
Add washed and soaked moong dal, required water. Allow it to boil, check for salt and spice.
Cover with the lid and pressure cook for 5 whistles in high flame and 5 minutes in sim flame.
Once the pressure is completely released, add the jaggery powder. (adding jaggery to dal varieties improves digestion)

Tasty Tomato Gothsu is ready ...
Tastes better with Chappathi, Dosa, Wheat Uppma.

See also for Gravy and Kootu Collections

KARA KUZHIPANIYARAM | INSTANT KUZHIPANIYARAM

KARA KUZHIPANIYARAM

INGREDIENTS:-
Rava / Sooji - 1/2 cup
Mild Sour Curd - 1/3 cup
Water - as required
Salt as per taste
Finely chopped Green chilies / Red chilly flakes - 1 tsp
Grated Ginger - 1/2 tsp
Grated Carrot - 1 tbsp
Finely chopped capsicum - 1 tbsp
Finely chopped Onion - 1 tbsp
Oil for making Kuzhipaniyaram
Adai batter /Dosa batter/ idly batter - 1 tbsp
Fruit Salt - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - as required
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Finely chopped curry leaves & Coriander leaves - 1/2 tbsp

METHOD:-
In a bowl, add Rava/Sooji, curd, Adai batter, required salt. Mix well. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Now add finely chopped vegetables, chilies, curry leaves, coriander leaves, asafoetida. Mix well. Finally add fruit salt to it and gently mix.

Heat a kuzhipaniyaram kadai, with 1/4 tsp of oil in each kuzhis. Add little mustard seeds to each and allow it to splutter, then pour a spoonful of batter to each. Cover it with lid. Cook in low flame for 5 minutes.

Now, flip the kuzhipaniyarams, so that, the other side aslo gets cooked, till other side cooks.

Instant kuzhipaniyaram were ready to serve.

Serve with Coconut chutney, or Tomato Chutney.

INSTANT ADHIRASAM | DIWALI SPECIAL | SWEETS

INSTANT ADHIRASAM

Adhirasam is a traditional Diwali sweet in Tamilnadu. This was prepared using Rice flour and jaggery syrup. The consistency of the mix should be correct to get the perfect texture & taste of Adhirasam.

Here, in this Instant Adhirasam, I used Wheat flour and Jaggery syrup and the process is simple compared to Traditional Adhirasam. Crunchier outside and soft inside.

INGREDIENTS:- (use the same cup for all measurements)
Wheat flour - 1 cup
Jaggery, grated - 1 & half cup
Table Salt - a pinch
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Fruit Salt - 1/2 tsp
Water - for making the jaggery syrup
Oil - for deep frying

JAGGERY SYRUP PREPARATION:-
Heat a pan, add jaggery to it. Add water to the level of the jaggery. Allow it to boil. The syrup should not be in watery consistency. The consistency should be neither too thick nor too thin. Add cardamom powder to it. Let it rest for a few minutes, so that, the residues will settle. 

METHOD:-

Sieve the wheat flour, table salt and set aside. Sieving helps in equal distribution of air circulation. Filter the jaggery syrup and add it to the wheat flour. Mix well, so that there should not be any lumps. Add fruit salt and mix well. Set aside for one hour.
Note:- If the batter is in pouring consistency, then Adhirasams will absorb more oil. 
If the batter is in thick consistency, then Adhirasams will not cook properly

Heat oil in a flat bottomed Kadai/pan. The oil should be hot enough, when u drop a batter into the oil, it should immediately rise up.

REDUCE the flame and using a soup spoon, pour the batter into the oil, slowly; so that the Adhirasam will be in round shape. ( Initially, I fried one Adhirasam. Later, I fried four Adhirasams at a time).

Keep the flame in MEDIUM. The Adhirasam will rise upwards; now flip the other side to fry. Flip it as and when required.

Now keep the flame in HIGH, flip it, till Adhirasams were fried in golden color.  Remove the Adhiram from the oil and transfer it to a strainer. (Here, Adhirasams will look like puffed)
Now, using a cup, hardly press the Adhirasam, so that it remains flat.

Delicious Instant Adhirasams were ready to serve.

See Also for ADHIRASAM 
                    WHEAT BURFI
                    SWEET SOMAS
                 

BEETROOT BRIYANI

BEETROOT BRIYANI

INGREDIENTS:-

Grated Beetroot - 1/2 cup (approx. 100 gms)
Basmati Rice - 1 cup (approx. 200gms)
Water - 2 cups
Sliced Onion - 1
Fresh Green peas - 1/4 cup (optional)
Mint leaves - 5 to 8 nos.
Coriander leaves roughly chopped - 2  tsps
Finely chopped Tomato - 1/2 no. or Fresh Curd - 3 tbsps

Slit Green Chilly  - 2 nos.
Chopped Ginger - 1/2 tsp
Chopped Garlic - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilly  Powder - 1 tsp (or as required)

Salt - as required
Methi leaves crushed - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 2 tsp

For Seasoning:-
Oil - 3 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
Cardamom - 2 pods
Cloves - 3 nos.
Black Stone Flower/Kalpasu - 1 no., crushed

METHOD:-

Wash and soak basmati rice for 20 minutes. Set aside.

Heat a Pressure cooker with oil. Keep it in low flame, add all ingredients given under Seasoning, so that nice aroma arises.

Add green chilly, chopped ginger and garlic. Fry in low flame for 1 minute and add coriander leaves, mint leaves, sliced onion, and grated beetroot. Add required salt, mix well, cover the cooker with lid and cook for few minutes; mix occasionally, to avoid burning.

Once the beetroot is half cooked, add fresh peas, garam masala powder, coriander powder, and red chilly powder. Mix well. Add water to boil. Add basmati rice, tomato ( or curd), methi leaves and ghee.

Check for salt, cover the cooker with lid only (with gasket & without cooker whistle). Cook in Sim flame for  20 minutes. After the stipulated time, uncover the lid, mix gently, check for salt and spice. If it is less spicy, add Black pepper powder to it. Switch off the flame and cover the cooker with lid and cooker whistle, let it sit for 5 minutes. After 10 minutes, transfer the contents to a serving bowl.

Garnish with mint leaves and serve.

CHOCOLATE CAKE

CHOCOLATE CAKE

INGREDIENTS:- (Use same cup for all measurements)

Dry Ingredients.....

Wheat flour = 1 cup

Custard powder = 3 tbsp

Cocoa powder = 3 tbsp

Salt = 1 pinch

Wet ingredients....

Milk  =1/2 cup

Oil / Clarified butter melted = 1/3 cup

Powdered Jagerry/ Naattu Sarkarai = 3/4 cup 

Fruit salt = 1/2 tsp

METHOD:-

For Baking, heat a Kadai/ pressure cooker ( with 1 & 1/2 cups of salt and with a separator), for 15 minutes in medium flame. Cover with lid. It is similar to preheating the oven.

Grease a tray or bowl, for baking with ghee & wheat flour for dusting. Set aside

In a separate bowl, using a siever, sieve wheat flour, custard powder, cocoa powder, salt. It helps in air circulation in the flour.

In another bowl, add milk and oil and mix well. Don't worry, even if it gets curdled. Mix well for a few minutes.  Now add the jaggery powder to it and mix well so that the jaggery is completely dissolved in it.

Now add the dry ingredients to this wet ingredients and continue mixing to avoid lumps in the cake batter. Check the consistency. If it is more watery, add wheat flour to it or if it is thick, add milk to it.

Finally, add fruit salt with two drops of water to the cake mix. Mix gently. Pour this mix to the cake tin/tray/bowl which was greased and dusted. Tap it over the cooktop, to release air from the mix.

Place the tray inside the cooker/Kadai, which was preheated. 

Bake in  Medium Flame for 10 minutes and in Sim flame for 40 minutes. 

After the stipulated time, insert a knife and check if it baked or not. If the batter sticks to the knife, bake it for a few minutes.

The above timings are applicable for the above quantity of ingredients. If you are using half the quantity, adjust the timings, to avoid cake gets burning.

Remove the cake tray and allow it to cool. Cover the cake tray with a plate and tilt it. 

Chocolate cake is ready to serve.....

SWEET KUZHIPANIYARAM | GODHUMAI MAAVU KUZHIPANIYARAM

SWEET KUZHIPANIYARAM using WHEAT FLOUR

INGREDIENTS:-
Wheat flour - 1 cup, (1 cup = 200gms)
Rice flour  - 1/4cup
Riped bananas  - 2 nos.
Grated Coconut - 1/3 cup
Salt - a pinch

For making jaggery syrup....
Grated Jaggery  - 1/2 cup heaped
Water required for jaggery syrup - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dry ginger powder - 1/2 tsp
Cardamom powder  - 1/2 tsp

Oil for making Kuzhipaniyarams
Fruit salt - 1/2 tsp

METHOD:-

For making jaggery syrup, add all the ingredients given under syrup preparation to a saucepan, & allow it to boil, till the jaggery dissolves. Allow it to cool completely.

Sieve wheat flour, rice flour and salt and set aside.

Now, in a mixer jar, add the bananas (remove the outer skin of banana), grind it to a paste, without adding water. Add the flour mixture & jaggery syrup to it. Grind it to a fine paste. The consistency of the mixed batter should be in dosa batter consistency, neither too thick nor flowing consistency. Remove the batter and restore it in a bowl and add grated coconut to it.

Heat a kuzhipaniyaram kadai, with 1/4 tsp of oil in each Kuzhi. I used 6 nos.kuzhipaniyaram kadai.

Add the fruit salt to the batter. (Note:- Add the fruit salt, just before making paniyarams)


Now pour the batter to the 3/4th of the kuzhis. Allow it to cook in sim flame. Using spoon or fork, flip it,  and add 1/4 tsp of oil to each kuzhis, enabling the other side needs to be cooked in sim/low flame only. Flip and check whether the other side is cooked or not.


Remove the kuzhipaniyarams, once it is completely cooked.

Delicious Kuzhipaniyarams are ready.

Note:-
Instead of Jaggery, Palm jaggery can also be used. It is called KARUPATTI  KUZHIPANIYARAM. The colour of the Paniyarams will be little dark in colour. 
In some varieties of palm jaggery, a required amount of ginger has been already added to it. 
In such cases, add required amount of dry ginger powder.

See Also for:-
Simple Kuzhipaniyarams
Malpua
Wheat Halwa

TOMATO KETCHUP, HOME MADE | NO GARLIC ,VINEGAR & PRESERVATIVES |

Using Tomato thokku version 2, we can prepare this ketchup. Take 4 tbsp of tomato thokku in a pan and add 2-3 tbsp of jaggery powder or according to the sweetness. Add water if required for consistency.  Mix well. Allow boiling for 2 minutes. Home-made  Tomato Ketup is ready.
Instead of buying it in stores, we can freshly prepared at any time in our home. . Refrigerate when the ketchup is not in use.

TOMATO THOKKU VERSION 2

This is one of my all-time favourites in my childhood days. This is another version of making Tomato Thokku. Click the link for the previous version of Tomato Thokku/Thakkali Thokku.
It is similar to Red Chutney
For better results, use riped-red-tomatoes.

INGREDIENTS:-
Tomatoes -  15 nos.
Red Chillies - 15 nos.
Salt to taste
Cooking Oil - 100 ml
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 leaflets, chopped

METHOD:-
In a mixer jar, first, add the red chillies and make a powder. Then add roughly cut tomatoes to it ( DO NOT ADD WATER ) and make a fine paste. Set aside
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add the mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter. Then add cumin seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and asafoetida.
Now add the ground tomato paste to the seasoning. Mix well. Cover with lid and cook in sim/low flame, to avoid burning.
Mix it well for every 5 minutes and cover it and cook in sim flame. After 15 minutes add the required Salt to it, mix well and cover it and cook till the water content is fully absorbed.
Slightly increase the flame to medium, stir continuously for 5 minutes without any break; Check for salt and spice; if required add red chilly powder for spicy OR for required salt.
Cover with lid and allow to cook in sim/low flame.
The right time  to switch off the burner is, when you dip a clean-dry-spoon inside the thokku and remove it, there should be mild reddish coating on either side of the spoon.

Spicy Tomato Thokku is ready to serve.
Tastes better with Idlies, Dosas, curd rice, Chappathis...
See also for  Tomato Capsicum Thokku
                     Onion-Tomato Chutney
                      Mango Ginger Chutney
                     
Notes:-
I used normal Indian Tomato, Naatu Thakkali in particular. Refrigerate the thokku when not in use.