Noona Vankkai (or) Ennai Kathrikkai Special Sambhar

Am not sure if you are already aware of this recipe. Just gave it a shot yesterday and it came out very well . Thought I would share it with you :)

Ingredients Required : 

Brinjal - 4

Urid Dal - 2 big spoons

Channa Dal - 2 big spoons

Red Chillis - 3 or 4 (depending on the size)

Dhaniya or corriander seeds - 1 small spoon

Onions - 2 small

Garlic - 3 pieces

Mustard seeds - 1 small spoon

Tamarind water - 3/4 cup (little more than the usual quantity you use for normal sambhar or pulusu) 

Salt - as reqd

Turmeric - as reqd

Hing - as reqd

Procedure : 

• Take a frying pan. 
• Pour 2 spoons of oil.
• Fry urid dal, channa dal ,red chillis and dhaniya until it starts to turn into golden brown.
• Remove this from the pan and allow it to cool for some time.
• Once it cools down grind it into a fine powder.
• Dilute this powder in some water.Make this into a dropping consistency mixture just by adding water.
• Chop onions and garlic.
• Cut the brinjal into just 4 pieces (preferably long pieces)
• Take the vessel in which you are going to make the sambhar and pour 3-4 spoons oil.
• Saute mustard seeds,onion and garlic.
• Add the tamarind water,salt, turmeric and hing.(add as much as water along with this so that you get the required quantity). Make sure you still have a pinch of tamarind taste in it.
• Add the brinjals and leave it till it is fully cooked.
• Once the tamarind water comes to a boil add the water-dal mixture.Make sure you keep stiring while adding the mixture as it would turn into lumps if not stirred properly.
• Allow this to boil.
• Switch off once done and serve.

Tip : 

It can be added with steaming hot rice. It makes the best combination when had as side-dish with dal rice. (paruppu sadham or pappu annam)

Hope you liked the recipe. Do send me your comments as those would encourage me to try new recipies :) 

Thanks a lot friends !!!

KANCHIPURAM IDLIS

As many of you may know that I am basically from Kanchipuram, I thought I should share THE MOST FAMOUS SPECIALITY of my place and its none other than KANCHIPURAM IDLIS. It is a very simple dish but the most yummy of all tiffin items since it has the flavour of cumin and pepper :) The best combination for this would be onion chutney for which the recipe is also mentioned below. Now lets move on to the preparation.

Ingrediants Required :

Rice - 1 cup
Urid dal - little more than 3/4 glass
Fenugreek - 1 spoon
Salt - as reqd
Curd - as reqd
Hing - 1/4 spoon
Ground Pepper - as reqd
Cumin seeds - as reqd
Oil and Ghee - as reqd

Preparation Method :

Pre-process :

1. Soak rice for 20 minutes and dry it well. Once it is totally dry, dry grind the rice as fine crystals.
2. Soak the urid dal and the fenugreek together for 30 mintues(mix the fenugreek well with urid dal while soaking)

Batter Preparation :

• Grind half of the fenugreek-urid dal mixture NICELY (add water while grinding just like you do for normal idlis)
• Grind the other half of the fenugreek-urid dal mixture COARSELY (add water and grind)
• Mix the rice and fenugreek-urid dal mixture in a vessel and mix well
• Add curd to this and mix well (add as much as curd is required to make this mixture a dropping-consistency mixture)
• Add 1/4 spoon hing 
• Add as much as salt required and mix well
• Close this and leave it for the night
• In the morning take a kadai and add 6 spoons oil and 3 spoons ghee and boil it
• Pour this oil-ghee mixture in the batter
• Add cumin seeds as much required so that you get a couple of seeds in every piece
• Add grounded pepper (make sure it has the flavor of pepper.So add pepper accordingly)
• Mix the batter well and leave it for 15 minutes before you make idlis with this
• Cook like normal idlis

Onion Chutney : 

• Grind 2 onions, 3 big red chillis, little tamarind and salt with very little water
• Garnish with mustard seeds and curry leaves

Enjoy your breakfast and do let me know how it came out :)

Your valuable comments will surely help me.

Thanks a lot :)

RAVA IDLIS

Rava Idlis are South-Indian speciality. People say Saravana Bhavan or Vasantha Bhavan are the best places to taste them. I bet they are wrong and am sure you would say that once you try making them at your place :)
Try it and let me know how it tastes :) :)

Ingredients Required : 


Rava - 1 cup
Curd - 1 and 1/2 cups
Green chilli - 2
Ginger - one small piece
Coriander Leaves - for taste
Mustard - 3 spoons
Urid dal - 2 or 3 big spoons
Channa dal - 2 or 3 big  spoons
Cashews - 3 spoons
Salt - as reqd
Oil and Ghee - as reqd

Procedure : 

• Finely chop coriander and chillis
• Fry the rava till it is little hot and keep aside
• Pour the curd in a vessel 
• Add salt and mix well
• Take a frying pan and add 7 to 8 spoons oil and 2 spoons ghee
• Fry mustard,urid dal,channa dal,cashews,chilli and ginger
• Add coriander in the last and fry it just for 30 seconds
• Switch of the stove
• Add rava in the above mixture and mix well
• Add this rava mixture in the curd, mix it well and allow it to soak for 15 minutes
• Cook this as idlis and enjoy your meal

Please post in your valuable comments so that I can make this blog even more interesting