Masala Pori( Spicy Puffed Rice Pori)

ChivdaMasala pori( spicy puffed rice)
Very easy to prepare this chivda with less oil

Ingredients

Pori(Puffed Rice)............4cups
Roasted Groundnuts....1/2 cup
Chilli Powder.............1tsp
Turmeric Powder........1/2 tsp
Curry leaves............... few
Asafoetida....................1tsp
Mustard Seeds..........1tsp
Green Chilli(slitted).....3

Oil............................2tsp

Salt to Taste

Method

Heat pan with oil, add mustard seeds. 

When the mustard seeds crackle, add ground nuts, chilli powder turmeric powder, curry leaves and asafoetida. 

Mix all well. Add pori and salt.Keep in a low flame. 

Mix all ingredients well.

When the pori turns crisp turn off the gas.

Good snack with tea or coffee.

Parippu Vadai/Kara Kara Vadai,

Parippu Vada

Parippu Vada dough

Kara kara vadai,/Parippu vadai,/ Masala vadai (dhal vada)

It is a famous snack in south Indian homes. We make this vadai with out onion for naivedyam with payasam

Ingredients

Chana. Dhal.......... 2cups
Urad Dhal.............1/4 cup
Tur Dhal..................1/4 cup
Raw Rice................2tsp
Red Chili................4
Asafoetida Powder.....1/4 tsp

Chopped Onion........1/4 cup
Coriander Leaves/ curry leaves....few
Salt to Taste

Oil to fry

Method

Soak the dhal and rice for 2 hours. 
Drain them and grind coarsely in food processor with chilli salt and asafoetida. 
Add chopped onion and coriander leaves/ curry leaves 
Mix well. for making vada use paper towel/ plastic sheet or with palm. of your hand.
Wet your hand,take lemon size of dough
flatten it .
Heat a pan with oil. When the oil is hot slip the vadas.and deep fry them. 
When it is golden brown remove them. 
Serve them hot with coconut chutney,
Soak the left over vadai in hot rasam. Rasam vadai is very tasty

Upma Kozhakattai

Upma kozhakattai
Prepare Time.................10min
Cook time......................15 min
Serve............................4

This recipe is made up of rice rava. It is a breakfast /snack.Wash the raw rice, remove all the water. Spread in a towel to dry. Grind this rice coarsely like rava.(should not powder the rice) Easy to take this kozhakattai, when you travel.

Upma Kozhakattai

Ingredients

• Rice(Rava.)......................................... 2 cups
• Green Chili( chopped)..........................3
• Ginger(Chopped)r..................................1 piece
• Grated Coconut....................................1/2 cup
• Oil......................................................2 tsp
• Mustard Seeds.....................................1tsp
• Chana Dhal..........................................2tsp
• Red Chilli(broken into 3 pieces)...............1
• Curry leaves........................................ few
• Water.................................................4cups
• Salt to taste

Method

• Heat a pan with oil , add mustard seeds, chana dhal, chili, curry leaves and ginger.
• When the mustard seeds splutter add 4 cups of water,coconut and salt.
• When the water boils add the rice rava and mix well.
• Keep the flame in simmer till it cooks well.
• Remove from the gas, let it cool. Make small balls with the dough .
• Steam these kozhakattai either in idli thattu or vessel with holes.
• Serve hot with coconut chutney or mulakai podi.

Cracked Wheat Upma

Cracked Wheat Upma (South Indian breakfast)
This Upma is very easy to prepare.

Ingredients

Wheat Rava............................................  2 cups
Mixed Vegetables(carrots peas tomato)......2 cups
Chopped Green Chilli................................\ 2tbsp
Ginger.................................................... ...2tbsp
Cashew Nuts (optional)............................ .5
Mustard Seeds..........................................1 tsp
Urad Dhal..................................................2tsp
Chana dhal.............................................. ..2tsp

Salt to Taste

Curry leaves few

Method

Heat a tawa with two tbsp oil. 

When the oil is hot add, mustard seeds, dhals,curry leaves and once they pop up add chilli ginger and vegetables.

Mix them well.When they become tender, add 4 cups of water to boil with salt. 

Add the rava slowly stir with a spoon and cover with a lid. 

Cook them in a low heat.The rava becomes soft, mix and keep for 5 more minutes. 

Serve the Upma hot with chutney.

Rava upma

Fry two cups of rava(suji) till it becomes red. Use the same procedure and prepare rava Upma.

Salad with beet root, carrot and cucumber

Salad

Salad

• Carrot.................................. 2
• Beetroot...............................1
• Cucumber ............................1
• Baby Tomato........................1
• Coriander Leaves ................few
• Lime Juice............................2tsp
• Olive Oil..............................2tsp
• Salt to taste

Method

• Boil the beetroot in cooker and remove the skin, cut into small pieces
• Remove the skin of the carrot and cut them in round shape.
• Cut the cucumber in long pieces. 
• Take a plate decorate them in your own way. 
• In a bowl add 2 tsp olive oil, lime juice and 1 tsp salt.
• Sprinkle this mixture over the decorated salad.

Ammini Kozhakattai (small kozhakattai)

Ammini Kozhakattai

Ammini kozhakattai

In Kerala, we call this kozhakattai ammini(means very small) kozhakattai.Serve these kozhakattai with coconut chutney.
Ingredients

• Rice flour...................2 cups
• Coconut..flakes..........2tbsp
• Mustard seeds............1tsp
• Red chilli.......................1
• Salt to taste
• Oil.............................. 2 tsp
• Curry leaves...............few

Method

• Boil two cups of water and add salt and 1tsp oil.
• When the water boils add the flour slowly with out any lumps
• Remove from the gas and cover it for five minutes.
• Heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds, red chilli, and curry leaves. 
• Add to the dough with coconut flakes. 
• Mix well and make very small balls with little dough 
• Make kozhakattai and steam them.

Ribbon Pakodas

Pakodas

Pakodas

Cooking in oil

Pakoda Nahzi

Batter

Ribbon Pakodas

This snack is salty crunchy , spicy good for munching while reading a book , watching TV  with Cabernet Sauvignon wine (my favorite)or with hot coffee/tea. Mix the  below ingredients and keep.When you are ready to fry then mix water ,make the dough. So that you get the right color for the pakodas .I make differently using more rice flour 

Ingredients

• Rice Flour.............. 4 cups
• Besan....................1 cup
• Chili Powder........1 tbsp
• Asafoetida............1/2 tsp
• Oil to Deep Fry
• Salt to taste

Method

• Mix rice flour, besan, chili powder, salt ,melted butter and asafoetida. 
• Add water and make a thick dough.
• Heat a china chatti or wok add oil to fry.
• When the oil is hot, put a handful dough pass through the special pakoda nazhi (see the photo), fry till the ribbons crispy and golden.
• Remove from the oil place them in a paper towel.
• Eat these pakodas with hot coffee/tea.

Patra Bhajia (Chepankizhangu elai in tamil)

patra Bhaji

Patra

Patra Plant

Patra Bhajia(Arabi leaves) Chepankizhangu elai in tamil

Ingredients

• Patra Leaves…............ 9
• Tamarind Water….......1/2 cup
• Besan(
• Gram flour)…….........1 cup
• Chilli Powder……......1 tsp
• Dhania Powder….......1/2 tsp
• Jeera Powder……......1/4 tsp
• Turmeric Powder…....1/4 tsp
• Asafoetida……......... a pinch
• Cumin Seeds…...........1/2 tsp
• Sesame Seeds…......   1tsp
• Salt to taste

Method

• Wash, clean and wipe the leaves nicely. 
• Mix all the ingredients and make a thick paste.
• Place a leaf back side up and spread thinly all over the leaf.
• Place another leaf over it and again take a little paste and apply on this leaf.
• Repeat this with 3/4 layers.Fold the leaves with tip apply some batter here and fold the sides,seal the sides with the batter.
• Steam this roll in a cooker for about 30 minutes till it is cooked. 
• Remove, cool them and cut into 2” round slices. (can keep these rolls in the freezer)
• Heat oil and( shallow) fry them till it becomes crisp. 
• Serve them with chutney.It is very tasty. 
• Frozen patra are available in desi stores. Cut the patras into small pieces
• Heat a pan with oil add mustard and jeera. 
• When it splutters add the patra pieces. Sprinkle some white sesame seeds, coriander leaves.Serve hot with chapathi/puris.

Netrankai Upperi and Chakka Upperi(Jackfruit chips)

Banana Chips, Upperi (Kai varuthathu in Malayalam)

Upperi(Plantain Chips)

Plantain pieces

Banana chips (Upperi)

Banana chips usually made in Kerala known as upperi,fried in coconut oil.Buy netrankai, remove the skin and slice into round pieces and deep fry them with salt..

Ingredients

• Raw plantain.......4(nentrakkai)
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Oil to fry.

Method

• Remove the skin of the plantain and cut into round shape.
• Slice them into thin pieces. Heat the oil and when it is hot put the cut sliced bananas into the oil. 
• Stir them .When the noise of the oil is less sprinkle salt water(keep some salt and put water and use) 
• When the chips are cooked remove from the oil and keep them in paper towel (to remove the excess oil)
• Eat the chips with coffee/tea.

Dhokla

Dhokla

Dhokla

DhoklaIngredients

• Besan………...........................2 cups
• Curd…………........................1cup
• Salt to Taste,Sugar......................1tsp
• Soda Bi Carbonate……............1/2 tsp
• Mustard Seeds………..............1 tsp
• Oil……………………...........,2 tbsp
• Green Chili……………............4
• Grated Coconut…....................2tsp
• Chopped Ginger………........…2tsp
• Coriander Leaves Chopped…… 3tsp
• Asafoetida…………….............1/2 tsp

Method

• Mix besan, beaten curd,sugar,oil, soda bi carbonate, salt in a bowl. 
• Add little water if needed.Whisk nicely with out any lumps.
• Cover and keep it for 2 hours.
• Make a paste of ginger and chili and add to the batter. 
• Mix it well. Grease a plate..(can use the dhokla mould)
  and pour the batter evenly and steam it for 15 minutes. 
• Heat a pan add oil and mustard seeds. When it crackles add asafoetida chili and little water.
• Pour this over the dhoklas. Garnish with grated coconut ,coriander leaves on the top.
• Cut into pieces and serve with green chutney.
  You can make dhoklas with the ready made dhokla mix (Khaman)