Kaara coconut chutney / kaara thengai thuvayal

This is a perfect side dish for any breakfast items like idly, dosa or any kanji items.

Ingredients:

Grated coconut - 1 cup
Dried red chilli - 2 to 3 (based on the liking for kaaram)
Garlic clove - 1(small)
Ginger - a small piece
Tamarind - a small ball of a gem size
curry leaves - 10 leaves (optional)
Salt - As required

Serves: 4 Adults
Preparation time: 5 mins

Method:

In the mixer or blender, add all the above ingredients and mix it until all the items are grinded properly.

You can check for the salt and add if necessary.

Since its a thuvayal, u need not season it. If you want to season this, you can do with mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves.

Paal Kanji / Milk Kanji

Paal kanji is a traditional south indian recipe which can be given to even a six month child. It has more nutritious value and hence it can be consumed by infants to old aged.

Here is the simple recipe for the dish.

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup
Jeera / Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp
Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp
Garlic cloves - 8 to 10
Milk (either raw or boiled) - 2 cup

Servings: 2 Adults
Preparation time: 20 mins

Method:

Rinse the rice throughly in water and add required quantity of water to the rice and transfer it to pressure cooker.

In the cooker, add jeera, methi seeds and garlic cloves together and close the lid.

Let the rice boil fully so that it will be easy to smash it with spoon.

Now add the milk to the cooked rice and heat. The milk should reach its boiling point. Once the milk is fully heated, remove from flame.

Now paal kanji is ready to be served.

Note: You can add salt to the kanji and have it with any kaara coconut thuvayal. Or else, u can have it with jaggery also.

Ellurundai / Sesame Balls

Ellurundai is prepared generally during Krishna Jeyanthi. It is actually a healthy snack and prepared in minutes.

It is very useful in building strong bones and healthy hair.

Servings: 15 Sesame balls (small)
Preparation time: 20 mins

Ingredients:
Sesame seeds: 100 gm
Jaggery syrup: 3/4 cup

Heat a flat surface pan in medium flame. When the pan is heated, dry roast the sesame seeds. When the seeds pops up in the pan, remove from flame.Do not overcook the sesame. It gives a bitter taste then.

Once the sesame seeds are cooled, mix it in a blender for just 5 seconds. It need not to be so much fine powder.

 Take a small piece of jaggery, it can be of the size of a small gooseberry. Add very little quantity of water. You can just sprinkle the water in a low flame. The syrup's consistency should not be very watery. Remove from flame when it is mildly thick.

Pour the syrup in the blended sesame seeds.Once the jaggery syrup has cooled down to warm temperature, mix it well with sesame and shape to balls.

Note: You can even add roasted groundnuts and roasted bengal gram (Pottu Kadalai) to the sesame blend.

Carrot Halwa Recipe

Carrot Halwa is one of the easiest, healthy and tasty desert of all time. My kid loves to have this.

I got this recipe from my friend 3 years back. Just thought of blogging the steps to prepare it.

Servings: 3 - 4 Persons
Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

3 Shredded Carrot
2 cups milk (either raw or boiled)
1/2 cup sugar
2 cardamom
2 tsp cashew nuts
1 tsp raisin
3 - 4 tsp ghee

Method:

In a flat surface pan, add the shredded carrot and milk together. Let the carrot boil in milk until it becomes tender. Let the whole cooking be done in medium flame.

In the mean time, heat 3 tsp ghee in another pan and fry the cashew nuts until it becomes golden brown. Then add the raisins. Once the raisins puff, remove from flame and keep it aside.

When the carrot becomes tender and the milk has drained in the pan, add sugar and cardamom to this.Sprinkle 1 tsp of ghee to the boiled carrot. 

Mix the carrot and sugar well to avoid burning of the pan in the bottom. When sugar is added, it oozes out more liquid when melted. In few minutes, the liquid in the pan will be drained. Now add the fried cashew nuts and raisins to the pan and mix it with the carrot. 

Once the water is drained and carrots are mixed together with milk and sugar, remove from flame.

The carrot halwa is now ready to be served.

Sarkarai Pongal / Sweet Pongal Recipe

Sarkarai Pongal / Sweet Pongal is a traditional south indian recipe made during any festival or auspicious occasions. This one is a very simple recipe with less time consumption. 

This recipe is inspired from my Mom's cooking stuff.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw rice / normal rice
• 1 cup jaggery (crush the hard pieces into small one)
• 2 to 3 cardamom 
• 2 tsp cashew nut
• 1 tsp raisins
• 4 - 5 tsp ghee

Servings: 3 persons
Cooking time: 30 mins

Method:

Wash the rice well and pressure cook until it is fully boiled. There is no problem even if the rice is overcooked. 

In the mean time, heat a pan and add 3 tsp of ghee to it. Once the ghee is heated, add the cashew nuts and fry until golden brown. Then add the raisins. Once the raisins bubble, remove from heat and keep it aside.

In a medium flame, add 1/4 cup of water to the boiled rice. Now add the crushed jaggery pieces to the rice. You can add 1 tsp of ghee to this. Once heated, the jaggery starts to melt in the rice. You need to mix the rice and jaggery well so that it will not be burnt in the bottom of the pan.

Once all the jaggery gets melted, add cardamom to this mixture. The rice starts to get a fine solid texture in a few minutes. Now add the fried cashew nuts and raisins. Mix them well and switch off the flame.

The sweet pongal is now ready to be served.