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Friday, September 30, 2016

VALLARAI MILAGU KUZHAMBU / PENNYWORT PEPPER KUZHAMBU / VALLARAI KEERAI MILAGU KUZHAMBU

How to make vallarai milagu kuzhambu, How to make pennywort pepper kuzhambu

Vallarai/brahmi/gotu kola also known as pennywort, is a herb which has many medicinal benefits. The leaves and roots are used widely in ayurveda and siddha to treat and cure many diseases. It has all the necessary nutrients needed for blood in a balanced scale. It improves memory power. It is used to regulate menstrual cycle, and strengthens nerves. It is helpful in reducing anxiety and provides good sleep for people suffering from mental fatigue. It has been proven effective in the treatment of varicose veins and skin problems. Google to know more.

INGREDIENTS:

Vallarai leaves - 1 cup
Curry leaves - 1 cup
Tamarind - size of a key lime
Turmeric powder- 1/4 
tsp.
Pepper - 3/4 tsp.
Dry red chillies - 1 or 2
Urad dal - 2 tsp.
Toor dhal - 1 tsp.
Sesame oil - 3 tablespoons
Mustard - 1/2 tsp.
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp.
Salt - to taste

METHOD:


Wash the greens, take out only the leaves and keep aside.


Soak tamarind in warm water and extract juice. Filter it and discard the fibres. Keep aside.

In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat a spoon of oil and fry pepper, urad dal, tur dal, chillies until golden brown. Transfer it to a plate. In the same pan, again add a  spoon of oil and saute the curry leaves and vallarai well. When cool, grind it alongwith the dhals in a mixie to a paste.

In the same pan, heat the remaining oil, add mustard seeds and hing. When it splutters, pour in the tamarind extract, turmeric powder and salt and allow it to boil until the raw smell goes. Now add the ground paste, mix well and allow it boil until it thickens. 



Delicious and healthy Vallarai milagu kuzhambu is ready. Mix with hot rice and a dollop of ghee. 

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

ULUNDHORAI / IYENGAR STYLE ULUNDHORAI / IYENGAR TEMPLE STYLE ULUNDORAI / ULUNDOGARE /ULUNDU SADAM

Ulundorai recipe,How to make Iyengar style ulundorai, How to make ulundogare

Ulundorai / Iyengar ulundhorai is made on festivals and special occasions. Another traditional/authentic iyengar recipe which I never came across while browsing. But people who often visit Perumal temples must be knowing this as a prasadam. Ulundhorai is served as prasadam in Perumal kovil (temples) and is very famous in Melkote temple. It is pronounced as ulundogare in Karnataka. There are endless varieties of rice recipes in Iyengar cuisine. Click on the names for some other Iyengar style rice recipes. Iyengar puliyodharaiMilagorai, Melkote Puliyogare, Tirukoshtiyur tirumaalai chamba, Ellorai, Lentils khichdi, Iyengar special kadambam, Kalkandu bhath (iyengar style), Chitrannam, Akkaravadisal, Vennpongal.

INGREDIENTS:

Cooked rice - 4 cups
Split urad dhal - 3 tablespoons
Milk (boiled) - 1 1/2 - 2 cups
Grated kopra (dry coconut) / grated fresh coconut - 2 tablespoons
Salt - to taste
Hing - 1/4 tsp.
Ghee - 3 tablespoons
Cashews - few
Dry red chillies - 4
Curry leaves - few

METHOD:

NOTE: Dry red chillies are not added in authentic ulundorai. In some temples, chillies are added, but in Melkote temple, chillies are not added. Do not ask me 'how will it taste without spices?'. The prasadams in Uppiliappan temple tastes superb without salt. Can anyone imagine / taste a puliyodarai or vadai without salt at home? Its the divinity in the prasadams which makes it special.  Ulundhorai smells and tastes divine with ghee, urad dhal, milk and cashews. Be generous in ghee and cashews. I have added red chillies just to make the dish colourful and a little spicy. Now, to the authentic iyengar ulundorai...

Cook rice in such a way that the grains are separate and not sticky. Spread the cooked rice in a plate and allow it to cool.

Heat a tablespoon on ghee in a pan, add urad dhal and  fry until golden brown. Now add curry leaves, hing and grated dry coconut. Saute for a while. If using fresh coconut, saute until the coconut is crisp. Transfer to a plate and when cool, grind it in a mixie to a coarse powder.
Ulundorai recipe,How to make Iyengar style ulundorai, How to make ulundogare
In the same pan, pour milk, add the ground powder and keep stirring. The urad dhal mixture should be well cooked in milk. When it becomes like a paste and starts leaving the sides, add salt. Mix well. Remove from fire. Add this paste to the cooked rice according to requirement. Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee, fry cashews until golden brown alongwith dry chillies and curry leaves and add it to the rice. Mix gently without breaking the grains. Alternatively, the cooked rice can also be added to the paste in the pan, alongwith temperings and mixed gently. Garnish with thulasi. Authentic Iyengar temple style Ulundhorai / Ulundorai is ready for offering to Perumal on Purattasi Saturday. No accompaniment is necessary, but can be served with fried vadam or appalam.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

PARIPPU PRADHAMAN / CHERUPAYAR PARIPPU PRADHAMAN / PARIPPU PAYASAM

How to make Parippu pradhaman, How to make cherupayar parippu pradhaman,How to make Kerala parippu payasam

Parippu pradhaman is a kheer/payasam served in the traditional Kerala Onam Sadya. 

INGREDIENTS:

Moong dhal - 1/2 cup
Coconut - 1 big
Crushed jaggery - 1 cup
Cardamom - 4
Cashews - few

Coconut pieces fried in ghee - few
Ghee - 4 tablespoons

METHOD :

Scrap the coconut and soak in 1 cup of hot water for 10 minutes. Grind it in a mixie. Squeeze and extract milk. This is the first extract of coconut milk, which will be thick. Keep aside. Repeat the procedure two more times. Keep the second extract in a separate vessel and third extract separately in another vessel.

Meanwhile, crush the jaggery and dissolve in half a cup of water. Filter the impurities. 


Fry the cashews and coconut pieces in a teaspoon of ghee. Powder the cardamoms. 

Dry roast moong dhal, when cool, wash well. In a heavy bottomed kadai or uruli, cook washed moong dhal alongwith water until soft. Mash well. Now add the  jaggery solution and allow it to boil until the raw smell is diffused. Add ghee. Stir well. Pour the 3rd coconut milk extract, stir in between and allow it to boil till everything is blended well and little thick. Now add the 2nd extract and allow it to boil until the mixture thickens. 

Meanwhile, add powdered cardamom to the first extract of coconut milk, mix well, keep ready.

Add the 1st thick extract. Stir well. SWITCH OFF THE STOVE, REMOVE FROM FIRE. Add ghee-fried cashews and coconuts. Add the remaining ghee if any. Serve warm or hot. Kerala special parippu payasam / parippu pradhaman is ready.

NOTE: You can add coconut milk to get the desired consistency.

Monday, September 12, 2016

ONAM SADYA RECIPES / KERALA SADYA RECIPES

CLICK ON THE LINKS/PICTURES FOR ONASADHYA RECIPES
neipayasam kurukkukalan morcurry theeyal sambar olan erissery muringailathoran Papayacarrotthoran mezhugupuratti aviyal chakkaavial molagootal chakkacurry mathangapulinkari lemonrasam kuthuerisseri arachukalakki injithayir vellarikkapachidi Unniappam Milletmorappam Pazhampori neiyappam paalpayasam chakkapradhaman pazhampradhaman semiyapalpayasam chadachadayam paladapradhaman cherupayarparippupradhaman Puliinji mangacurry narangacurry kadugumanga

HAYAGREEVA / BANDI / MADDI




Lord Hayagreeva is the God of wisdom and knowledge. Hayagreeva Jayanthi falls on Aavani(tamil month) shravanam (star) / Shravan month . The oofering / naivedhyam is a sweet called "Hayagreeva"/"Maddi"/"Bandi". Offering this sweet to The Lord on any Tiruvonam day, gives knowledge and wisdom to the children and they will perform well in studies.  Lord Hayagreeva, give us the power to discriminate between right and wrong.

INGREDIENTS:

Chenna dhal - 1 cup
Crushed jaggery - 1 cup
Cardamom - 4
Scraped coconut - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1 ladle

METHOD:

Choose red variety of jaggery ( paahu vellam) and crush it. Powder the cardamoms.

Wash and pressure cook chenna dhal. When cool, drain the water and keep aside. Do not mash it.

Dissolve jaggery in 1/4 cup of water and strain it without any mud.

Heat a heavy bottomed pan, pour in the jaggery and allow it to boil till it diffuses its raw smell. Now add scraped coconut, cardamom powder and boiled chenna dhal and mix well . Add ghee and saute till thick. Offer it to The Lord.

Friday, September 9, 2016

PULI INJI / INJI PULI

How to make puli inji, How to make Inji puli, Kerala sadya recipes

Puli inji / Inji puli is a traditional, sweet and sour ginger pickle from Kerala. It is a must for Onasadya. Onam sadya is incomplete without this truly lipsmacking and zesty pickle. 

INGREDIENTS:
Ginger (chopped/grated) - 3/4 cup
Tamarind - amla sized balls - 2
Jaggery - 1/3 cup (crushed)
Green chillies - 3 or 4 (chopped)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp.
Hing - a generous pinch
Salt - to taste
Coconut oil / gingelly oil - 2 tablespoons
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Dry red chillies - 2
Curry leaves - 3 sprigs

METHOD:

Clean, peel and finely chop ginger. I grated half of it and finely chopped half of it. Finely chop green chillies.

Soak tamarind in warm water and extract juice. Filter it and discard the fibres. Keep aside.

Dissolve jaggery in water, strain and keep ready.

Heat coconut oil in a kadai and fry ginger until the raw smell is gone. Be careful not to burn it. Remove it to a plate. The fried ginger can also be ground to paste. In the same kadai, add a spoon of oil and add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add chopped green chillies, red chillies, turmeric powder, chilli powder, hing and curry leaves, saute for a minute. Now add the tamarind extract and bring it to a boil. Add jaggery syrup, fried ginger and salt. Cook the mixture in slow flame until it thickens. It should be neither too thick nor too watery. The consistency should be saucy. When cool, store in a sterilized glass jar.

Puli Inji is now ready to be served.

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

MILAGORAI / PEPPER BHATH / PEPPER RICE / MILAGU ORAI / MOLAG OGARE/ MILAGU SADHAM

How to make Milagorai , How to make pepper rice, How to make  milagu sadham

Milagorai is a zesty, Iyengar special rice recipe, served as a prasadam in Perumal kovil (temple) and mutts. It is very good for digestion. A spicy rice, easy and simple to make. We call mixed rice varieties like this as kalandha sadham or chitrannam. In an Iyengar household, any food made is offered to Perumal alongwith 'tulasi' and also the food should not be tasted while cooking. Everything cooked is partaken as 'Prasadam'.

INGREDIENTS:

Cooked rice - 4 cups
Black pepper - 2 tsp.
Bengal gram (kadalai paruppu) - 1 tsp.
Urad dhal - 1 tsp.
Red chilly - 1
Salt - to taste

To temper:
Gingelly oil - 1 tablespoon

Melted ghee - 2 tsp.
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Cashews - few
Hing - 1/4 tsp.

METHOD:

NOTE: Raw rice should be used. Cook rice in such a way that the grains are separate and not sticky.

Heat oil in a pan, add bengal gram, urad dhal and fry until golden brown, now add chilly and pepper. When it crackles, switch off the stove and transfer to a plate. When cool, powder coarsely.

Spread cooked rice in a plate, add the powder, salt, ghee and a spoon of gingelly oil. Temper with the given ingredients. Mix gently without breaking the grains. Milagorai is ready. Serve with fried appalam or vadam.

Mutt style: Only black pepper is fried in ghee and powdered coarsely. This is mixed to cooked rice alongwith ghee, salt and fried cashews.