Sorakaya Verkadalai Poriyal

Sorakaya verkadali poriyal is a TamilNadu delicay served with steamed rice and lentil curry.  Bottle gourd and peanuts are cooked together make a perfect side dish to complete south Indian meal. The peanut powder binds bottle gourd and all the ingredients together.  This is fairly a quick recipe prepared in about 20 minutes.

Ingredients

1 Bottle gourd, cubed

1 Onion, finely chopped

1 Tomato, finely chopped

1 inch piece Ginger

1/2 cup Peanut

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Chili powder

2 tsp Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

a sprig of curry leaves

1/2 cup water

Salt

Method

• Dry roast peanut and let it cool. Remove the skin and grind it into powder. Keep it aside
• Preheat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and curry leaves. When it starts to sizzle, add onions. Saute until onions turns transparent
• Add turmeric powder and chili powder. Give it a little stir
• Then add tomatoes and cook until it softens
• Add bottle gourd and water. Cook for 15 minutes
• Season it with salt and add peanut powder. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes
• Serve hot with rice and curry

Neyveli Eral Kuzhambu | Prawns Curry

Out five star high protein and low calorie shell fish recipe. Neyveli Eral Kuzhambu (prawns curry) is exceedingly fast to cook. My aunt Geetha Suresh shared this recipe. 
I  bought the shrimps at a local Chinese grocery store and made it over lazy Sunday's dinner.

My husband instantly loved this scrumptious recipe.  The flavors of fresh shrimp taker over other ingredients in the curry. Trust me, I have made shrimp curry with frozen shrimp. It is rubbery and doesn't taste as good as the fresh ones. The condiments and raw spices add a very good taste to the pallet. 

This is the recipe for a good pallet.

Ingredients

500 gms deveined Shrimps

5 tsp Oil

1 stick Cinnamon

4 Cloves

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

1 tsp Ginger-garlic paste

1 Onion, finely chopped

2 Tomatoes, finely chopped

2 Green chilies, finely chopped

1 Red Chili

3/4 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

1/2 tsp Red Chili powder

1/4 tsp Pepper Powder

3/4 cup Water

Salt

Handful of chopped cilantro

Method

• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add cinnamon, cloves and fennel seeds. When it starts to sizzle, add ginger-garlic paste, green chilies, red chilies. Stir for few seconds
• Add onions and saute until it softens 
• Add tomatoes and cook until it softens
• Now add the dry ingredients - turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder and pepper powder. Add water and mix well. Cook for 5 minuted until the gravy thickens
• Now add shrimp and adjust salt as per taste. Mix well until the gravy coats the shrimp. Cook for 2 to 5 minutes
• Stir with chopped cilantro
• Serve hot with rice or chapathi

Spongy Walnut Pound Cake

Try this new dessert and my tea time favorite "Spongy Walnut Pound Cake". When I first tasted it, it was very indulging, spongy and nutty served with fresh fruit. This is a classic recipe in Indian bakery's made without nuts.

My friend Neha taught me this recipe. I was extremely overwhelmed and blow away when I took a bite of this cake for the first time. Though I don't bake often, I made this cake several times in last couple of years.

Ingredients

3 Eggs

1 cup Sugar

3/4 cup Butter

1/4 cup Cold Milk (optional)

2 tsp Vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp Baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups Flour

1/2 cup Chopped Walnuts

Method

• Beat together eggs, sugar, milk and butter using a electric mixer on high speed until it is fluffy
• Add vanilla extract, salt and baking powder. And then beat the mixture
• Reduce the speed of electric mixer and slowly add the flour in batches. Mix until the batter becomes creamy
• Now add chopped walnuts and fold the batter
• Preheat over at 350 F
• Pour the batter on a greased cake pan and place it on middle rack in the oven. Bake for 1 hour until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow 30 minutes for cooling time
• Serve with fresh fruit

                                          

Khara Papdi

Try this quick recipe  to devour. An easy tea time snack to munchkin. Khara papri are thin crisps deep fried spicy squares paired with tea. It is spicy, light and easy to prepare.

I make papdis to prepare chats like masala puri, dhahi papdi, papdi chat or sometimes serve it plain with tea or coffee. Another innovative use is to add it in salads. Just crush papdis and add it to salads. It is crispy in every bite. I also liked the idea to eat it like chips and salsa or just dip with tangy chutney!!

Ingredients

1 cup Flour

1 tsp Pepper corns

1/2 tsp Ajwain (caraway seeds)

1/2 tsp Salt

Cold water

Oil for deep frying

Method

• Coarsely grind pepper corns and ajwain
• Whisk together flour, pepper powder, ajwain and salt
• Add cold water to knead into stiff dough. Cover it with a damp cloth and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes
• Now divide the dough into equal shaped balls. Roll each ball into thin circles., Prick papdi using fork
• Use cookie cutter to cut into different shapes
• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed deep dish
• Gently drop each papdi into oiol. Fry evenly until it turns golden brown
• Use absorbent paper to drain excess oil. Set aside until it cools. Store in an air tight container for future use

Thalapakatti Veg Biryani

Minty, peppery, spicy and flavored vegetable biryani from Dindugal. Its an appealing dish cooked for masses. Thalapakatti is a regional cuisine from Dindugal in Tamil Nadu. 

Me and PG had Thalapakatti Veg Biryani at our friends place. Our dear friend Kamalesh and his newly wed wife Sukanya made this charming and enticing dish. 

This recipe is infused with flavors of several spices such as bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, mace, star anise and coriander.Vegetables are cooked with a perfect blend of all these spices. Truly a delectable dish!!

Ingredients

2 cups of mixed Vegetables (carrots, peas, mushroom, beans, potato, cauliflower..), diced

1/2 cup Oil

2 Bay leaf

6 Cloves

6 Cardamom pods

2 Sticks of Cinnamon

1 Mace

1 Star Anise

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

1/4 tsp Pepper corns

5 Green Chilies

a Sprig of Curry Leaves

3 tsp crushed Ginger and Garlic

1 large Onion, Cut lengthwise

1 small bunch of Mint, only leaves & chopped

1 small bunch of Cilantro, chopped

1 Tomato, diced

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Biryani Powder

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp garam Masala

4 cups Seeragasamba Rice / Basmati Rice

4 cups of water

Salt

Method

• Wash and soak rice in water for 15 minutes
• In a large pot, heat oil. When it is smoking hot, add these ingredients - bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, mace, star anise, fennel seeds, pepper corns, green chilies, curry leaves, ginger & garlic. Saute for few seconds
• Then add onions and  tomatoes. Saute until onions and tomato softens
• Add coriander leaves and mint
• Add the vegetables, turmeric powder, garam masala, coriander powder, biryani masala and salt. Cook vegetables on medium heat without adding water. About 15 minutes
• Now drain water from the rice. And transfer the rice to the pot. Add water and adjust salt as per to the taste. Mix well. Cover the pot and cook on medium-low for 15-20 minutes. 
• Serve hot with raita

Thalapakatti Chicken Biryani

Minty, peppery, spicy and flavored chicken biryani from Dindugal. Its an appealing dish cooked for masses. Thalapakatti is a regional cuisine from Dindugal in Tamil Nadu. 

Me and PG had Thalapakatti Chicken Biryani at our friends place. Our dear friend Kamalesh and his newly wed wife Sukanya made this charming and enticing dish. 

This recipe is infused with flavors of several spices such as bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, mace, star anise and coriander. Chicken is cooked with a blend of all these spices. Truly a delectable dish!!

Ingredients

500 gms Chicken (with bones)

1/2 cup Oil

2 Bay leaf

6 Cloves

6 Cardamom pods

2 Sticks of Cinnamon

1 Mace

1 Star Anise

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

1/4 tsp Pepper corns

5 Green Chilies

a Sprig of Curry Leaves

3 tsp crushed Ginger and Garlic

1 large Onion, Cut lengthwise

1 small bunch of Mint, only leaves & chopped

1 small bunch of Cilantro, chopped

1 Tomato, diced

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Biryani Powder

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp garam Masala

4 cups Seeragasamba Rice / Basmati Rice

4 cups of water

Salt

Method

• Wash and soak rice in water for 15 minutes
• In a large pot, heat oil. When it is smoking hot, add these ingredients - bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, mace, star anise, fennel seeds, pepper corns, green chilies, curry leaves, ginger & garlic. Saute for few seconds
• Then add onions and  tomatoes. Saute until onions and tomato softens
• Add coriander leaves and mint
• Add Chicken, turmeric powder, garam masala, coriander powder, biryani masala and salt. Cook chicken on medium heat without adding water. About 25-30 minutes
• Now drain water from the rice. And transfer the rice to the pot. Add water and adjust salt as per to the taste. Mix well. Cover the pot and cook on medium-low for 15-20 minutes. 
• Serve hot with raita

Akki Rotti

Pan fried, pancake shaped, crispy rotti made with rice flour. Akki ( rice in Kannada) rotti is a southern Karnataka based breakfast recipe. Akki rotti is usually compliments with coconut chutney and sometimes ghee is also preferred. Also , it is served with spicy mutton curry which is my favorite accompaniment. 

It's a southern delicacy where only few restaurants include rotti in their menu mainly because it is time consuming and takes a little longer to cook when compared to Dosa. But home made rotti's always tastes so good. There are infinite variations to this recipe. Any kind of shredded vegetables can be added to the dough and also increases its nutritional value. 

Ingredients

4 cups of Rice flour2 Onions, finely chopped1 large bunch of Dill5 Green chilis, chopped1 tsp Cumin seeds4 tsp Grated coconutSaltWater Oil for pan fry

Method

• Boil water in a pot
• Mix together rice flour, onions, dill, cumin seeds, green chilies and salt

• Add boiling water in small batches just enough to for the dough

• Cover the mixing bowl . The steam which is trapped allows the dough to cook partially. Set aside for 15-20 minutes
• Divide the dough into equal portions. Take each portions and shape it into balls
• Place one portion of the shaped dough on a greased flat pan. Wet your palm and  pat the dough to form a pancake working from inwards and spread it evenly outwards 

                                                 

• Add few drops of oil on the edges. Cook on medium heat on both the sides until it turns golden brown

• For the next rotti, cool the pan with running cold water and repeat the above 2 steps
• Serve hot with coconut chutney. And some ghee is also preferred