Kollu/Horse Gram Gravy

     This is MY "SALEM" special. Weekly once they use to prepare this in different forms. I like to share my old memory of this recipe. Being a very big family and each of us staying in different places, we use to gather in my granny's house during our childhood summer vacation. On the day one, my granny's recipe will be this. She prefers to prepare this ONLY in Traditional way using mortar and pestle. Whenever she starts her preparation, there will be a big fight among us (grandchildren) to help her. Me, will be the WINNER as always to help her, b'cos am the first grandchild among all.... Yipppeeee !! Do you know the funny No No CRIMINAL reason behind my GREAT helping mind? so that i can taste/lick the Kollu while grinding without my grandma's knowledge :P "Thirudi sapadra sogame sogam". Eventhough, my lil finger will get smashed inbetween will not change my helping (read it as "licking KOLLU") mind, Paavam old lady know. He he :) Missing all those (G)olden days & moment now :( With this OLD & Sweet memories, sharing this special recipe for ur views.....

ALL YOU NEED:

Horse Gram	1 cup
Chopped Big Onion	1 No.
Small onion	5 Nos.
Chopped Tomato	1 No.
Tamarind Syrup	1/4 cup
Turmeric Powder	Pinch
Chilly Powder	Pinch
Pepper Corns	2 spoon
Cumin Seeds	1 spoon
Coconut	2 pieces
Garic	4 flakes
Curry leaf	2 Twigs
Coriander Leaf	1 Twig
Mustard	1 spoon
Salt	To Taste
Oil	3 spoons

METHOD:
     Soak Horse gram overnight. Pressure it for 10 minutes in simmer after a whistle. Once the pressure goes off, coarsely grind the gram and keep aside. Grind pepper corns, cumin seeds, Garlic flakes, Coconut pieces along with required chilly powder to a fine paste. Keep a pan, heat a spoon of oil. Saute chopped big onion until it turns golden color. Add chopped tomato saute it finely. Then add both the grinded mixture (Horse Gram and Pepper corn items). Pour a cup of water along with Tamarind syrup. Adjust with salt. Give a hard stir without any lumps of grinded horse gram. Allow it to boil. Meantime, lets start our garnishing procedure. Take a fry pan, heat a spoon of oil. Let the mustard get splutters (Its Rhyming :P), add small onion, curry and corainder leaf, fry it for few minutes. Add the garnished item into the gravy, Allow it to boil, until the raw smell of pepper masala goes off. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Note:Take a bit care on the amount of chilly powder while adding as we have pepper corns masala.

♬ Sangeetha♡Nambi ♬

Onion Podi Dosai

     Whenever i feel "NOT TO HAVE PLAIN" dosa, will prepare dosa with some variance like Podi Dosa, Onion Dosa, Veggie dosa etc. etc.. Yesterday was that "NOT TO HAVE PLAIN" day. Few days back, we bought some store bought "Garlic Dhall Powder", none of us liked that powder so it was untouched for past couple of weeks. I dont like to waste that too. So, thought of using that powder for garnishing the onion dosai. Me as a Onion lover, while tossing the dosa the smell of both Onion and Garlic was very pleasing which tempted me to taste the dosa immediately. You wont believe me, i can feel smell even now.

ALL YOU NEED:

Dosa Batter	1 cup
Chopped Onion	1 Nos.
Garlic Dhall powder	1 spoon
Oil/Ghee	2 spoons

METHOD:
     Heat the dosa pan by spreading a spoon of oil over it. Then pour 1 cup of Dosa batter over the pan. Then add chopped onion evenly across the poured batter. Add a spoon of Garlic-dhall powder over the spreaded onion. Add a spoon of oil/ghee around the border and on the added onions. Allow it to sit for 2 mins. Then turn the dosa with spatula. Allow it to cook for 3 mins. Replace it in a plate and serve hot with perfect sidedish.

TIP: While pouring the batter, let it be bit thick like Oothappam so that onion will get stick to it.

♬ Sangeetha♡Nambi ♬

Bottle Gourd Kootu

     Its was a very heavy CYCLONE day with storm and rain, i dont feel like cooking but need to prepare, atleast to feed my lil one. I am helpless now. So, just searched the fridge, got a single bottle gourd. Sat infront of that and just surfing my RAM (BRAIN) what to prepare with that. Whoo, GOT IT finally. Just thought to try with "Toor Dhall". So, started to prepare my "SAVIOR" recipe :P I should say, that is a kid's delight with hot steamed rice. To my surprise, my lil one enjoyed thoroughly, NOT ONLY lil one, even the "BIG" (Great Sangeetha) & "VERY BIG" (Hubby) one :)

ALL YOU NEED:

Diced Bottle Gourd	1/4 kg
Boiled Toor Dhall	1 cup
Vertically Chopped Onion	2 Nos.
Chopped Tomato	2 Nos.
Smashed Garlic	6 Nos.
Curry Leaf	2 Twigs
Coriander Leaf	1 Twig
Red chilly	4 Nos.
Turmeric Powder	Pinch
Mustard	1 spoon
Tamarind Syrup	1/4 cup (Optional)
Grated Coconut	1/4 cup
Oil	To Garnish
Salt	To Taste

METHOD:
     Keep a pan, heat a spoon of oil. Saute chopped onion and tomato. Then add diced bottle gourd by adding toor dhall, turmeric powder and required salt to it. Allow it to boil, until the bottle gourd gets cooked. Meantime, Take a fry pan, heat a spoon of oil, add mustard, smashed garlic, curry leaf, corainder leaf and red chillies. Pour the garnish items and grated coconut into the bottle gourd mixture. Let it boil for 5 minutes and serve hot with steamed rice or with rotis.

♬ Sangeetha♡Nambi ♬

Ghee Rice

     Ghee Rice - Its a kid's delight or best lunchbox filler. Its been long time not SIMPLE long its very looooooooooooonnnnngggg i prepared this recipe. U know, just a month back, my kid tasted this for the first time. Donot know how i missed my favy lunchbox filler !! Whenever i prepare this, it will come out with a great flavourful smell. Last week, i tried this by adding a green peas, to add more flavour. Asusual, the taste was great but to my suprise, my 2 year old kid, enjoyed it thoroughly with Onion & Cucumber raita. Here comes my doubt, As my kid is a VERY BAD EATER, she enjoyed this dish !! Till now, i didnt get answer what made her to gobble it ? whether it is the tasty ghee rice or Raitha ??!! :( Need to have a debate with my kid :P With this doubtful note, enjoy this Ghee rice recipe friends....

ALL YOU NEED:

Basmathi Rice	2 cups
Ghee	4 to 5 spoons
Green Chilly	3 Nos.
Whole spices	As required
Vertically chopped Onion	2 Nos.
Ginger Garlic Paste	1 spoon
Salt	To Taste
Soaked Green Peas	1 cup
Water	3 3/4 cups

METHOD:
     Heat 5 spoons of ghee in a pressure cooker, add chopped onion, slited green chillies, whole spices, saute it with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes. Add ginger garlic paste, saute it until raw smell goes off. Add green peas & basmathi rice to it. Mix it with onion mixture. Pour the water and adjust the with required salt. Do partial close with the cooker lid. Once the water gets boiled, Close the cooker, completely and put the whistle. Keep flame in simmer. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Switch off the flame and after pressure goes off, serve the flavourful rice with raitha. Yummy !!!

Note:Can also add coconut milk but it tastes like Pulao.

♬ Sangeetha♡Nambi ♬

Fruit Custard

    Before posting a recipe for today. I wish all my my co-bloggers and every mom in this world a "VERY HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY (BELATED)". Lets enjoy this MOTHER'S DAY with this dessert.

     One day my family visited our kin's place for a vacation. She (AUNT) is having Knee problem but she'll never-ever care about that and she makes her get involved in cooking 24 * 7. I should say, COOKING is her PASSION nowadays. Due to our arrival, she prepared lot, NO NO loads of varities without minding her Knee problem. Just for me she prepared a dessert which is "FRUIT CUSTARD". As am "BIG" NOT a favy person for Milk, i was skeptical to taste that dish for the first time. Eventhough, she use to prepare that recipe often, she is very enthu to get my feedback. I can feel her affection towards me in that dessert :) Only for that sake, i tasted it. OMG ! what a recipe it is !!?? You wont believe me, i asked her to freze for the next day and tasted it daily till i back to chennai. :) So, once i reached chennai, my first try was this. Here is my "Impressed" recipe for your views.

ALL YOU NEED:

Milk	1/2 litre
Sugar	To Taste
Custard Powder	2 spoons
Assorted Fruits	2 cups

METHOD:
     Add 2 spoons of custard powder in a water/milk and make it as watery without any lumps and keep aside. Take a thick bottomed pan, heat half litre milk and make it thicker until half litre becomes quarter litre. Inbetween add required sugar. Give a proper stir, once the sugar gets dissolved and milk gets thicker, add 2 custard powder liquid, do a hard stir for more than 5 mins, so that lumps will not formed. Now you can see the thickness, once we add custard powder. Put off the flame. Let it cool completely and then store it in fridge. After 1 hour or so, take a serving cup with assorted fruits and add custard over it and serve it cool as a perfect dessert.

Note:Make sure custard should be bit watery.

♬ Sangeetha♡Nambi ♬

Tri-colored Bean/Dhall Kurma

     You know the reason behind that "Tri-colored". I'll describe you :) I always love spicy kurma wih hot steamed rice & chappathi. Few days back i bought "Raajma", as that it is the first time, i dont know what to do with that other than sundals. Next day my lunch recipe was "Peas Kurma", so inadvertently soaked along with Peas and while surfing my freezer for some product, i saw some left out channa dhalls, so again added it with Peas & Raajma. All three were enjoyed in water overnite ! This is the mokkai story behind that Tri-coloured.

ALL YOU NEED:

Green Peas	1/4 cup
Channa Dhall	1/4 cup
Raajma	1/4 cup
Chopped Onion	2 Nos.
Chopped Tomato	2 Nos.
Curry Leaf	1 Twig
Corainder Leaf	2 Twigs
Turmeric Powder	Pinch
Chilly powder	2 spoons
Corainder powder	1 spoon
Ginger	1 inch
Coconut Pieces	4 to 5 Nos.
Cinnamon	2 Nos.
Cardamom	1 No.
Fennel Seeds	2 spoons
Cloves	4 to 5 Nos.
Salt	To Taste
Mustard	1 spoon
Oil	1 spoon

METHOD:
     Soak Peas, channa Dhall & Raajma overnite. Pressure cook it for 3 whistle and keep aside. Heat a spoon of oil in a pan, add mustard, chopped onion, Cinnamon, cardamom, 1 spoon of fennel seeds and cloves. Saute it for 5 mins. Then add chopped tomato, turmeric powder, chilly powder, Corainder leaf, curry leaf, pinch of salt, saute it until oil oozes out. Then add pressure cooked bean/dhall and mix well with the sauted mixture. Let it sit for 5 minutes, mix it inbetween. Meantime, grind coconut pieces with fennel seeds and corainder seeds to a fine paste. Pour it into the pan and add required water and salt. Allow it to boil, until the raw smell of coconut goes off. Now tasty "TRI-COLOURED" kurma ready and serve it with hot steamed rice and roti/chappathi

♬ Sangeetha♡Nambi ♬

Onion Ghee Dosai

     I always fell in love with Onion in whatever form it is. Its a big romantic story :) Fine, when it comes to Onion Dosa, Yipee! i go grazy with it forever. One day, i was in extreme mood (!) to prepare dosa for my dinner. Thougt, why need to go for Plain Dosa, took 2/3 onions, started preparing Onion Dosa. After preparing 2 dosas, thought why need to prepare "Plain Onion dosa" again, surfed my fridge for ghee. Yes, finally i got. Why need to be Miser in using Ghee, added 3 spoons of ghee. Whoo! what a taste with crispy ghee smelled onions! Again a memory in my romantic story with Onion.. He he he... Here you go the method to prepare a single Onion Ghee Dosa....

ALL YOU NEED:

Dosa Batter	1 cup
Chopped Onion	1 Nos.
Ghee	2 spoons
Oil	1 spoon

METHOD:
     Heat the dosa pan by spreading a spoon of oil over it. Then pour 1 cup of Dosa batter over the pan. Then add chopped onion evenly across the poured batter. Add 2 spoons of ghee around the border and on the added onions. Allow it to sit for 2 mins. Then turn the dosa with spatula. Allow it cook for 3 mins. Replace it in a plate and serve hot with perfect sidedish. TIP: While pouring the batter, let it be bit thick like Oothappam so that onion will get stick to it.

♬ Sangeetha♡Nambi ♬

Dual dhall gravy

     I think this is the most favy recipe to my MIL. Not because she like it, she use to prepare this gravy very often i.e. once in a week. I am not blaming her, just an info :P Jokes apart. When she cooks this recipe, the smell will take off the entire home. Yes, i really love this recipe (No ICE, am really appreciating her) with hot & crispy dosa. One day, it was my time to prepare this. He he he. Just tried for the first time, without any knowledge on this. I was very flabbergasted on seeing the outcome. You know, it take off my entire kitchen but not the entire house :( I am sure, my next try will take off my entire home. Practice make man PERFECT ! :) So, here comes my new tried recipe.

ALL YOU NEED:

Bengal Gram	2 spoons
Urad Dhall	1 spoon
Green chilly	1 No.
Curry Leaf	1 twig
Onion	2 Nos.
Tomato	1 No.
Coconut	2 pieces
Chilly powder	1 spoon
Turmeric powder	Pinch
Salt	To Taste
Oil	1 spoon
Mustard	To Temper

METHOD:
     Heat a spoon of oil in a pan. Fry bengal gram and urad dhall until it turns golden brown and allow it to cool. Heat a spoon of oil again, add mustard. Once it splutters, add chopped onion, tomato, slited green chilly and curry leaf, saute it until onion and tomato becomes mushy. Now grind the fried grams (Bengal & Urad) with coconut and make it as fine paste. Pour the grinded mixture in the pan, add turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt and required water. Bring it to boil, until the raw smell goes off. Now swtich off the flame and transfer it to serving bowl. Serve hot with Hot Idly & Crispy Dosa. Yummy !!!!!

Note:Make sure not to add much dhalls, as it will make much thicker and reduce the taste.

♬ Sangeetha Nambi ♬