HOME MADE COCONUT MILK-How to make coconut milk?

When I was discussing on writing a recipe for coconut milk ,my family members were not too convinced to give a post dedicated to it.I then explained to them that even these come in ready made packets and one of my friends had shared that using ready made shredded coconut or coconut milk has so many ill effects to human body including obesity and infertility due to those preservatives..There is one more reason behind sharing this recipe.Recently when I had met my brother in a family function he was quoting that coconut milk is ranked next to breast milk in terms of nutrition.It is extremely nutritious and healthy as per his doctor. Continue reading “HOME MADE COCONUT MILK-How to make coconut milk?” →

Channa/Chickpeas Biriyani

My love and trials on ONE POT meals never ends.I keep experimenting almost every morning.This channa biriyani came to my mind when I was thinking for doing something other than stir fry or gravy or filling for sandwich with channa.Mom never forgets to include one variety of legume in our daily meal to suffice the daily protein requirement.I also try to follow my mother and always try to include atleast 2 or 3 portions of pulses in daily meal.My son loves all legumes since they are easy to pick and munch on.This simple yet rich dish is one of his favourites.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice-1 cup
Channa/Chickpeas-3/4 cup
Thick coconut milk-3/4 cup
Water-3/4 cup
Garam masala-1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder-A pinch
Salt-To taste
Ghee -To cook

To grind into a smooth paste:

Tomato-1 medium sized
Coconut grated-1 tbsp
Mint leaves-8
Coriander leaves-10
Ginger-A small piece
Garlic-7
Green chilly-2
Shallots-4

To temper:

Bay leaf-1 leaf
Cinnamon-A small piece
Fennel seeds-1/4 tsp
Clove-1

Procedure:

1.Soak Channa/chickpeas overnight after thoroughly washing in water.

2.Rinse and soak rice for 30 minutes in normal water.

3.Pressure cook soaked Channa for 3 whistles.Ensure that they don’t turn mushy.

4.Make a smooth paste out of all ingredients under “To grind into a smooth paste” and keep it aside.

5.In a pressure cooker,add two tbsp of ghee.Add all tempering elements.

6.Now add the paste and fry until raw smell vanishes.

7.Rinse rice well and add the cooked Channa and rice to this.

8.Now add turmeric powder,garam masala and salt and give a quick stir.

9.Add water and coconut milk and cook for three whistles.

10.When the pressure is released carefully fluff it with a fork.

11.Serve it with any raitha of your choice.

P.S:

You can use brown basmati rice too in this recipe.The water+coconut milk required would be 3 cups for 1 cup of rice after soaking in warm water for 40 minutes.

I prefer to pre cook channa to ensure softness.But do take care while cooking.It shouldn’t get mashed.

Introduce channa separately to your baby before trying this recipe.

Adjust spices as per your taste.

Always consult your pediatrician before introducing any new food to babies.

Hope you find this helpful.Do write your valuable feedback as comments so that I shall improve.Please do not forget to stay tuned with me by following by blog here and liking my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/KitchenKathukutty or follow me on Twitter. You can also receive all my recipes in your mail box by providing your mail id here. Do share this with your kith and kin. Do feel free to write to at kitchenkathukutty@gmail.com for any queries.

VEGETABLE BIRIYANI-(With brown rice & fresh masala)

Biriyani is one of my favourites for three reasons-An one pot meal,loaded with veggies and a royal treat.You can make it in n number of ways and my all time favourite is the way my mother makes.I have always wanted try it like the restaurants and with freshly ground masala powder.Fortunately there was an exclusively TV show on biriyani and I had noted the recipe.I am giving below the recipe for 4 servings with all ingredients whereas the images might not have the same quantity.I skipped few ingredients as my family members prefer a lesser spice version.This recipe is yet another one which can be added to my blog’s purpose.Yes,no whites…Check in detail about it here and let me know if you like the PURPOSE OF MY BLOG. I made it with brown basmati rice 🙂

Continue reading “VEGETABLE BIRIYANI-(With brown rice & fresh masala)” →

Eggless Whole Wheat Oats Banana Cake-Without Oven

Tomorrow is Christmas and I am sure all of you are done with your preparations.To add few more recipes to my Christmas collection I had requested my good old school friend Ishwarya Shanmugam to help me with a guest post.She readily accepted it and gave me an awesome recipe in no time.We have known each other for 20+ years and she is a good friend of mine.In fact she is one of the great reasons behind my blogs.She helped me in all possible ways to begin this and always keep encouraging me.She is a versatile and extremely multi-talented person since childhood and now she is doing a lovely job in her space https://ishwaryawrites.wordpress.com. Go through this space and you will know that my words are very true. With no more words I am handing over the space to my beloved friend.THANKS A BUNCH for this recipe and always being supportive dear. Continue reading “Eggless Whole Wheat Oats Banana Cake-Without Oven” →

Thakkalli Kolakari(Tomato Khicidi)

This kolakari also known as khicidi amidst our family is a perfect combination to idly/dosa.

Ingredients:

Tomato-4
Onion-1
Green Chilly-1
Salt-To taste
Turmeric powder-A pinch
Hing-A pinch
Oil-To cook

To Temper:

Mustard Seeds-1/2 tbsp
Urad Dhal-1/2 tbsp
Curry leaves

Procedure:

1.Steam cook/boil the tomatoes and blanch them.

2.Mash the tomatoes well and keep it aside.

3.Heat oil in kadai and temper with mustard seeds,urad dhal and curry leaves.

4.Add hing and turmeric powder.

5.Add chopped onion and chilly and saute well until onion turns translucent.

6.Add around a cup of water and let it boil

7.Now add the mashed tomatoes pulp.

8.When the mixture starts boiling,add salt and mix it well.

9.Switch off the gas and serve the curry with idly.

P.S: The consistency should be like idly sambhar.Stop cooking accordingly. You can also use a mixer to make tomato pulp. Choose tangy country side tomato to have the best kolakari.

Vendhaya Charu/Puli Thaneer

A favourite dish of the family for around four generations. A very simple and easy to do recipe.

Ingredients:

Tamarind Extract-1 cup
Shallots-1/4 cup chopped
Garlic-1/4 cup chopped
Salt-To taste
Hing-1/4 tbsp
Turmeric powder-1/4 tbsp
Oil-To cook

To Temper:

Mustard Seeds-1/4 tbsp
Urad dhal-1/4 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds-1/2 tbsp
Red Chilly-2
Curry leaves

Procedure:

Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds and let it spultter
Then add urad dhal,curry leaves,red chillies and fenugreek seeds.
When curry leaves begins to crackle,reduce the flame because over toasting fenugreek seeds will add a bitter taste.
Now add chopped shallot and garlic and saute in medium flame.
When the oil turns golden brown add hing and turmeric and give a quick stir.
Add around half cup of water and let it boil.
When it begins to boil add the tamarind extract and let it boil.
Add salt and mix well.
Let it boil for 5 minutes and transfer to serving bowl.
Serve it hot with rice.

P.S:

Porikadalai thuvaiyal is a excellent combination.

You can also do tempering separately and add it at last.

The more shallots and garlic you add the tastier it is.

Adjust the level of red chilly as per your taste.

Brinjal/egg plant Khicidi(Kathirikkai Kolakari)

The only way in which I wish to take brinjal is this khicidi. It is a perfect combination with steaming hot idly. Brinjal being a rich source of iron would be a perfect side dish for breakfast.

Ingredients:

Brinjal-5 numbers(small and tender)

Onion-1/2 cup chopped

Green chilly-1 chopped

Tamarind extract-1/4 cup

Hing-A pinch

Turmeric Powder-A pinch

Salt-To taste

Oil-To Cook

To temper:

Mustard seeds-1/2 tbsp

Urad Dhal-1/2 tbsp

Curry leaves

Procedure:

Wash and pressure cook brinjal.

Peel off the skin and mash it well.

In a kadai,add oil and temper with mustard seeds,urad dhal and curry leaves.

Add green chilly,onion and mashed brinjal and saute them well.

Add hing and turmeric powder and give quick stir by adding half cup of water.

When this boils,add tamarind extract and salt.

Let it boil for 5 minutes and stop cooking when it reaches sambar consistency.

Serve it hot with idly.

My Observations:

You can add more chillies to adjust your taste.

Prefer white egg plants and not hybrid variety.

Radish Sambhar

A very common dish which occupies our plate and sambhar seems like the prime dish for most vegetarians.A very simple recipe for everyone.

Ingredients:

Radish-1 medium sized
Shallots-5 to 8
Tamarind extract-1/4 cup
Toor dhal-1/2 cup
Sambhar Powder-1 tbsp
Turmeric powder-1/4 tbsp
Hing-1/4 tbsp
Salt- To taste
Oil- To cook

To temper:

Mustard seeds-1/4 tbsp
Urad dhal-1/4 tbsp
Curry leaves

To grind:

Coconut-2 tbsp
Cumin seeds-1/2 tbsp

Procedure:

Wash and soak the toor dhal for 10 minutes.
Pressure cook the dhal and set it aside.
Wash the radish,peel the skin and cut it into round pieces.
Add oil in a kadai and temper with mustard seeds,urad dhal and curry leaves.
Now add the shallots. When shallots turn transparent add radish and saute well.
Add hing,turmeric powder and sambhar powder. Give a quick stir.
Add water and let the radish cook.
Meanwhile in a mixer , grind the grated coconut and cumin seeds by adding 2 tbsp of water and set it aside.
When radhish is cooked well,mash the dhal and add .
Add tamarind extract and salt and give a quick boil.
Finally add the coconut+cumin seeds paste and give a quick stir.
Let it boil for 2 minutes. Switch the kadai and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with rice

My Observations:

Ensure that the radish is cooked before adding tamarind extract.

After adding coconut+cumin seeds paste if you feel the sambhar is diluted ,you can let it boil for some more time.

Adjust the level of sambhar powder as per your taste.

I prefer adding hing,turmeric and sambhar powder while I saute veggies,so that the flavour sticks to them too. If you wish you can add it even after step 9.

In the same recipe you can use brinjal,ridge gourd,drum stick,raw mango,pumpkin instead of radish. The boiling time will vary depending on cooking time of the vegetable.

You can also precook the veggie for 2 whistles in pressure cooker if you feel the veggie to be not so fresh.

Sweet Ragi Adai

The sweet version of ragi adai which posted earlier is as below.

Ingredients:

Ragi flour-1 cup

Jaggery grated-1/2 cup

Water-2 cups

Salt-To taste

Oil-To cook

Procedure:

Disslove jaggery by adding it to around 3/4 cup of boiling water.

Strain it for impurities,add salt and while its warm,add it to the ragi flour and keep mixing.

Add water if required until you attain a dough which can be even tapped into adai with hand.

Make it into balls and spread it with hand on a plastic sheet greased with oil.

Cook on dosa tava by sprinkling oil/ghee

My observations:

The consistency of the dough should be like that of thatai.

Spread into smaller adai so that it would not break.

Vegetable Pulao

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice-1 cup
Carrot-1/4 cup chopped
Onion-1/4 cup chopped
Beans-1/4 cup chopped
Spring Onion-1/4 cup chopped
Green Peas-1/4 cup chopped
Capsicum-3 tbsp chopped
Ginger garlic paste-2 tbsp
Salt-To taste
Oil-To cook

Procedure:

Rinse and wash rice.Soak rice in water for 30 minutes.
Cook rice in 1 cup of water and fluff it up with fork.
Add oil and saute ginger garlic paste.
Add chopped onion,capsicum,carrot,beans,peas and saute well each of vegetable.
Mix it with rice and salt to taste
Serve it with any manchurian.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati rice-2 cups
Carrot-1/4 cup(Finely chopped)
Potato-1/4 cup(Finely chopped)
Onion-1/4 cup(Finely chopped)
Beans-1/4 cup(Finely chopped)
Green peas–1/4 cup
Corn kernels-1/4 cup
Spring onion-1 tbsp(Finely chopped)
Capsicum-2 tbsp(Finely chopped)
Garlic–2 tbsp(Finely chopped)
Green chilly-1
Soya sauce-1/4 tbsp
Green chilly sauce-1 tbsp
Salt-To taste
Pepper-1/2 tbsp
Ghee-To cook

Procedure:

Chop all vegetables like carrot, potato, beans length wise.
Cook green peas and corn kernels for 2 whistles.
Chop spring onion, capsicum, garlic and set aside.
Soak basmati rice in warm water for 20 minutes after thoroughly rinsing.
Fry the rice in ghee with one split green chilly.
Remove the chilly and pressure cook rice in 2 cups of water and fluff it up with a fork.
Heat kadai add ghee and saute onion, carrot, potato and beans one after the other separately.
Give more time for carrot, beans and potato, as it ll take little time to cook.
While frying all vegetables is done, add ghee in a kadai (pan) and saute garlic, spring onion and capsicum.
Add very little amount of soya sauce.
Reduce the flame and add all fried and cooked veggies.
Add green chilly sauce, salt, pepper and mix it well.
Finally mix this with the rice and serve hot .
Garnish with spring onion green part.

My Observations:

I mostly skip adding soya sauce and green chilly sauce.
You can add ajinomoto if you wish.

After adding soya sauce don’t cook with high flame.

While you saute the vegetables, ensure that they get cooked to 50%.

To increase the spice level you can adjust pepper level.

You have to chop the vegetables very thin.

Double decker sweet dosa

This recipe is so simple but it would save you when you have no option. This was the most favourite dish of hubby’s grandma.

Ingredients:

Dosa batter-1 cup
Jaggery grated-1/2 cup
Oil-To cook

Procedure:

Grease a dosa tava,spread a ladle of batter and make slightly thick dosa.
Sprinkle oil and cook the dosa only one side by closing it with a lid. Set this dosa aside.
Now repeat step.1. Sprinkle oil and spread the grated jaggery on it.
Ensure spreading jaggery immediately for proper blending
Cook the jaggery spread dosa with one side closed.
Place the dosa from step 2 on this dosa while tava and cook for 2 mins.
Serve it hot.

White Sooji(Rava) Dosa

This recipe was shared to me by my aunt. My aunt is an excellent cook and my uncle is an excellent critic.

Ingredients:

White Sooji-1 1/2 cups
Rice flour-1 cups
Maida-1/2 cup
Curd-3 cups
Salt-To taste
Onion,curry leaves,coriander leaves-1 cup(Finely chopped)
Cashew Nut-5
Oil-To cook

Procedure:

Mix sooji in curd and set in aside for 2 hours.
Sooji would have doubled in its quantity.Now add salt,maida,rice flour and mix it well with water to reach a pouring batter.
Set it aside for few mins and add all chopped ingredients along with cashew.
Grease a tava and spread the batter evenly to make dosa.

My Observations:

The ratio of sooji:rice flour:maida is 3:2:1.

The ratio of sooji:curd is 1:2.

The curd should be slightly sour.

Addition of water has to be done carefully because the dosa will break while turning if excess water is added.

Coconut chutney will be a great combo to this.

Wheat Dosa

An easy instant dosa variety which can be prepared in a matter of 15 minutes.

Ingredients:

Wheat-1 cup
Onion-1/2 cup(Finely chopped)
Green Chilly-2
Salt-To taste
Oil-To cook

Procedure:
Add salt to water and mix it well.
Add wheat flour slowly to this water and mix well.
Add water and mix till you reach dosa batter constitency
Add chopped onion and green chilly and mix well.
Grease a dosa tava , spread the batter evenly to make a dosa.

My Observations:

The same procedure can be followed by adding the flour to left over dosa batter.

Adding a spoon of rice flour gives a crispy taste.

Coconut/tomato chutney makes a good combo.

Coriander leaves and curry leaves can also be chopped and added to enhance the flavour.