Tiffin/Breakfast variety: Upma/pidi kozhukattai

 Upma kozhakattai is a delicious south Indian break fast variety. Simple and easy to make. Healthy as steam cooked. 

Ingredients: (12 kozhakattai)

Raw rice - 1cup

Grated coconut - 2tbs

Salt - as required

For seasoning:

Mustard seeds - 1tsp

Chana dal- 1tsp

Urid dal - 1 tsp

Red chili - 2 

Hing - a pinch

Curry leaves - few

Coconut oil - 1tbs

Method:

Preparation of rice rava:

1. Soak raw rice after rinsing for 1 hr.
2.  Filter the water and dry it under fan by spreading over a towel or cloth. 
3. When the rice is dried ( when you hold a handful of rice it will stick for a while and when you leav,e it will spread out).
4.  Dry grind it in the mixer into coarse powder. It should be the size of  wheat rava. (Dalia). If the rice is not dried properly you can't get it grinded properly.

Method

1. Heat coconut oil in a big pan and add mustard seeds.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Add urid dal, Chana dal, broken red chili and Hing after mustard seeds splutters.
3. Add curry leaves.
4. Measure the rice rava and add equal proportion of water to the pan.
5. Add salt and allow the water to boil well. Add grated coconut.
6. Add the rice rava slowly simultaneously stirring continuously.
7. When it thickens switch off the stove and allow it to cool.
8. Roll them in oval balls and steam cook in idly cooker for 20minutes,
9. Serve hot with Curry leaves chutney/coconut chutney.

Making curry leaves chutney:

Grind half a cup of grated coconut with half a cup of fresh curry leaves with two green chilis and Hing. Add salt as required and season with mustard seeds, urid dal, red chili and Hing.

Pirandai thogayal

 Pirandai is a climber and can be easily grown in kitchen garden which has lots of medicinal benefits.It is good for digestion, cough, cold and lot more. Those who suffer from piles can use pirandia once in three days to get relief.

Ingredients:

Black Sesame seeds (Ellu) - 1tbs

Urid dal - 2 tbsp.

Red chili - 3

Grated coconut - 1tbs

Grated ginger - 1tbs

Tamarind - size of a goose berry (Amla)

Fresh Curry leaves -handful

Hing - a pinch

Jaggary - size of a badam seed

sesame oil/cooking oil- 1tbs

Salt as required.

Pirandai ( tender ones will be better) - two pieces with a length of 6 to 9 inches (approx. a pencil length)

Method:

1. Dry roast sesame seeds till it splutters. Remove and keep aside.
2. Add 1/2 tsp of oil and roast urid dal, hing and red chili. Remove and keep aside.
3. Wash pirandai and take the stem alone. Cut it into small pieces, Saute pirandai in the remaining oil.Remove and keep aside.
4. Saute Ginger.
5. Add Sesame seeds, urid dal, red chili, Hing, pirandai, ginger, coconut, tamarind, cleaned curry leaves, salt and grind it into a coarse paste. Add jaggery and whip once.

Pirandai thogayal is ready and can be serrved with hot rice, sesame oil and cucumber raita. 

Breakfast recipe: Sevai/ idiyappam

 Sevai is a South Indian breakfast. Easily digestible and can be given to kids or sick people instead of  Idli.

Ingredients:

For 2 persons

Parboiled rice : 1cup (heaped)

Raw rice ; 1/4 cup

Salt : as required

For seasoning:

Red chili - 2

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Hinge : a pinch

Curry leaves : few

Coconut oil - 1tbs

Method:

1. Soak par boiled rice and raw rice together for 3 hours and grind it to a very fine paste.
2.  Add salt and mix well.
3. No need to ferment.
4. Pour the batter on the idli plate and cook for 8 minutes.
   
   
   
5. Place the idli in sevai nazhi and squeeze by turning the handle.
   
   
   
6. Keep a plate at the bottom and collect the squeezed sevai.
   
   
   
7. Spread it in a plate to get it cooled.
8. When cooled the threads won't stick to each other.
9. Heat the coconut oil and add mustard seeds and broken red chili and hinge.
10. Remove after the mustard seeds splutter and add curry leaves and add to the sevai.
    
    
    
    
11. Grease your hand with little coconut oil and mix the sevai with mustard seeds well.
    
    
    
12. Serve with morkuzhambu or sweetened coconut milk.

Morkuzhambu recipe:( Easy method)

Ingredients:

Coconut (grated) -1/2 cup

Curd - 1/2 cup

Jeera - 1tbs

Green chili - 2

Rice flour - 1 tsp

Hing - a pinch

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Salt - 1/2 tsp or as required

For seasoning:

Coconut oil - 1tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Hing - a pinch

Red chili - 1

Curry leaves - few

Method:

Grind coconut, Jeera, green chili with rice flour into a fine paste.

Churn the curd.

Mix the ground paste with curd.

Add salt, turmeric powder and hing and mix well.

Boil for 3 sec.

Do the seasoning with the ingredients mentioned.

Morkuzhambu is ready.

Tips:

You can have it with morkuzhambu or you can make lemon sevai or coconut sevai as we do the lemon rice or coconut rice.