Poli recipe

Poli is a sweet dish prepared for the hindu festivals like Avani avittam, Bogi and Chithirai varusha pirapu(tamil new year).

It is very simple and delicious.

Ingredients:

Chana dal -1 cup

Grated coconut- 1cup

Jaggery - 1cup

Maida or multi purpose flour - 1 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Gingely oil 1/2 cup

Ghee - 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder a pinch

Method:

1. Make a soft dough with maida or multipurpose flour with a pinch of turmeric powder. Pour a tbs of gingely oil and just spread over the lump of dough. Set asid and allow it soak for 3 hrs.
2. Pressure cook Chana dal.
3. Remove the excess water and grind along with coconut into a fine paste.
4. Now add jaggery and cardamom powder and grind well. This is called poornam.

     5. Transfer it to a pan and remove the excess water and the colour of the poornam will turn brown. This helps the poli to have more shelf life. 

     6. Make them into round balls.

    7.Take some maida dough and spread over a greased plastic sheet or banana leaf. 

       You can use gingely oil to grease.

    8. Keep a ball of poornam and enclose it inside the maida dough.

    9. Spread taking some oil in hand by gently pressing evenly.

    10. Now transfer it carefully on the heated chapati tawa. cook until surface turns brown. 

         Spread a ghee liberally on top of the poli. Keep the next one on top of the first and spread ghee               again each time.

  Repeat the process for the rest of the dough.

  You can keep it even for a week if you cool and store it in fridge. you can reheat before using.

        

Rava idli

Rava idli is an instant breakfast menu. Simple, delicious and easy to cook.

Ingredients:

Rava (sooji rava) -1cup
Curd - 1 cup
Cashew (broken) - tbs
Coriander leaves - few
Grated carrot - 1/4 cup
Fresh green peas - 1tbs (optional)
Salt - as required
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp (optional)
For seasoning:

Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Urid dal - 1 tsp
Channa dal - 1tsp
Green chilli - 1
Ginger (grated) - 1tsp
curry leaves - few
Hinge - a pinch
Ghee or cooking oil - 1tbs
Method:

1. Heat the oil or ghee, add mustard seeds and add hinge, channa dal and urid dal after mustard seed splutters. 
2. Roast till the dal turns brown. Add cashew and roast. 
3. Add chopped ginger, green chili, coriander and curry leaves. 
4. Add sooji and roast till you get the aroma. Do not allow it to turn brown.
5. Mix all the roasted items with salt, baking soda and curd. 
6. Leave it for 20 minutes. The consistency of the batter should as that of the  normal idly batter.
7. Grease the idly plates and pour the better. Steam cook for 20 mins.
8. Serve hot with tomato chutney or tomato and onion chutney.

Break fast recipies:1. Idly varieties

Idli varieties

1. Idly (Plain)
2. Kancheevaram idly
3. Ragi idly
4. Rava idly

1. Idli: 

Ingredients:

For Wet grinder:

Per boiled idly rice - 5cups

Urid dal (whole) - 11/2cups

Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

For Mixer grinder/mixie:

Per boiled idly rice - 2cups

Urid dal (whole) - 1cup

Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 3tsp

Method: 

(a) Grinding: 

1. Wash and soak urid dal and idly rice separately for  3hrs.
2. After soaking check frequently if the water remains well above the urid dal. 
3. Add i/2cup of water to the grinder and then switch it on. The add the methi seeds. In few seconds it gets crushed. Then add the urid dal With a cup of water. Add little water now and then. 
4. Grind till the dal gets into fine paste and fluffy or grind for half an hour. Add 1/4 cup of water every 10 minutes  and check if some dal escapes and stick to the walls.
5. Transfer it to a big container which should have enough space for fermentation.
6. Now grind idly rice for 20 mins. Transfer it to the urid dal batter.
7. Add salt and mix well with the hand. Leave it for 6 - 7 hours or overnight.
8. The consistency of the batter should be neither too thick nor too thin.                         
9. In extreme hot places, the batter can be kept in fridge after grinding and then kept out during the night for fermentation. This will help to avoid over souring of the batter. 
10. In extreme cold places where fermentation is not possible, the batter can be covered using old shawl or any woolen cloth and kept inside a cupboard or oven.
11. Add 1/4 cup of water when you take it out of the fridge.
12. Methi seeds helps for non sticky extra soft idlies. 

(b) Making idlies:

1. Grease the idly plates with gingely oil.
2. Pour the batter so that there is just a little space for the idlies to fluff.
3. Heat the pressure cooker or idly cooker or a kadai which can hold the idly plates with 2cups of water. Water should not be more. Excess water may get into the bottom plate and make the idlies watery.
4. Keep the idly plates carefully inside the cooker. If the batter spills in to the water it will start foaming  which will spoil the whole plates of idlies.
5. Cook for 8 - 10 mins. You can use the back of the spoon or a fork to pick the idly to check if the cooking is done. Fork comes out clean.
6. Remove the idlies using a knife from the plates after allowing it to cool a little. You can sprinkle some water so that the idlies come out smoothly without breaking serve hot with any chutney/ sambar /milgai podi.
   
   
                                                                               

Tips:

•  Idlies will be hard if the consistency of the batter is thick. Idlies will be flat if the consistency of the batter is thin.                                                                                                                            
• If the quality of the urid dal is good (idlies will be flat), then reduce the amount of  urid dal.     
•  If the quality of the idly rice is poor (idlies will be flat), then increase the amount of urid dal.

 2. Kancheevaram idly:                   

    Ingredients:

1. Urid dal - 1 cup
2. Parboiled rice  - 1cup 
3. Raw rice -1 cup ( you can take 2 cups of raw rice alone with out parboiled rice)
4. Methi seeds - 1tsp
5. Dry ginger a small piece
6. Hinge - a pinch
7. Cashew - few
8. pepper - 1 tbs
9. Jeera - 1tsp
10. Ghee - 2tbs
11. Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Soak parboiled rice, and urid dal separately for three hours.
   
   
    
2. Grind half of the urid dal into a coarse paste. 
   
   
   
3. Grind the other half as we grind for idly batter along with methi seeds.
   
   
   
4. Grind rice separately into a coarse paste.
   
   
   
5. Powder the dry ginger and add.
6. Add hinge, pepper, jeera and salt. Mix thoroughly. You can increase the amount of pepper and jeera according to your taste.
7. Allow it to ferment overnight or 7 hours.
8. Roast cashews in ghee with hinge and curry leaves and add.
9. Steam cook in idly plates as we do it for regular idly. Remember you need to leave a little gap as the idly will puff up after getting cooked. Do not fill the batter till the brim.
   

   

   
   
   
   
10. Serve it with coconut chutney.

   Note : It can be steam cooked in a flat bowl and then cut into pieces, but need to be cooked for more time depending upon the size of the vessel. You have to fill the 3/4th of the vessel with batter. You can check the photos given below. The idly after cooking will fill the vessel. 

Check if the idlies are cooked by inserting a knife. The knife comes out with out the batter sticking to it.

You have to detach the corner before removing the idly from the vessel.

Also if the bowl is shallow it will be cooked quicker.

You can use the tumbler or cups. 

You have to grease with gingely oil and then use to make the idly.                                                 

3. Ragi idly

1.  Ragi idly can be made as the regular idly. 
2. Parboiled rice and ragi should be taken in the ratio 4:1. Ragi should be soaked separately. 
3. After grinding urid dal as we do it for regular idly, the ragi should be ground into a fine paste then to that add rice and grind as we do it idly batter.

 4. Rava idly          

Rava idly is the simplest and can be made instantly.

Ingredients

1. Rava - 1 cup
2. curd- 1 cup
3. Baking soda1/4tsp
4. coriander leaves chopped - 3tbs
5. curry leaves - few
6. cashew - 10 chopped
7. carrot - 1 grated (optional)
8. Hinge - a pinch
9. Salt - as required.

Seasoning

1. Oil/ghee- 1tbs
2. Mustard seeds - 1tsp
3. Hinge- a pinch
4. Urid dal - 1tsp
5. Chana dal - 1tsp
6. Green chili -1 or 2finely chopped
7. Ginger - half inch grated
8. Curry leaves - a few

Method

1. Heat the oil/ghee in a pan and add mustard seeds.
2. Add urid dal, Chana dal and hinge after mustard seeds splutter.
3. Add cashews after roasting the dal into golden brown.
4. Add chopped green chili and grated ginger and sauté a while.
5. Add rava and roast till you get the aroma of the rava. Do not turn it brown.
6. Allow it to cool.
7. Add curd, finely chopped coriander leaves, grated carrot, salt and baking soda.
8. Mix thoroughly. 
9. Add water little by little so that you get the consistency of the batter as that of the idly batter.
10. There should be no lumps left.
11. Leave it for half an hour.
12. Pour into greased idly plates and steam cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
13. Serve hot with tomato/ normal coconut chutney.

                           .             

5. Avakkai urugai

 Avakkai is one of the best pickle that has long shelf life.

Prepraration:

For 6 fist sized mango. 

1. Better to choose a sour variety of raw mangoes.
2. Cut the mangoes into 8 pieces or more than that. Try to retain the hard shell.Through away the seed.
3. Use two white clothes. 
4. Have clean water in a bowl and dip one of the cloth, squeeze and wipe few pieces so that you clean all the dirt.
5.  Immediately wipe them with dry cloth and keep it on a newspaper or plate so that the skin portion touches the ground.
6.  Leave them to  dry. 
7. Repeat the process for the rest of the pieces. Allow them to dry under fan.

Powder to grind 

Ingredients

1. Red chilli powder -200 gms

2. Mustard seeds -200gms

3. Methi seeds - 200 gms

4. Salt

5. Idayam gingely oil - 1/2 kg

 Preparing the powder: 

1. Dry mustard seeds and methi seeds in the hot sun at least for 3 to 4 hrs. So that it can be powdered well and also keeps the pickle for long shelf life.
2. First add mustard seeds in a mixie jar and powder it well.
3. Now measure the powder in a cup  and add equal quantity of chilli powder and salt.
4. Just whip it to mix well in the jar itself.

Method:

1. Take a big container(can be glass/ stailess steal or plastic) But storage should be done preferably in glass or good quality of plastic.
2. Keep the dried mangoes, chilli mustarda salt powder mixer, methi seeds and oil.
3. First add few pieces of mango over which sprinkle the powder using a laddle or spoon so the that it falls on all the pieces.
4. Now sprinkle some methy seeds using a spoon.
5. Now using a laddle pour oil uniformly all over the mangoes. This is the first layer.
6. Repeat the process. Add mangoes then powder then methi seeds and then oil. This will be second layer.
7. Repeat till you complete all the mangoes. 
8. If some powder or oil is left behind, add the powder completely and then add the oil over that.
9. Close the vessel tightly. Leave it aside.
10. After 3 days check if the oil is floating on the top. If not, pour more oil. 
11. Mix thoroughly. Care should be taken that your hands or the laddle you use to mix the pickle are completely dry.
12. Check the next day. Oil should be floating. If not add some more and mix.
13. Keep mixing once daily for 3 days and store it in a air tight container. 
14. Take little in a small container for daily use. 
15. No need to refrigerate.

Yummy avakkai is ready to use. 

karadayan nonbu adai

Karadayan nonbu adai is very easy to make and delicious to eat with butter.

Uppu adai

Ingredients: 

Rice flour - 1 cup
water - 1 cup
Salt - as required
Sliced/Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
 (preferably sliced coconut and the slice should the size of the teeth of a comb)
Black eyed peas - 1/4 cup

For seasoning:

Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Channa dal - 1/2 teaspoon
Urid dal -1/2 teaspoon
Green chilli - 1
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Curry leaves - few
Hinge  - a pinch
Coconut oil - 1tbs

Method:

1.  Dry roast black eyed peas till it turns brown and a strong aroma comes.
2.  Soak the peas in boiled water till you prepare the flour for the adai or for 10 minutes.
3. Chop green chillis and grate the ginger.
4. Heat coconut oil add mustard seeds. 
5. After the mustard seeds splutter, add channa dal, urid dal and hinge. Roast till the dals turn brown.
6. Add chopped green chillis, grated ginger and curry leaves and saute.
7. Add water, salt, soaked peas and chopped/grated coconut. Allow it to boil.
8. Minimize the flame and add rice flour slowly and stir continuously.
9. Water will be absorbed by the rice flour. Switch off the flame and close it with a lid. Set aside.
10. Grease the base plate of the idli plates with coconut oil.
11. After two minutes take a small portion of the flour and make it a ball then flatten it. Make a hole in the center with your index finger(like ulundu vadai). Keep it on the idli plate coated with coconut oil.
12. Make the entire dough into this shape. Keep all the adai in one idli plate one above the other. You need not use all the plates as we do for idli.
13. Steam cook for 20 minutes.
14. Serve hot with butter.

Vella adai

Ingredients: 

Rice flour - 1 cup
water - 1 1/4 cup
Jaggery - 3/4 cup
cardamom : 1 (powdered)
Sliced/Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
 (preferably sliced coconut and the slice should the size of the teeth of a comb)
Black eyed peas - 1/4 cup

Method:

1.  Dissolve jaggery in water just to immerse it. Filter and remove the dust and sand particles.
2. Dry roast black eyed peas till it turns dark brown till you get a good aroma and pour 1/2 cup of  boiled water. Soak till you prepare rice flour or for 10 minutes.
3.  Heat the rest of the water and add jaggery water, cardamom powder, black eyed peas, and coconut slices.
4. Once it starts boiling, switch off the stove and add the rice flour slowly with constant stirring.
5. Cover it for a while. When the heat is bearable you can roll the dough and flatten it and make a hole in the center.
6. Arrange them on the coconut oil creased plate and steam cook for 20 minutes.

Preparing rice flour: (Those who don't have time to prepare the rice flour can buy idiyappam flour from the shop)

• Take two cups of rice flour for both the adai, wash and soak for half an hour.
• Drain the water completely and dry on a clean towel or cotton cloth.
• After half an hour, Grind it to fine powder. Then sieve it. Grind the coarse powder left in the sieve plat again to avoid wastage. Sieve it again. You can use the left over coarse powder along with dosa batter.

27. Ennai Kathirikai

Ennai kathirikai is an excellent gravy. Though the name has oil in it, we actually need very little oil.
Deep fried thali vadam or appalam or arisi appalam will be a good combination with hot rice.

Ingridients: (2 persons)

Small baby brinjal - 250 gms
Tamarind - small lemon size
Salt -1tbs or to taste
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Hinge - a pinch

For grinding:

Channa dal - 1tbs
Daniya - 1tbs
Red chilli - 4
Meth seeds - 1/2tsp
Hinge a pinch
cooking oil - 3tbs

Seasoning:

Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Hinge - a pinch
Curry leaves- a few.

Method:

1. Extract tamarind juice and keep aside.
2. Add1/2 tsp of oil and roast the ingredients mentioned till channa dal turns brown and grind it to coarse powder with few curry leaves.
3. Wash  brinjal and split on top into 4 quarters leaving the bottom of the brinjal. This makes it easy to stuff.
4. Stuff the brinjal with ground powder.
5. Add the rest of the oil and season as mentioned.
6. Add the brinjals and saute for a minute.
7. Add tamarind extract, turmeric powder, hinge, salt and curry leaves.
8. Allow it to boil then bring it to medium flame. Close the kadai and leave it till the brinjal gets cooked.
9. If the consistency is not thick enough. add a spoon of rice flour made into thick paste and stir immediately. Serve hot with chips or anything of your choice. 

22. Parupu urundai kuzhambu

Paruppu urundai kuzhambu is a delecious and nurtitious gravy/kuzhambu. Keerai and any vegetable will be a good combination along with rice.

Ingredients:
Toor dal - 1 cup
Red chilli - 5 or 6
Tamarind - 1 lemon size
Turmeric powder - a pinch
salt - 1tbs or as required
Hinge - a pinch
Sambar powder - 2 1/2 tsp




Seasoning:
Oil - 1tbs
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Hinge - a pinch
Red chilli - 1
Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Soak Toor dal in hot water for 15mins.
2. Extract tamarind paste.
3. Boil tamarind water with salt, turmeric powder and hinge.
4. Allow the tamarind water to boil for 5mins, meanwhile grind soaked dal, red chiili, salt and a pinch of hinge with few curry leaves into a coarse paste with minimum water. When it is rolled into balls it should retain the shape for some time. 
5. Now add sambar powder to boiling tamarind water after adding it in a small cup of water so that there won't be any lumps. Allow it to boil for 5 more minutes.
6. Use a flat vessel or kadai for boiling tamarind water. This helps the dal balls to have enough space to get cooked.
7. While the water is boiling, bring the flame to sim and drop the dal balls one by one gently with out they touching each other.
8. Do not disturb the setup and allow it boil in medium flame.
9. The balls which get immersed first will start to float once it is cooked. Now gently stir the gravy without disturbing the balls.
10. The ground paste of dal can be kept a little, and can be added to the gravy after mixing with some water. This gives a little thickness to the gravy.
11. Season the gravy and serve it hot or cold.

Note: Care should be taken that the gravy may get stick to the bottom of the vessel which may lead to char.
If the dal paste is too watery, the balls will loose its shape once dropped in the gravy.
If stirred before the dal balls are cooked also will collapse the balls and they will not stay in shape. It should not be too dry which will make the balls hard after cooking.