Milk Powder Burfi

I tagged it under "Beginners Section" because it requires no string consistency and anyone can make an attempt

Ingredients

• Milk Powder - 1 cup (I used full fat)
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Milk - 1/4 cup
• Butter - 2 tablespoons
• Saffron Strands - few (optional)

Method
Step 1 - Frying

• Melt butter in a kadai
• Add milk powder and fry in simmer flame.It will look like crumbs

Step 2 - Thick liquid

• Add sugar and mix it well
• Pour milk and mix well
• It will be a thick semi solid liquid
• Let it boil in medium flame

Step 3 - Finishing Stage

• Add saffron strands now (if using )
• Simmer the flame and keep stiring it
• The mixture will come together and starts leaving the sides off the kadai
• Take a small portion and see whether it rolls like a ball without sticking,Switch off the kadai

 Step 4 - Milk Powder Burfi

• Transfer it to a greased plate and level it using a spatula
• Leave it for 1 hour

• Cut into small squares

Enjoy it with family and friends

Vendakkai Mor Kozhambu / Lady's Finger Mor Kuzhambu /Buttermilk Gravy

This is an authentic kozhambu which goes well with steaming hot rice

Ingredients
Part 1 - Items for Soaking

• Toor Dhal - 1 tablespoon
• Channa Dhal - 1 tablespoon
• Rice - 1 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds - very little
• Curry leaves - few

Part 2 - Items for Grinding (along with Part 1 soaked items)

• Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Green Chillies - 5
• Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1 teaspoon

Part 3 - Kozhambu

• Fresh Curd - 1/2 liter
• Salt - 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
• Coconut oil - 2 teaspoons
• Lady's Fingers - 10 nos (cut into 1 inch pieces)

Part 4 - Seasoning

• Coconut Oil - 1 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Red Chilly - 1
• Curry leaves - few

Method

Step 1 - Soaking and Grinding

• Soak the Part 1 items for 15 minutes
• Add Part 2 items and grind it to a smooth paste

Soak it for about 15 minutes

Step 2 - Curd and Lady's Finger

• Heat coconut oil in a kadai and fry lady's fingers
• Keep it aside

• Take curd in a bowl / vessel
• Add salt and turmeric.Beat / Churn it well 

Step 3 - Morkozhambu

• Add the ground paste (prepared in step 1) to the curd
• Blend it smooth
• Heat it on a medium flame till it forms a fr oath on top / boils like milk
• Lower the flame
  
  
• Add the cooked lady's fingers and mix well
• Boil it once and switch off the stove

Step 4 - Seasoning

• Heat coconut oil in a small kadai
• Season with mustard, red chilly and curry leaves
• Pour it over Mor Kozhambu

Yummy Mor Kozhambu is ready

Paal Payasam / Milk Payasam/Kheer

We start New Year with a special sweet and for this Tamil New Year / Chithirai Varsha Pirapu I present you this simple payasam recipe

Ingredients

• Full Cream Milk - 2 L or 8 cups
• Sugar -  3 cups
• Basmati Rice - 1 ladle
• Saffron Strands - few pinches
• Sliced Almonds - few (garnishing)

Method
Step 1 - Cooking Rice

• Wash and soak Basmati Rice for 10 minutes.Then drain it
• Take milk in a thick bottomed kadai.Boil it
• Add washed and soaked rice
• Close the lid and cook the rice by string it occasionally

Step 2 - Condensing / Thickening

• Once the rice is cooked, boil the milk further
• It will thicken and forms cream on the top
• Add sugar and stir till it dissolves

Step 3 - Garnish

• Once the sugar dissolves crush the saffron strands and add to the milk
• Garnish with sliced almonds (optional)
• Switch off rhe stove
• Serve it chilled

Red Rice Puttu and Cherupayaru Curry

This is a Popular Breakfast in Kerala.Normally it is done with white rice.I tried it out with red rice flour and it turned out well.So this Puttu is very healthy especially for weight waters and diabetic people
It is served with Kadala Curry or Cherupayaru Curry (Green Moong Dhal Curry) and Banana
Check out the link for Cherupayaru Curry

Ingredients

• Red Rice Flour - 1 cup
• Water - little less than 1/2 cup
• Salt - 1 teaspoon
• Puttu Kutty or Puttu Maker

Method
Step 1 - Preparation of Puttu Flour

• Take red rice flour in a wide bowl.Put salt
• Sprinkle water little by little and mix well to get a crumbled dough
• When you press the dough in between the fist it should hold its shape
• At the same time you should be able to crumble it

Step 2 - Puttu

• Puttu Kutty / Maker consists of two parts - bottom pot for boiling water which would release steam and the upper cylindrical tube in which the dough is filled
• Place the flat disc onto the bottom off the cylindrical tube
• Grease it with little coconut oil
• Fill the cylindrical tube with the puttu maavu / dough prepared and close it with the lid given

• Boil water in the bottom pot and place the cylindrical tube over it
• Cook on medium flame for about 6 minutes.Steam will start coming then

Step 3 - Removing the Puttu

• Push the bottom disc using a spoon 
• Puttu will come off nicely

Serve it hot along with grated coconut, banana and Cheupayaru Curry

Potato Fry

This spicy curry is a good side dish for sambar and rasam rice
Perfect combo for Small Onion Sambar

Ingredients

• Potato - 1/2 kg (peeled and chopped)
• Oil - 2 tablespoons
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Urad dhal - 1/2 teaspoon
• Grated ginger - small piece
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Chilly Powder - 1 tablespoon
• Coriander Powder - 1 teaspoon
• Cumin seed Powder - 1 teaspoon
• Salt - 1 teaspoon

Method
Step 1 - Seasoning and Saute

• Heat oil in a kadai
• Splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds
• Fry urad dhal, grated ginger
• Add all powders - chilly, turmeric, cumin and coriander powders
• Saute them well in low flame

Step 2 - Potato Fry

• Add chopped potatoes and coat well with spices
• Close the lid and cook it for about 12 minutes in medium flame
• Open the lid and put salt.Cook for some more time
• Spicy Potato fry is ready

Spicy Potato Fry is ready to be served

Thova / Mangalore Styled Moong Dhal

I saw this recipe in Vijay TV couple of weeks ago and tried it out thrice

It is very simple and yet delicious

Ingredients
Part 1 - Pressure Cooker

• Moong dhal - 1/2 cup

Part 2 - Seasoning

• Ghee - 1 tablespoon
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Cumin seeds / Jeera - 3/4 teaspoon
• Green chilly - 3 nos (slit)
• Curry leaves - few
• Ginger - small piece
• Hing - 1/2 teaspoon

Part 3 - Others

• Water - 1 cup
• Salt - 3/4 teaspoon

Part 4 - Garnish

• Coconut - 3 tablespoons
• Coriander leaves - little

Method

Step 1 - Cooking Moong Dhal

• Wash and soak moong dhal for 10 minutes
• Add some more water and pressure cook for 4 whistles.Mash it well

Step 2 - Seasoning

• Heat ghee in a kadai
• Season with mustard, jeera, hing, ginger, green chillies and curry leaves
• Add the cooked dhal and pour water
• Put salt and let it boil

Step 3 - Garnish

• Switch off the stove
• Garnish with grated coconut and coriander leaves

Serve with Rotis or Parathas

Varagu Arisi Pulav / Millet Pulav

Healthy and fiber rich Pulav especially for Diabetes and Weight Watchers

Ingredients
Part 1 

• Varagu Arisi - 1 cup

Wash and soak varagu arisi for an hour

Part 2 - Seasoning and Saute

• Oil - 1 tablespoon
• Bayleaf - 1
• Cloves - 3
• Cardamom - 2
• Cinnamon stick - small piece
• Ginger - small piece
• Garlic - 6 nos
• Green Chilly - 3 nos

• Grind ginger, garlic and green chillies to a coarse paste

Part 3 - Vegetables

• Onion - 1 finely chopped
• Mixed Vegetables - 1 cup (potato, carrot, beans and peas)
• Pulav Masala - 2 teaspoon
• Water - 2 cups
• Salt - 1 teaspoon
• Coriander and Mint Leaves - little
• Lemon Juice - 1 teaspoon

Method

• Heat oil in a cooker
• Season with bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon stick and cardamom
• Saute ginger, garlic and green chilly paste till the raw smell goes
• Fry onions till it gets soft
• Add vegetables and swirl it once

• Add soaked and drained varagu rice
• Put Pulav Masala and salt
• Pour water and add pudina / coriander leaves
• Pressure cook for 3 whistles

• Once done squeeze lemon and mix well
• Serve with Raitha

Khoya / Mawa Lassi

As the name say this lassi is made using Sugarless Khova / Mawa / Khoya
Best thrist quencher in Summer

Ingredients

• Thick Fresh Curd - 2 cups
• Mawa / Khoya / Sugarless Khova - 2 tablespoons
• Sugar - 2 teaspoons or as required

Method

• First put crumbled mawa and sugar in the mixer jar
• Then pour curd and blend it together at medium speed

• Pour it in tall punjabi glasses and serve