Elaichi Nankhatai / Cardamom Cookies

Nankhatais are Indian Style cookies which are crisp but just crumble in the mouth and melts down.
A perfect tea time snack.There are various flavours like Kesar Pista(Pistachio-Saffron),Badam(Almonds) or simple plain nankhatais which taste heavenly.
This is my first try at nankhatais/cookies.


Preparation Time : 20 mins
Baking Time : 20-25 mins
Makes around 20 cookies

Elaichi Nan Khatai / Cardamom Cookies

 

Choco Vanilla Milkshake

Summer is slowly setting in and soon the sun will be right over our heads. This is the time of the year when all of us look for some coolers for our throat and tummy.Instead of having bottled drinks or simply chilled water,we can try and have chilled health drink.
To begin with, I am posting the  favorite of children and most elders,Choc Vanilla Milkshake.
Quick to whip up with homemade ingredients,it can be prepared anytime.

Preparation Time : 2-3 mins
Cooking Time : Nil

Beans Paruppu Usili /Beans & Lentil Stir Fry

Paruupu Usili (Tamil) is a lentil based preparation where the lentil is blended into a coarse paste and then stir fried until the lentil mixture gets cooked and separated to a grainy texture.To this is added boiled vegetables like french beans,clustered beans (kothavarangai or gavaar),flat beans(avarakkai/paapdi),snake gourd (padwal/podalangai),Vazhaipoo(banana flower).
A great combination to this would be piping hot Rasam  or MoreKuzhambu/Majjige Huli with steamed rice.If you like,this can be an accompaniment to rotis/chappati as well.

Preparation time : 1 hr
Cooking time : 30 mins
Serves : 2-3

Jain version : Omit the ginger and follow the recipe as is

Pesarettu / Green Gram Crepes

Pesarettu is a popular breakfast from the Andhra kitchens. Just like Adai ,Pesarettu is also a protein rich dosa made from green gram/pacha payar  /akkha hara moong .

The green gram is soaked for 4 to 6 hrs and ground to a  dosa batter consistency along with green chillies ,ginger ,jeera ,pepper and salt. 

Pesarettu needs no fermentation and can be prepared as soon as we grind the batter . There are slight variations to the way Pesarettu is prepared.  Some add a wee bit of udad dhall and rice along with the green gram while soaking. Another variation is soaking a few table spoons of yellow moong dhall with green moong. 

MLA  Pesarettu is a popular variant of Pesarattu where upma is stuffed inside the Pesarettu and served with ginger  chutney.  

Simple Pesarettu is topped with chopped onions while spreading and served hot .

I enjoy my Pesarettu with coconut chutney ,Molagapudi and curd .

Preparation Time : 8-10 hours
Cooking Time : 20 mins
Serves : 2-3

Jain Version : Omit the ginger and onion from the recipe and follow the rest of the recipe.
No Onion -Garlic Version : Omit onion from the recipe and follow the rest of the recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup whole green gram / moong /payar
3 tbsp moong dhall / split yellow dhall

2 tbsp udad dhall
2 tsp cumin /jeera seeds
3-4 green chillies
1 piece ginger
1 onion chopped
pinch of asafoetida

Lots of curry leaves  
salt to taste

Method

• Wash and soak the green gram,Udad dhall and moong dhall separately for about 4 to 6 hours.
• Grind the soaked ingredients with green chillies,ginger,cumin seeds,asafoetida in batches to a fine batter .(dosa batter like consistency.)
• Add lots of finely chopped fresh curry leaves,salt  to the batter and mix well.
  
• Heat a tawa/griddle ,pour a ladleful of batter and spread like a dosa on the tawa,drizzle oil and cook on both sides.
• Sprinkle finely chopped onions on the dosa and cook well.
• Serve hot with tamarind chutney,tomato chutney or coconut chutney.

  

Vendakkai Morekuzhambu/Majjige Huli/lady's finger in Spicy Yogurt gravy

Morekuzhambu (Tamil),Majjige Huli (kannada) a yogurt/curd based item,is an integral part of South Indian menu.Served in almost every Tamil wedding as a part of the traditional menu.Simple to make and great to taste can be prepared in a jiffy with various vegetables like Lady's finger/okra , ashgourd,chayote/chou chou. 

Today I am going post how to make using lady's finger.Nevertheless,I am going to tell you  how to go about making morekuzhambu using the other veggies.

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 7-8 mins
Serves : 2-3

Ingredients

10-15 nos Lady's finger - cut into 1 inch long pieces
2 cups thick curd
1 tsp methi / fenugreek seeds
pinch of turmeric
salt to taste
For the masala
5 tbsp grated fresh coconut
1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
3-4 green chillies
small piece ginger
1 tsp corriander seeds/dhania
3/4 tsp channa dhall /bengal gram /kadalai paruppu
For Tempering
Mustard seeds
few curry leaves
pinch of asafoetida

Method

• In a kadai,heat a little oil and roast the lady's finger with a little salt. Roast until the slimy texture of the lady's finger is lost.
• If using other veggies like white pumpkin,snake gourd(padwal),chou chou ;cut them into 1 inch cubes and boil in water with a little salt.
• Grind all the ingredients under the MASALA section into a fine paste.
• Beat the curd well,add salt ,turmeric,methi seeds and the ground masala paste to it and mix well.
• Slowly pour this curd mixture to the roasted lady's finger or boiled veggies and cook on low flame.
• Turn off the stove,once you see the mixture raising.Donot let it boil,else you will experience a curdled texture.
• Prepare the tempering and pour it all over.
• Serve hot with steamed rice and ghee.

Instant Khatta Dhokla / Safed Dhokla

I have already posted the recipe for Khaman Dhokla earlier in my blog. This is another type of dhokla called  Khatta(Sour) Dhokla or Safed(White) Dhokla because of its sour taste and white color.
Traditionally prepared by grinding rice and udad dhall  into a batter and fermenting it overnight.It is steamed the next morning and served with mint chutney.
Here,I am going to post the instant version of this dhokla,which can be prepared in just a matter or 10-15 mins.

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 20 mins
Serves : 1-2

Khatta Dhokla / Safed Dhokla