But some pickles can be prepared instantly and also can be served instantly . My mom taught me this instant manga uruga (uraga means pickles - A tamil word) and she usually prepares this every summer for me. I love this pickles, it is not only easy to prepare but also can be prepared quickly without much ingredients and can be served in a hour.

Raw Mangoes - 2
Red chilly powder - 2 tablespoons
Asafoetida - 2 pinches
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt - As per taste
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 10-12 nos or a string.
Oil - 8-10 tablespoons.

1. Pick good quality raw mangoes or Kairi from the market.
2. Wash them properly .
3. Chop them into tiny pieces. Cut them into very tiny pieces . The cubes should be the size of nail of your tiny finger.
4. In a bowl take the chopped pieces and add the turmeric powder, red chilly powder and salt to it.
5. Take a kadai and place it over flame. Add oil and heat it for 5-10 seconds. 
6. Once the oil is little hot, add the Asafoetida, mustard seeds and the curry leaves. Allow them to crackle.
7. Once the seeds crackle, pour the thadka to the chopped pieces.and mix well.
8. The pickle is ready. Just allow it to set for a hour and then the pickle is ready to serve. It's really instant and easy and tastes very nice.
9. Here a nice tip, you can use either raw mangoes or little ripened one. A little ripened but yet raw mango gives a delicious and yummy khatta mitta taste to the pickle which would you licking your fingers.

Preparation Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Making Time : 20  minutes.
Serves : More than 30 people.
Shelflife: For a month if stored in air tight container in Refrigerator.
Serving Suggestion: Serve it with rice, curd rice, pongal or any roti of your choice.

• Chop the mangoes into tiny pieces. Bigger pieces takes long time to soak up and get readied.
• A half ripened mango can be used for a khatta-mitta yummy taste.

Click the link here to know and learn more about Tamil Nadu Recipes and Cuisines- An Introduction To Tamil Nadu Recipes And Cuisines.

Paanakam is a excellent summer drink and is healthy too. Since it is made of jaggery without using sugar , it makes it favorable to all the health conscious people.It tastes excellent when chilled and can be used as a summer drink to quench the thirst. Also it can be prepared and stored in Refrigerator for 2 -3 days.


Jaggery - 250 grams
Water - 10 cups
Sonth (Dried ginger / chukku) - 1 tablespoon
Peppercorns - 5-6 nos
Cardamom (Elaichi) - 6-8 nos
Lime juice - 2 tablespoon.

1. Get good quality jaggery for this recipe. I would recommend to use dark red/brown colour jaggery which is available in market.There are varieties of jaggery made in india but the dark coloured jaggery is high is iron content and is rich in sweetness and hence is considered good for both cooking and health benefits too. 
2. The above pic shows two variety of jaggery and i recommend using the darker one which is high in iron content and also sweetness.

Choose the second variety of jaggery for this sweet drink.

1.  Usually people dissolve jaggery in water and make this drink. But i prefer boiling the jaggery with 1 cup water over flame till it gets dissolved. This way a peculiar raw kind of taste of jaggery goes away.
2. Grate the jaggery and add a cup of water to it and heat it over flame till it gets dissolved. 
3. Remove from fire and add 10 cups of water to it. 
4. In a blender, take Sonth, Peppercorns and  Cardamom and blend it. Don't blend it into fine powder. 
5. Add this powder to the jaggery water and mix well.
6. Add the lime juice and mix well.
7. Refrigerate it for 3-4 hrs and serve chilled.

Preparation time: 20 mins.
Making time: 20 mins.
Shelflife: 3 days, if refrigerated.
Serves: 12 glasses approximately.
Serving Suggestion: Serve chilled.

•  Use dark coloured jaggery for Panakam.
• Don't blend the herbs into very fine powder.

Click the link here to know and learn more about Tamil Nadu Recipes and Cuisines -An Introduction To Tamil Nadu Recipes And Cuisines

Click the link here to know and learn more about Kerala Recipes and Cuisines - An Introduction To Kerala Recipes And Cuisines

Karunai Kilangu - 1/2 kg
Grated coconut - 1/2
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Curry leaves- 8-10
Chana dal - 1 tablespoon
Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon
Red chilli Powder - 1 1/2 tablespoon
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
Onion - 1 big, chopped
Tomato- 3 medium, chopped
Tamarind Pulp - 1lemon sized tamarind ball (soak them in hot water and squeeze them to take the pulp)
Salt - to taste.
oil - 1 tablespoon

oil - 2 tablespoon
Curry leaves - 8-10
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Onion- 1 tablespoon of finely chopped onion

1. Wash the karunai kizhangu properly, since roots vegetables have lots of mud and soil sticking to them along with other fertilizers. So wash them properly and clean them and set aside.
2. In a steamer or pressure cooker, steam the kilangu for some 15 minutes. Some 2 whistles if you are using whistles or for some 15 minutes approximately if you are using steamer. Remove them from flame and let the pressure cool down which allows the vegetable to get cooked nicely which takes some 12 minutes on the go.
3. Meanwhile, add some hot water to the lemon sized tamarind ball. Well, lemon sized because the tamarind is balled into lemon sized using hands , the way ladoos are balled. Take a bowl and add some hot water in it and place the tamarind ball in it. This hot water will soften the tamarind and give a good pulp. So let them soak in the hot water for 10 minutes. Later, squeeze the tamarind in the hot water (don't throw the water, it is need to get the pulp) , and you can see the extract which is the tamarind pulp. After squeezing them nicely, filter out and throw out the root like left out tamarind substance and keep the pulp aside.
4. Now, open the cooker and take out the karunai kilangu. The skin would be softer and comes easily, so peel them off using the fingers and seperate the kilangu from its skin. 
5. Cut the karunai kilangu into 1/2 inch slices. Keep it aside.
6. In a pan, take 1 tablespoon of oil. Allow it to heat. Then add ginger, curry leaves and onions. Saute them till the onions turn pinkish and the raw smell of ginger leaves. Then, add the chana dal and saute it till it turn pinkish. Add tomatoes and asafoetida and saute it for a minute. Then add the turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilly powder and saute them for a minute. Lastly add the grated coconut and saute them well for 3-4 minutes on low flame.This is the masala which will used to make the karunai kilangu kozhambu or the curry.
7. Remove this masala in a plate and let them cool which takes around 5-7 minutes.
8. Once it cools down, grind them with enough water to make it a fine paste.
9. Now for the curry. Take  a big kadai or big deep bottem vessel. Heat it over flame and add 2 tablespoon of oil. Insead of making thadka lastly, i prefer making them while cooking which saves some time. So, add 2 tablespoon of oil and allow it to heat. Add mustard seeds, curry leavesand finely chopped onions and saute them till it turns golden brown. The thadka is ready.
10. Add the paste to the thadka and mix well. Also add the kilangu and the tamarind pulp. Mix them nicely by stirring with the help of a big spoon. Add 1- 11/2 cup of water and salt to this and again mix well. Bring it to boil. But do keep a constant check since, coconut grated paste tend to foam and might spill out of vessel while being cooked. Let the gravy to cook for some 15-20 minutes. 
11. Make sure that the it gets cooked nicely, the smell of tamarind and coconut must disappear when its ready. If not cooked nicely , you might feel a pain on the throat while eating it. Tamarind helps this settle down so it should be allowed to cook (boil) nicely for 15-20 minutes.
12. The curry is ready. Serve it hot with rice.

Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking  time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4 persons
Shelflife: 1 day
Serving suggestion: Serve hot with rice and papad.

•  Wash the kilangu nicely before using them. Root vegetable tend to have soil and mud sticking to them.
• Steam the kilagu for 20 minutes and let the steamer cool down so that the vegetable is cooked tender soft.
• Karunai Kilangu has calcium deposit in its roots which gives a pain while consuming them. Tamaraind has the properties which makes those deposits to lay back and avoids causing any pain in the throat.
• Let the gravy boil for some 15 mins on minimum.

Click here to know all about Tamil Nadu cuisines- Introduction To Tamil Nadu Cuisines And Recipes.

It's winter season and the market is flooded with root vegetables. Most unusual and uncommon root vegetables, vegetables and fruits can be found during this period at best prices. It is believed that human digestive and metabolism system and health works best during the winters so it is always good to consume as many vegetables as possible during this time. Root vegetables are best in terms of nutrients and gives enough energy to us, hence consume them as much as possible. Moreover, root vegetables are really easy to good and tastes nice. If you are bored of the regular vegetables and meats, do opt for root vegetables and experience it's rich taste.

This is a root vegetable called Siru Kilangu in tamil and Koorakai in Malayalam. I don't know its english name, I did search a lot but failed to know it's English name.

Siru Kilangu is very popular among South Indians and especially among tamil and malayali population. The taste of Siru Kilangu is more or less familiar to potatoes but potatoes tend to get extremely when boiled nicely and siru kilangu doesn't get the softer but it is best to eat that way.

In south, the root vegetables like siru kilangu, cheppa kilangu(taro), Sennai (yam), Karunai kilangu are extremely popular.

Ingredients:
Siru Kilangu - 500 grams (It is also called Koorkai)
Grated coconut - 3-4 tablespoons
Curry leaves - 10-12 nos
Dry Red chillies - 2-3 nos
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Red chilly powder - 1 tablespoon
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1-2 tablepsoon.



Method:

1. The most important and time consuming part of this root vegetable is getting it cleaned and removing its skin. But there is a easy way to do this. Take the siru kilangu is a thick big cloth , gather the kilangu in the middle of the cloth and tie up the cloth into a bundle keeping the kilangu inside.
2. Now beat the bundle on the floor for atleast 10-15 times. dont waste all your energy in beating it. You are not hitting the stone but a vegetable, so apply less amount of energy.
3. Hit it on the floor for few times. Now open the bundle. You can see the skins seperated. If needed cover it again and hit on floor for few more times till you feel it is okay.
4. Now open the bundle. Carefully remove the kilangu from the seperated skin one by one and put it a vessel of water.
   
5. Keep the siru kilangu soaked in this water for atleast 3-4 hours. This loosens up the remaining skin and makes it easy for you to remove them completely.
6. When it is soaked enough, peel the skin of the siru kilangu with the help of a knife. and again put then in a clean bowl of water. Remove the skin of all the kilangu one by one and place it in clean water.
7. Wash it nicely.
8. Now here you can either cook the siru kilangu well before and keep it ready or cook it while making the cuisine. I always make them while cooking.
   
9. Now chop the siru kilangu into 3 or 4 peices as per choice. Usually siru kilangu is small in size.
10. Now that the skin has been peeled , it is cleaned and chopped. It is time to cook it.
11. Take a kadai and heat it on flame. Add oil and allow to heat.
12. Add mustard seeds and allow them to crackle.
    
13. Once mustard seeds get crackled, add pinch of asafoetida . Then add cut the dry red chillies into two from the middle and add it to the thadka. Also add the curry leaves and saute for a minute.
    
14. Thadka is ready. Now put the chopped siru kilangu into the kadai and pour enough water till the siru kilangu is covered. Allow it cook without lid for 5 minutes. Later cover a lid and cook for further 5-8 minutes. Add little salt while cooking, later add the the exact amount you need as per taste. Since grated coconut too needs salt so it half the amount of salt can be added later.
    
15. Check it. Check whether the kilangu is cooked. You can do this by taking a kilangu out and pressing it with fingers or by inserting a knife inside it. If knife pierces easily hen its cooked or if you get pressed then its cooked.
16. By this time even the water must have evapourated, if not then cook it for further 2 minutes on open air but dont stir. The water will get evapourated. If case you had already cooked the kilangu then this step (15 and 16 ) is not necesaary.
17. Now add turmeric powder, salt (remember you did add little while cooking it) and red chilly powder. Stir and mix well.
    
18. Add the grated coconut finally and mix well and cook for 1 min more. Grated coconut not only removes the extra moisture but also add taste the recipe.
19. Siru Kilangu poriyal is ready. Serve hot with Sambhar Rice .

Preparation Time: 6 hours
Cooking Hours : 20-25 minutes
Serves: 4 persons
Shelflife: 1 day
Serving Suggestion: Serve hot with Sambhar and rice.


Note:

• To remove the skin of this vegetable easily, tie it in a thick big cloth and hit it on the floor ( the way cloths are hit while washing in india). But dont hit that hard, just be light and smooth while hitting. Repeat this 10-15 mins till the skin is almost seperated from the kilangu.
• To remove the remaining skin, put it clean in clean water . Pour water so that the kilangu gets fully covered. So add ample amount of water and keep them soaking for almost 3-4 hours. Sometimes it needs to be soaked for 5 -6 hours too depending on the skin.
  
• With the help of knife peel the skin of the kilangu and put it clean water. Remove the skin of all the kilangu similarly and put it in clean water. Wash nicely and chop into pieces.
• While cooking if you feel there is more amount of moisture in the recipe, then add few more teaspoons of grated coconut. If will remove the extra moisture and keep the recipe dry.
  

Click here to know all about Tamil Nadu cuisines- Introduction To Tamil Nadu Cuisines And Recipes.

South Indians must be very well aware of this savory called Kai Chuttu Murukku. Murukku is called chakli in western Indian languages . The word "Kai Chuttu" means prepared using hands. Usually murukku is prepared using a press container which gives it the specific shape and design and it is later fried in oil, but in this murukku it's different. Instead of container , hands are used to give them the design and shape and later it is deep fried in oil.
There is something very special about this murukku which I had noted, may be people may find it ridiculous but it's completely my opinion. Just use the same ingredients and use a press container to make murukku . Similarly prepare some murukku using your hands. Taste both the both , I bet you will find a difference in the taste. The one which is prepared using hands are more tastier than those which are prepared using the press container. I can bet on that. Hands definitely gives more taste and make the savory intresting. Once I had a talk on this with a reputed cook specialist in South Indian cuisine, even he was of the same opinion. He said that hands definitely adds a unique taste to the dishes, that's the reason why traditionally prepared cuisines are more famous and liked by people than those which are available ready made in market. It's not just a belief but scientifically too hands can change and make dishes delicious. That's how the saying came where women with good cooking skills are often praised saying they have magic in their hands when it comes to cooking.
Kai chuttu Murukku is item which is always found in most Tamilan household , since it's a Tamil Nadu Savory. Marraiges are often described incomplete unless guests are gifted with a bag containing Kai chuttu Murukku, Beetal leaves, supari, flowers and a sweet dish.
Murukku is prepared in lines(the circles or the rings) depending on the functions. Like this murukku is a three ring which I prepared at home. For marraiges 5 ring Murukku is prepared and 4 ring is prepared during festive seasons.
I love this murukku and make it a point to prepare this at home since I find that more economical and hygienic. I did record the method of preparing the murukku but my video turned out to be too blurred. I will definitely upload the next time i prepare this. As of now I am posting a video link I found on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mJnY8C1Rbo
This Lady Vijayakumari has shown the easy way of preparing the murukku which will definately help you guys to understand .
Often kai chuttu Murukku is considered difficult to prepare but believe me , it's not that tough either. All you need is some expertise and patience. Practice everyday and you will be able to prepare it 5-6 days. Don't make dough and waste it for practicing, just make a rough handful of dough out of rice flour and try.
I would recommend a home made flour instead of readymade flour from market. Since home made flour would be best and the results would be far better.


Ingredients:
Rice Flour - 8 cups (read the method below for preparing the rice flour for Murukku).
Urad dal flour - 1 cup
Butter - 100-150 grams
Sesame Seeds - 2 tablespoons
Salt - to taste
Oil for deep frying (probably Palm Oil)


Method: (For Rice Flour)

1. Take 8 cups of rice (Pachcha arasi/ Kachcha chawal/raw rice) and wash it. Soak it in water for some 10 minutes.
2. Drain the excess water from the rice.
3. Take a big clean cotton cloth or a clean towel. Spread it on the floor or a platform or table.
4. Spread the rice over the cloth and let it dry.
5. Don't let the rice dry completely. Once the water is completely soaked by the cloth remove it a vessel. You can take a check here. Just rotate your hands on the rice, if it doesn't stick then its ready for making flour.
6. Grind the rice to a fine powder.
   
7. Use a seive (chalni) and pass the rice flour through them to ensure that flour is too fine and not coarse.
8. The rice flour is ready for Murukku.

Method: (For Urad dal flour)

1. Take 1 cup of urad and fry it over low flame till it changes it's color . Don't let it get brown. Just roast it till it turns yellowish.
2. Now cool the urad and grind it to a fine powder.
3. Pass it through a seive to ensure that you get a fine powder.
   
4. Remember: Use only fine flour or else it might crack up while being deep friend in oil and at times it might pop out and might hurt you too.

Method : (For Making Murukku)

1. Take all the ingredients( except oil) and mix well.
2. Add some water to it and kneed it into a very soft dough. The dough should be extremely soft.
   
3. Take a clean cloth and spread it over a table.
4. Take some amount of dough in your hands and twist it in between your fingers and make rings in circular path to make the murukku ( watch the video link given above).
5. Keep twisting the dough in between your fingers and it will make a way out on the cloth. This might take some practice but worth the result.
6. Heat the oil. When it is ready check if it is ready for the murukku to be fried. For that just drop in a very tiny piece of the dough into the hot oil. If it is ready, it will float and will have foams around indicating its ready. In other words , you can see it being fried.
   
7. Now it is time to fry the murukku.
8. Carefully lift the cloth with one hand and flap the part where the murukku is prepared in your hands.
   
9. Slowly and carefully drop the murukku in hot oil one by one.
   
10. In case where you are not sure about it, then you can prepare the murukku in the spatula and then place in the hot oil till it starts seperating from the spatula.
    
11. Similarly drop in the other murukku one by one and deep fry it till it turns golden brown .
12. Allow it to cool and store it a airtight container. This can be stored up to 2 months if stored preperly.
13. Kai chuttu Murukku is ready.
    

Preparation Time: 4 hours
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Serves : Makes almost 100- 120 Murukku
Shelflife: 2 months
Serving Suggestion: A good evening snack.


Note:

• Always use home made flour, it might take time but its worth the result.
• Pass it through seive properly to ensure that you get fine flour.
• Practice and you would definitely perfect the art of making chuttu murukku.
  
• Use desi butter which is available in markets as if would really give a better taste to the savory.
  

Click here to know all about Tamil Nadu cuisines- Introduction To Tamil Nadu Cuisines And Recipes.

Many South Indians must have heard about this salty evening snack called sundal. This is especially popular in the beaches of TamilNadu and Andhra. Considered a healthy and good evening snack, this is simply easy to prepare. Sundal is also prepared on the special occassion of Navrathri, where it is a ritual in India to offer Naivaidya to the goddess during the 9 days of the festival. This sundal is highly recommended by many tamilians who practice this ritual and also keep the traditon of Gollu at home ( a preparation where idols of gods and goddess is decorated in a staircase like structure and prayed during the navrathri). In southern coastal areas, coconut is basic ingredient in most of the cuisines be it daily food, snacks or breakfast. It is consumed in all ways be it coconut, milk, grated coconut or as paste.

A interesting fact is that coconut is though considered hard to digest by many people, it is highly good for skin and hair. Keralities swear by coconut and its evident of its benefits from their good skin and dark long thick hairs.
Ingredients:
Chick peas - 2 cups
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds (optional) - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida (hing) - 1 pinch or 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 10-12 nos
Dry red chillies - 2-3 nos
Grated coconut or dessicated coconut - 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste.


Method:

1. Soak the yellow peas the previous night for about 6-8 hours. If you plan to make it for an evening snack, it is enough if you soak it that morning.
2. Drain all the water and pressure cook with a little salt and just enough water that they just reach the top of the peas.
3. Do not add too much that the peas drown in the water. This will render them mushy.
4. Switch off after 2 whistles and open after pressure is released.
5. In a kadai, add a spoon of coconut oil and when it is hot, add mustard, curry leaves and a dash of hing.
6. Immediately add the cooked yellow peas and a little salt.
7. Garnish with coconut and stir well for a minute.
8. Remove and serve hot as a evening snack or as neivaidyam on festive occassions.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes (excluding soaking time)
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4 persons
Shelflife: 1 day
Serving Suggestions: Serve hot with evening tea or coffee.


Variation:
A small variation can be done in sundal as it can noticed in marina beach where during the mango season, hawkers add finely chopped pieces of raw mango (kachchi ambi/ manga) to this sundal for a tangy taste.



Note:

• Sundal can be prepared with Dark Kabuli channa too.
• Sundal preparation vary from place to place as per taste. Like some people add chopped ginger to this and some avoid coconut since they find it hard to digest. This one is basic sundal prepared the same way by almost many people.

Click here to know all about Tamil Nadu cuisines- Introduction To Tamil Nadu Cuisines And Recipes

Indian vermicelli is delicacy which is quiet tasty and delicious. Vermicelli is widely used in many indian recipes like kheer, pulao and upmas. I had already posted few recipes with vermicelli as its main ingredient.
Many people tend to have a opinion on vermicelli that it might not be intresting stuff to eat especially childrens. Even i was one of them. As a child i always used to find vermicelli also called semiya as a boring food and would run away at the mention of it. I still remember how maa used to run after me asking to atleast taste it and i would give her a good chase making her angry and tired. Now that i am grown up girl who is incharge of kitchen and everyone's health at home, its now that i realise the pain she would to take while cooking in the kitchen. Love you maa.

This food which i used to find damn boring as a kid is one of my favourite as a grown up girl. And now though i am grown up and cook them very well yet when it comes to my favourite food, i ask my maa to cook for me instead , i simply love the cook when she cooks for me. It is rightly said in hindi that "maa ke haath ke khane mein jaadu hota hai", i completely agree with it.

This recipe is a south Indian (Tamil Nadu) recipe and is a healthy breakfast . Adding vegetable adds a good taste to this recipe and makes it look delightful to the eyes of kids who run away from food. As such this recipe doest need any side dish and can be served alone which adds a good factor. It is quiet interesting to cook and more interesting to serve them. Also this can be counted as a good evening snack and also for a good party menu .

The vegetables which can be added to vegetable upma are similar to those of Pulav. And the amount of vegetables can be adjusted as per one's choice and love for veggies. I prefer more veggies since i believe in having more veggies to my diet for a good health and balance. So the vegetables that can be added are carrots, peas, potatoes and cauliflower . Even cashewnuts can be added to make it intresting . Besides that a good thadka gives a excellent taste to vegetable Upma.


Ingredients:
Vermicelli - 1 packet ( available ready made in market)
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 string or 10-12 leaves
Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped.
Carrots - 2 carrots, cut into thick jullinne or big strips
Peas - 1/2 cup (soaked overnight for atleast 6 hours)
Potatoes - 2 potatoes, cut into thick jullinne or big strips
Cauliflower - 1/2 cup (optional), cut into tiny florets
Grated Coconut - 2 tablespoons.
Vanaspati or desi ghee - 1 tablespoon
Salt - to taste.



Method:

1. Take a kadai and roast the vermicelli till it changes its colour to light pink . Dont allow it to turn brown, just roast it enough that it changes the colour. Roasting makes the vermicelli softer and tastier. These days readymade roasted vermicellis are easily available in market, even those can be used instead of roasting them also it costs just 2 rupees more then the ordinary ones.
2. Remove the roasted Vermicelli is a plate and allow it to cool.
3. Take a deep bottomed kadai and keep it on flame.
4. Add a tablespoon of oil to it . Add the mustard seeds and allow it to crackle.
5. Once the mustard seeds crackle, add the chopped onions and saute them till it turn translucent or pinkish in colour.
6. Now add the curry leaves and saute it for a minute.
7. Once this initial thadka is ready, add 3 cups of water in the kadai and allow it to boil.
8. When it boils, add the chopped vegetables and salt and stir well. Close the kadai with a lid and allow it to cook for sometime till the vegetable become tender soft and gets cooked well.
9. After some 10 minutes, check the vegetables, they must be ready by now.
10. Add vanaspati or ghee and stir once again. Add the vanaspati or ghee at this stage since, it gives a fresh taste and aroma to the upma and thus making it delicious.
11. Now add the roasted vermicelli to the kadai and keep stiring it nicely till the vermicelli gets cooked and turns soft. Also see that the water gets absorbed as the upma gets ready.
12. When the water gets absorbed completely and the vermicelli is soft and cooked, remove it and keep aside.
13. Vegetable Vermicelli Upma is ready to serve.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes.
Cooking Time: 20 minutes.
Serves: 4 persons.
Shelflife: Best fresh.
Serving Suggestion: Serve hot as breakfast or as evening snack.



Note:

• Vegeables can be added as per choice and likings.
• Even cashewnuts can be added in this upma along with the veggies and allow them to get cooked in the water along with it.

Click here to know all about Tamil Nadu cuisines- Introduction To Tamil Nadu Cuisines And Recipes.

I had mentioned and posted the recipe of molagai podi in my previous post. I was just wondering to prepare and think about similar recipes which are not only ready to use but also can be used in long run with a good blend of taste and match to the accompanying dish. It was then that my mom suggested about Thengai Podi. I had tasted and ate thengai podi in the past but never made it personally at home. But I was sure that it would good with south Indian breakfast and pancakes like dosa and idlis, since coconut goes very well with coastal side breakfast and also coconut is a coastal ingredient as too. I decided to prepare it and taste them. It really tastes delicious with dosas and Appams. Also, my family gave a thumps up to this thengai podi.

Though Thengai podi can be stored for that long like its counter part Molagai podi , it can surely add a god taste to the breakfast as a change.

Thengai podi is spicy and little juicy which makes it no less than sukha chutney which are readily available in stores these days. Though it not as long lasting like molagai podi, but it can surely be stored for 3 weeks if kept in air-tight container (keep it in the Refrigerator).




Ingredients:
Grated coconut - 3 small coconuts grated
Red chilli powder - 100 grams
Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoons
Roasted Urad dal powder- 3 tablepsoons (optional)
Salt- as per taste.



Method:

1. Grate 3 small coconuts and keep them aside.
2. Take a heavy bottomed deep pan or kadai and roast the grated coconut in it till it slightly changes its colour. Note that it doesnt turn too brownish. Roast it till, it appears little yellowish brown.
3. Lower the flame and add Asafoetida and red chilli powder to it and stir well so that it gets mixed properly.
4. Add salt as per taste.
5. Roasted urad dal can be added to this thengai podi , it gives a extra taste to the cuisine and goes well too.
6. Once all the ingredients are mixed properly, which takes just 2 minutes, turn off the flame and allow it to cool for sometime.
7. When cooled, store it a air tight container and keep it in the refrigerator. It will last upto 3 weeks if stored properly.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes.
Cooking Time: 10 minutes.
Serves: Goes upto 100 servings.
Shelflife: 3 weeks if stored in Refrigerator.
Serving Suggestions: Take a spoon of thangai podi and serve it along with dosa or appam or even idli.



Note:

• This recipe doesnt need much of the ingredients but one should roast it properly since, roasting makes it last longer.
• Roasted Urad dal can be added while stiring the powder, it gives extra taste to the thangai podi.

Click here to know all about Tamil Nadu cuisines- Introduction To Tamil Nadu Cuisines And Recipes

Ulandam Kanjee is a Tamil Nadu cuisine which can also be found in many parts of kerala too. Its a simple yet healthy food which gets digested easily. The word Ulland is tamil word which means urad and Kanjee means podridge .
In many parts of Tamil Nadu, Ullandam kanjee or even ordinary kanjee is called as poor man's food as this food can be easily made at home. Kanjee means the same to South Indian people as is Roti to the North Indian. Also Kanjee doesnt need any particular side dish. It can be taken without side dish too. And on the other hand, it can also be taken with thogayal. I had posted Thenga Thogayal recipe in my previous post. Refer it for making thogayal, the side dish for most types of Kanjees.
Kanjee is usually made only with rice in most southern India. The popular Palan Kanjee is nothing but only boiled rice. For palan kanjee the left over rice is soaked in water the whole night and it is served with shallot onions also called sambhar onions and pickles. I am looking forward to post Palan kanjee in my blog in future. But Ullandam Kanjee is my all time favourite and i can go with it anytime and any amount. I am posting the recipe down , hope people would love this kanjee.


Ingredients:
Rice - 2 cups
Urad dal - 1/2 cup
Garlic pods - 6-7 nos
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Cumins seeds - 1 teaspoon
Fresh grated coconut - 2 tablespoons
Oil -1 tablespoon
Salt - As per taste.


Method:

1. Take a frying or kadai and fry the fenugreek seeds (vendiyam) in it for 1-2 mins without oil. Keep it aside.
2. Take a deep bottomed vessel, a bigger one probably. Keep it on flame and add water in it.
3. Usually we add water in ratio of 3:1 . That is 3 cups of water to 1 cup of rice. But for kanjee add more water, since we need the starch water for kanjee. Kanjee means liquid rice a podridge. So add more than the required amount as per your need. Normally I prefer adding 5 cups to 6 cups.
4. Let the water come to boil. Meanwhile wash the rice and keep aside.
5. When the water starts boiling, add the washed rice to it.
6. When the rice boils partially, add the fried fenugreek seeds and garlic pods to it. Also add salt as per taste while it is still being cooked.
7. Keep a check time to time to know if the rice is fully boiled.
8. Once it is boiled, add the grated coconut to it and allow it to boil for some 2 mins more.
9. When the rice is completely and wholly cooked, remove it from flame and keep aside.
10. Now, in a pan or kadai take 1 tablespoon of oil and heat it. Add the cummin seeds to it and allow it to crackle.
11. Once it crackles, add it over the kanjee and stir well.
12. Serve hot with thogayal or pickle. I would suggest to serve it with thenga thogayal.

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4 persons

Shelflife: 2 days

Serving Suggestion: Serve hot with Thenga Thogayal or pickle.

Note:

• Kanjee must be liguid in form. But the rice should be over boiled too.
• Use big rice for best results.
• Add salt as per taste, as such kanjee needs more salt so check the taste after adding salt.
• In case, if you feel the kanjee is over salted then add some water and boil it for some minutes.
• Garlic pods not only adds taste but also health benefits as it is good for digestion. Hence it is best food for those who suffer from fever or any kind health problem where they find it difficult to eat food.

Click here to read and know more about Tamil Nadu Cuisines and recipes - An Introduction to Tamil Nadu Foods And Recipes.

Thenga Thogayal is a dish dish widely popular in Tamil Nadu. This side dish is takne along Kanjee and rice . This is one such recipe which can be truely called as economical food since it doesnt need much of ingredients and also it is served just a spoonful or two for a person.

Thenga is a Tamil word which means coconut. Thenga thogayal is delicious and perfect coastal side dish to be served with rice and podridge. Whenever I prepare kanjee at home, i make sure to prepare thenga thogayal too. Also whenever we decide a long train trip, we make sure to get idlis or lemon rice with thenga thogayal. It really stays fresh for long travels and goes well with health and train environment. Atleast its cleaner than railway foods.

So here let me share the recipe of thenga thogayal. Hope everyone would love it.


Ingredients:
Grated Coconut - 2 cups
Whole Dry Red chillies - 4-5 nos
Tamarind - cashewnut sized lump ball
Garlic pods - 4-5 nos
Salt - As per taste
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon


Method:

1. Grind together grated coconut, tamarind, garlic pods , Dry red chillies and salt in a blender to a fine paste by adding little water.
2. Take oil in a deep bottomed pan or kadai and heat it.
3. Add the mustard seeds and allow it to crackle.
4. Now add the grinded paste to it and saute it over medium heat. Saute it till the water gets evapourates completely.
5. Remove and serve it with lemon rice, tamarind rice or kanjee

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 15- 20 mins

Serves: 4- 6 persons

Shelflife: upto 2 days

Serving Suggestion: Serve with Lemon Rice, Tamarind Rice, Tamoto rice or kanjee.

Note:

• This Thogayal can be served directly after grinded too, without sauting over fire. In that case add just few spoons of water. This thogayal can not be preserved for longer duration .
• In case you want this thogayal to be preserved long , do saute it over medium fire till the water dries up.

Click here to learn more about Tamil Nadu Foods and Cuisines - An Introduction To Tamil Nadu Recipes and Cuisines.

Arbi which is called as Colocasia or Taro is a root vegetable .It is widely popular in South Asian countries and especially in India it is widely used in food, be it its leaves or the vegetable both are used to make delicious recipes.

In South Karnataka and Udupi arbi is used to make a popular delicacy called Patrode, in Punjab it is used to prepare a side dish called Arbi ki sabzi. In Kerala the leaves of Arbi is used to cook to a popular curry called Chembila while the root , the veggie is used to prepare Chembu puzhukku which is often taken with Kanjee a kind of Podridge. In Andhra it is used to prepare a food called Chaama while the leaves are used by Gujratis to make a famous snack called Patra. In Tamil nadu it is used as side dish which is basically a fried dish.
I am now posting the Tamil Nadi dish called Seppakizhangu Fry (pronounced as Seppakilangu).

it is basically a dry roasted dish and served along with rice and curry. It needs minimum ingredients and can be prepared by anyone easily. It is crispy from outer side while its soft and juicy from inside thus giving a tempting taste. It is cooked just like potatoes, and it has high fibre content considered good for health. As such root vegetables are rich in fibre and minerals and having them as part of food is healthy.

Taro root is a starchy tuber vegetable that looks like, and can be used similar to, a potato. It does, however, have a hairy outer coating on its surface that is similar to the coating on a coconut. Because of this, when preparing to use a taro root, the root’s outer skin must first be removed. This procedure is easy to do. However, some individuals can acquire a skin irritation towards the juices that are secreted by the taro root as its skin is being removed. Therefore, to be on the safe side, when peeling a taro root’s skin, use protective rubber gloves. Additionally, because taro root can be toxic in its raw state, always cook it before using.

Typical of leaf vegetables, taro leaves are rich in vitamins and minerals. They are a good source of thiamin, riboflavin, iron, phosphorus, and zinc, and a very good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, niacin, potassium, copper, and manganese. Taro corms are very high in starch, and are a good source of dietary fiber. Oxalic acid may be present in the corm and especially in the leaf, and these foods should be eaten with milk or other foods rich in calcium so as to remove the risks posed by ingesting the free oxalic radical especially for people with kidney disorders, gout, or rheumatoid arthritis. Calcium reacts with the oxalate to form calcium oxalate which is very insoluble.

In India, it is known by various names - cheppankizhangu (Malayalam/Tamil), arvi (Hindi) and chama dumpa (Telugu). The leaves are also called Elephant ear leaves.

Here is the recipe of Seppakizhangu fry. Hope everyone enjoys it. Its my favourite too.




Ingredients:
Arbi (Colocasia) - 1 kg
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 2 cups for frying .



Method: (using more oil)

1. Pressure cook arbi with little salt in water until just done and not too mushy.
2. Remove it’s skin, cut into big round pieces and keep it aside.
3. Cut the arbis into pieces. Cut the smaller ones in 2 pieces and larger once into 3 or 4 pieces.
   
4. Heat Oil in a kadai for frying.
   
5. Put the arbi pieces in the oil and fry them for few minutes say some 6-7 minutes till it is light golden brown in colour. Dont over fry them.
6. If your are using more oil then remove the arbis in a absorbent paper and set aside.
7. Take a kadai and add 1 tablespoon of oil in it. Heat it and add mustrad seeds.
   
8. When the mustard seeds crackle, lower the flame. Add the arbis , turmeric powder and red chilli powder , salt as per taste and stir well till the powders gets mixed.
   
9. Serve them hot with rice and dal or any curry of your choice.

Method 2: (using minimun Oil):

1. Pressure cook arbi with little salt in water until just done and not too mushy.
2. Remove it’s skin, cut into big round pieces and keep it aside.
3. Cut the arbis into pieces. Cut the smaller ones in 2 pieces and larger once into 3 or 4 pieces.
4. Heat 4 -5 tablespoons of Oil in a kadai for frying.
5. Add the mustard seeds and allow them to crackle.
6. As soon as the mustards crackle, put the arbi pieces , turmeric powder and red chilli powder. And some salt as per taste. Stir them well till the powders sticks to the arbis properly.
7. Keep in low or medium flame and cook until the outer sides becomes crispy and golden brown.
8. Serve hot with rice and dal or curry of your choice.

Method 3: (Microwave method):

1. Peel the arby’s skin with knife and cut into round slices.
2. Put in Microwave safe bowl and add little water and salt.
   
3. Microwave it for 2 -3 mins until 75% is cooked.
   
4. Then proceed with the frying step and as follows. Better try the frying step over flame using a Kadai for good results and better taste.
5. Serve hot with rice and curry.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves : 4-5 persons
Shelflife: Best fresh and upto 1 day.
Serving suggestion: Serve hot with steam rice and dal or any curry .


Note:

• Always cook the arbis first.
• Arbis are usually sticky and can be difficult to cook. So frying is best option which also enhances the taste.
• Cut the arbis in slices. And fry them till golden brown.

Click here to know more about Tamil Nadu foods and cuisines - An Introduction To Tamilnadu Food And Cuisines.