SAUTEKAYI ROTTI

INGREDIENTS

1 medium sized cucumber
2-3 green chillies finely chopped
2-3 tbsp fresh chopped corriander leaves
1/4 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
a pinch of hing
salt about 1/4 tsp or according to taste
Rice flour about a cup 


METHOD

• Finely grate the cucumber without peeling.
  
• The seeds can also be used if they are tender or they can be removed.
• Mix all other other ingredients except rice flour and mix well. 
  
• Gradually add rice flour and form a soft dough using the water from the cucumber.
• Do not add any water. 
• Apply a little oil to your fingers to prevent the dough sticking to your hands.
  
• Make small balls of the dough.
• On a tawa/flat girdle apply some oil and flatten the balls like rotis and make a small hole in the centre with your finger
  
• Now keep the pan on medium flame and cover the roti with a lid.
  
• After a few secs remove the lid and add a few drops of oil and flip the rotti.
  
• Cook till done.
• Serve hot with butter and coconut chutney.

COCONUT BARFI

This sweet is prepared from fresh coconut and tastes really yum.
Its very easy and quick to make and doesn't require any preparation.
The only tricky part here is getting the end point right. One can get it right after some practice. But its O.K.  The only disaster that can happen is that, we will not get the desired shape. But it will still taste yummy. So do not be disheartened if you don't get it right in the first attempt.
Always use a thick bottomed pan .
Keep the flame high to get a perfect white .


One coconut will give approx 10 pieces .
Avoid the brown portion of the gratings near the shell to get white barfi.

INGREDIENTS

1 measure  fresh grated coconut.

(Tightly press the gratings for measuring.)

3/4 measure sugar

1/4th measure thick milk with cream
a few drops of vanilla essence

PREPARATION

• Mix milk and grind the coconut for a sec.
  
• In a thick bottomed kadai add the coconut mix with sugar .
  
• On a high flame ,keep stirring  (to avoid sicking at the bottom) till the  mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan.
• As the end point is nearing ,press the spatula in the mixture. It   will stand upright without slanting .
• Reduce the flame and mix for 2-3 mins more.
  
• Add vanilla essence and mix well.
• Keep a plate ready greased with ghee to pour the mixture .
  
• Spread the mixture on the plate first with the spatula and then smoothen it with the bottom of a katori a greased with ghee.
  
• Allow it to cool for sometime.
• When it is still warm, take a sharp knife and cut the barfi into required shape.
  
• When it cools completely,remove the pieces slowly and store in an airtight container.
  
• Stays for about a week, which I seriously doubt as it tastes so good that it will be over in no time :)

SWEET PONGAL

WISHING ALL MY READERS A VERY HAPPY PONGAL !!!!

Kolams drawn in front of the house on PONGAL festival.

I would like to share this link which gives a complete description of the festival.
http://www.pongalfestival.org/


 Sweet pongal is a sweet dish prepared on PONGAL festival. 
Pongal is  the harvest festival celebrated in India.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup rice
1 cup green gram dal/moong dal
1 cup fresh grated coconut
2 cups gur/jaggery
1/2 cup ghee
cashewnuts and raisins
cardamom powder

METHOD

• Heat 2 tbsp of ghee and roast the dal to a golden brown colour. 
• Add the rice. Mix well.
  
• 
  
• Add about 5 cups of water and pressure till the rice becomes soft.
  
• Heat 1 sp of ghee and add the dry fruits.
• Add the rice dal mixture, grated coconut , jaggery and ghee.
  
• Keep mixing on a medium flame till it forms a semi solid mass.
  
• Sprinkle cardamom powder and mix well.
• Serve hot.

  

  ENJOY HOT SWEET PONGAL

TOMATO IN COCONUT GRAVY

INGREDIENTS
3 ripe and firm tomatoes chopped into large cubes
1 tbsp udad dal (black gram )
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp methi seeds (fenugreek)
3-4 red chilies
1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)
2 tsp tamarind paste
3-4 tbsp grated coconut
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder(haldi)
salt to taste

METHOD
In a drop of oil, fry all the ingredients. Add tamarind paste and coconut and grind to a paste
In a pan heat 1/2 tsp oil. Add mustard and hing powder. When they splutter add the ground paste and the tomatoes. Add about a cup of water and salt and boil for 10 mins.

GREEN COCONUT CHUTNEY

WHOLE COCONUT 

 COCONUT  

INGREDIENTS

1 cup grated coconut

2-3 cloves garlic 

3-4 green chilies

1 small onion

1/4 tsp jeera (cumin)

4 tsp putani (roasted gram)

a small piece tamarind soaked in water

a small handful coriander leaves

salt to taste

METHOD

Chop all the ingredients, mix with grated coconut, tamarind water and salt and grind to a paste.

Some  people like the chutney coarsely ground and some like it as a fine paste. The choice is yours.

Temper with mustard, chana dal (split bengal gram) and curry leaves.

MIXED VEGETABLE KURMA

INGREDIENTS

2 cups chopped vegetables like beans,carrot,green peas and potatoes. Do not peel the potatoes. Wash them well and chop along with the skin.
1/4 tsp jeera(cumin)
3/4 cloves(lavang)
1" piece cinnamon(dalchini)
1 tsp poppy seeds(khus khus)
2/3 green chiilies
2/3 cloves garlic
1" piece ginger
1 small onion
1/4th cup grated coconut
2tsp roasted gram(putana)
A handful of fresh coriander leaves
salt to taste

METHOD
Boil the vegetables along with a little salt and keep aside. In a drop of oil, fry the cloves,cinnamon,cumin and poppy seeds.Grind the above fried spices along with the other ingredients to a fine paste.
Add this paste to the boiled vegetables along with a pinch of turmeric and salt as per taste. Mix well.
Bring to a boil. When it just starts boiling , remove from flame.
This tastes well with rotis and puris.

The kurma should not be boiled too much after adding the ground masala. If boiled too much, the oil from the coconut gets separated.

NOTE

I have used very mild spices. If you like it spicy ,you can increase the quantity of ginger, garlic and green chilies as per your taste and flavour.