Bread and egg fry

Ingredients

• Bread slices - 4
• Onions - 1-2 (sliced)
• Tomatoes - 2 (chopped)
• Curry leaves - few
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Sambhar or chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Eggs - 2-3
• Coriander leaves - few (chopped)
• Pepper to taste
• Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil to the pan and add cumin. Then add curry leaves, onions and fry till it becomes translucent.
• Now add tomatoes and fry till it becomes mashy. Add salt and chilly powder.
• Fry for a minute and then add eggs. Mix well.
• When the eggs 3/4th done, add the chopped bread pieces.
• Keep mixing till its done completely.
• Garnish it with coriander leaves.
• Sprinkle some pepper while serving.

Tip for the recipe -You can also add little Garam masala. I want to keep it mild. So I didn't add much spice powders. Do not over cook the eggs or else it becomes hard.

Sambhar Vada

Ingredients

• Sambhar
• Vada - 10 medium size
• Onions - 1small size chopped
• Coriander leaves - handful

Method

• Take a cup of sambhar & add 3-4 cups of water bring it to boil (add enough salt). Soak the vadas in it for 1 minute.(this makes the sambhar vada more soft)
• Now transfer the vadas into the hot sambhar & keep the sambhar on low flame for 10 minutes.
• Now switch off the flame & leave the vada in the sambhar, atleast for another 30 minutes.
• While serving, sprinkle some onions & coriander leaves.

Curd Vada

Ingredient

• Vada - 10 medium size
• Curd - 1 1/2 cups
• Ginger - 2 tsp
• Hing - few pinches
• Mustard & urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Green chillies - 4
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Coriander leaves - handful
• Boondi - to taste
• Chat masala - to taste
• Chilly powder - to taste
• Salt - to taste

Method

• Add some water to the curd & mix it well till it looks smooth.
• It should be little thin consistency.
• Heat oil in kadai on high medium flame.
• Splutter mustard, urad dal, cumin seeds, hing, green chillies, curry leaves & ginger one by one.
• Pour it into the curd. Add salt & mix well.
• Dip the vadas in the water for 15 to 20 seconds & add it to the curd.
• While serving, on top of the vada,  sprinkle some coriander leaves, boondi, chat masala & chilly powder.

Tip for the recipe - Allow the vada to get soaked in the curd for at least 1 hour for good taste.

Medu Vada

Ingredients

• Urad dal - 1 cup
• Rice flour - 1/4 cup
• Ginger - 1 tbsp
• Onion - 1 big size
• Curry leaves - 1 spring
• Hing - 1/4 tsp
• Cumin - 1/2 tsp
• Whole pepper - 1/2 tsp
• Green chillies - 4
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

Method

• Soak the urad dal for 6 hours or overnight.
• Grind it by adding very little water now & then, till it becomes fluffy & soft.
• Now mix all other ingredients & deep fry it on medium flame, till it becomes golden brown in color.

Tips for the recipe - The taste & softness of the vada depends upon how fluffy & soft the batter is. It should be super soft and fluffy. Take a pinch of dough and drop it in a cup of water, then it should float. If you are making big vadas as in the photograph then make hole in the center for the vada to cook evenly. If you are making very small vadas then the hole is not necessary. Wet your hands while shaping vadas. This makes the work easy and gives better shape for vadas.

Thalicha Dosai

Ingredient

• Dosa batter - 1 cup
• Onion - 1/2 small size onion (Chopped)
• Curry leaves - few (chopped)
• Channa dal - 1 tsp (optional)
• Mustard & Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
• Ginger - 1 tsp (chopped)
• Green chillies - 1 (chopped)
• Coriander leaves - few (chopped)
• Red chillies - 1 (halved)
• Oil - 1-2 tbsp
• Salt for taste

Method

• Heat oil in kadai on high medium flame.
• Splutter mustard, urad dal, channa dal, curry leaves, ginger & green chilies one by one.
• Add onions, salt and fry well.
• Now switch off the flame & add the onion mixture & coriander leaves to the batter. Mix well.
• Heat the Dosa tawah on medium high.
• Rub the pan with oil dipped cloth or tissue towel.
• Spread one or two ladle of batter on the tawa, starting from the middle in a rotating motion to make dosa.
• Drizzle some oil &amp cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
• Now flip the dosa using spatula & cook both the side till it becomes brown in color.

Tips for the recipe - This type of dosa is little thick. Old batter works good for this type of dosa. Normally dosa wont taste that good if the batter is old & very sour. In that case you can make this method of dosa & it tasty. You can serve this dosa with any chutney or idly podi or even sugar taste good for this dosa.

Cholam(Jowar) dosai

Ingredients

• Cholam - 3 cups
• Idly rice - 1 cup
• urad dal - 1 cup
• Salt to taste

Method

• Soak cholam, rice & urad dal overnight.
• Grind it to smooth batter & add salt.
• Keep it in the warm place for fermentation. It may take 8-14 hours, depends upon the temperature.

Tips for the recipe - I soak the ingredients separately, so that i can grind the urad dal to more fluffy & smooth which gives good dosa.

Puttu kadalai curry

Ingredients(for the puttu)

• Puttu flour or rice flour - 1 cup
• a pinch of cumin seeds
• lightly salted water
• Sugar to taste
• Coconut - 1/4 - 1/2 cup

Method

• Sprinkle the cumin seeds & the salted water to the puttu flour & mix well.
• Tips for the consistency - I should look crumbled.If u press it tightly, it must be able to hold it shape.When you mix it back it should fall loosely like a sand.
• Now fill the puttu maker with one layer of puttu flour & the next layer with coconut. Again third layer with puttu flour & fouth with coconut. 
• Steam the puttu till it is done.

Tips for the recipe - You can make puttu with either rice flour or puttu flour.Puttu flour taste much better than rice flour.

Puttu flour - (soak raw rice for 1 hr & pat dry it on wet cloth till all the water is absorbed. Then powder it immediately when there is some moisture.)

Kadalai Curry(group I)

• Boiled black chickpeas - 1-11/2 cup
• Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Mustard - 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Green chillies - 3
• Chilli powder - 1/2tsp
• Onions - 1 
• Tomato - 1 big
• Sliced coconut
• Oil as required
• Salt to taste

Dry roast & powder(group II)

• Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
• Fennel seeds- 1 tsp
• Cloves - 2
• Cinnamon- 1 inch

Method

• Roast & powder the group II ingredients & keep it aside.
• Heat the pan on medium flame with some oil. Splutter some mustard & add ginger garlic paste to it. Fry till the oil seperates.
• Now add curry leaves, chillies & onions. Fry till onions turn medium brown color.
• Add tomatoes, salt & chilly powder. Fry till it becomes mashy.
• Pour some water & allow to boil for 10 minutes.
• Now add sliced coconut & the masala powder. Allow to boil for another 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat & serve it with hot puttu.

Sweet puttu

Ingredients

• Ragi - 1 cup
• lightly salted water
• Sugar to taste
• Coconut - 1/4 - 1/2 cup

Method

• Sprinkle the salted water to the ragi flour & mix well.
• Tips for the consistency - I should look crumbled.If u press it tightly, it must be able to hold it shape.When you mix it back it should fall loosely like a sand.
• Now fill the puttu maker with one layer of puttu flour & the next layer with coconut. Again third layer with puttu flour & fouth with coconut. 
• Steam the puttu till it is done.
• Serve it with sugar & banana.

Takkali vadakal for roti

Ingredients

• Tomatoes (chopped) - 3 medium size
• Onion(chopped lengthwise) - 2 medium size
• Garlic (finely chopped) - 2
• Curry leaves - few
• Green chillies(slitted) - 3 or adjust
• Chilly powder - 1 tsp or adjust
• Sambhar powder - 1 tsp
• Mustard & urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil as required

Method

• Over medium flame heat oil to the wok & splutter mustard.
• Add curry leaves, garlic, chillies & then onions.
• Fry till onions turns medium brown color.
• Now add the tomatoes & fry well. Add salt, chilly & sambar powder.
• Fry till the tomatoes becomes completely mashy & no raw smell.

Tomato sevai (Idiyappam)

Ingredients

• Par Boiled rice -1/4 kg 
• Green peas - 1/2 cup (optional) 
• Ginger - 1 inch (chopped) 
• Coconut - 1/2 cup (shredded) 
• Tomatoes - 3 medium size (chopped) 
• Green chillies - 7 (chopped) 
• Aniseeds coarsely powdered (optional)- 1 tsp 
• Curry leaves - 2 spring 
• Onions - 1 big (chopped) 
• Channa dal - 1 tsp 
• Oil - 2 Tbsp 
• Mustard & urad dal- 1 tsp 
• Coriander leaves - 3 tbsp (Chopped) 
• Salt for taste 

Method

• Soak rice for 2 hours and grind to a smooth batter by adding salt. 
• The consistency of the batter should be watery. 
• Prepare idlies of out this batter. 
• Press 2 idlies at a-time using the idiyapam instrument. 
• Now the idiyappam is ready. 
• Heat oil in the pan and add mustard, urad, channa dal, aniseeds, curry leaves, green chillies, ginger & onions one by one. 
• Add green peas, salt & saute well. 
• Now add the tomatoes & fry till it becomes mashy. 
• Add the idiyappam & mix well till it incorporates with the mixture. 
• Finally add coconut & coriander leaves. 
• Mix well & serve hot. 

Tips for the recipe - Press the idilies when it is hot or warm. It is difficult to press once it is cool. Take care while mixing the idiyapam that it should not get mashed. Cool down the idiyapam completely before mixing it to the tomato mixture. If the batter is watery then it is easy to press the idiyappam.

Ven Pongal

Ingredients

• Par boiled rice - 1 cup
• Split moong dal - 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp
• Ghee - 1/4 cup
• Hing - 1/4 tsp
• Ginger - 1 tbsp
• Cumin - 1 tsp
• Pepper corns - 1 tsp
• Green chilly (optional) - 1
• Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
• Cashew - 2 tbsp

Method

• Wash & pressure cook (for 1 cup of rice add 5 cups of water) the dal & rice together (app 5 whistles).
• Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in the pan & fry the cashews till it becomes golden brown.
• Remove it from the ghee soon & add it to the cooked rice with some salt.
• Now in the same pan splutter cumin seeds, pepper corns, curry leaves, green chillies & hing one by one.
• Add more ghee if needed. Roast it for 1 minute. Now pour this mixture in the pongal & mix well.
• Add the remaining 2 tbsp of ghee & mix well.
• Serve it hot with coconut chutney.

Tips for the recipe - You can add little milk while cooking the rice, so that the pongal becomes more soft. I add salt later because I always cook venpongal & sweet pongal together. Once the rice is cooked, I take half of rice to prepare sweet pongal & then mix the salt to the remaining ven pongal while doing the seasoning. If you are making only ven pongal then you can add salt in the water & cook the rice.

Sweet pongal

Ingredients

• Par boiled rice - 1 cup
• Split moong dal - 1/2 cup 
• Ghee - 1/4 cup
• Jaggery (crushed, shredded or powdered) - 1 1/2 cup
• Cardamon powder - few pinches
• Raisin - 1-2 tbsp
• Cashew - 2 tbsp

Method

• Wash & pressure cook (for 1 cup of rice, add 5 cups of water) the dal & rice together (app 5 whistles).
• When the pressure releases, open the cooker & switch on the flame to low medium.
• Add the jaggery & keep mixing it till you dont see any jaggery pieces .
• Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in the pan.
• Fry raisins & cashews till it becomes golden brown. Pour it into the pongal.
• Add the remaining ghee & sprinkle some cardamon powder.
• Mix well & serve hot.

Tips for the recipe - You can add 1/2 cup milk while cooking the rice, so that the pongal becomes more soft. 

Masala Dosai II

              

       In this type of masala dosa, red chilly chutney is not spread on the dosa like Spicy Masala Dosai I. This masala itself includes spices & tastes different than the plain potato stuffing.

Ingredients

• Fermented dosa batter - 2 cups

Potato stuffing

• Potato - 2 medium size (boiled & mashed)
• Onion - 1 medium size
• Tomato - 1 medium size
• Cumin - 1/2 tsp
• Aniseed - 1/2 tsp (crushed)
• Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Mustard & urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Green chillies - to taste
• Sambhar powder - 1 tsp or to taste
• Pepper corns - 1 tsp (crushed & not powdered)
• Coriander leaves - few
• Oil - as required
• Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil in kadai, on high medium flame.
• Splutter mustard, urad dal, cumin seeds & aniseeds one by one.
• Add the ginger-garlic paste & fry till the oil separates.
• Add onions, green chillies, curry leaves and fry till it becomes light brown in color.
• Add the chopped tomatoes & continue frying till it becomes mashy.
• Now add sambhar powder, turmeric powder & salt.
• Fry for 1 minute.
• Now add the potato & mix well.
• Then add the crushed pepper & coriander leaves & mix well.
• Heat the Dosa tawah on medium high.
• Rub the pan with oil/ghee dipped cloth or tissue towel.
• Spread one ladle of batter on the tawa, starting from the middle in a rotating motion to make dosa.
• Drizzle some oil & cover the dosa for few seconds.
• Now remove the lid & spread the potato stuffing.
• Fold the dosa to cover the stuffing & serve it with coconut chutney.

Spicy Masala Dosai I

Ingredients

• Fermented dosa batter - 2 cups

Red chilly chutney (group I)

• Red chillies - 10 long variety
• Garlic  - 2
• salt to taste

Potato masala (group II)

• Potato - 3 medium size (boiled & mashed)
• Green chillies - 4 (chopped)
• Onions - 2 medium size (chopped lengthwise)
• Curry leaves - few
• Mustard & urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Channa dal - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - few pinches
• Coriander leaves - few
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Method

• Grind group I chutney ingredients together to make a spicy chutney.
• Heat oil in the pan & splutter mustard seeds.
• Add urad dal & channa dal.
• Then add chillies, curry leaves & onion. Fry for few minutes.
• Add salt & turmeric powder.
• Also add the mashed potato & mix well.
• Sprinkle some water & continue mixing.
• Add coriander leaves & remove from fire when it reaches the desired consistency.
• Heat the Dosa tawah on medium high.
• Rub the pan with oil/ghee dipped cloth or tissue towel.
• Spread one ladle of batter on the tawa, starting from the middle in a rotating motion to make dosa.
• Drizzle some oil & cover the dosa for few seconds (or you can flip the dosa & cook both the sides).
• Now remove the lid & apply a very thin layer of red chilly chutney on the dosa.
• Then spread the potato stuffing in the center of the dosa.
• Cover the stuffing by folding the dosa like a triangle.
• Serve it with coconut chutney.

Moong dal (with panner stuffing) dosa

Ingredients

• Moong dal - 1/2 cup
• Paneer - 1/2 cup (crumbled)
• Onion - 1 (chopped)
• Tomato - 1 (chopped)
• Mustard & urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Green chillies - 2 (chopped)
• Chilly powder - to taste
• Coriander leaves for garnishing
• Salt to taste

Dosa batter

• Soak the dal for at least 4-5 hours or overnight.
• Grind it to smooth paste by adding little salt. The consistency should be little thicker than the idly batter.

For the stuffing

• Heat oil in the pan & splutter mustard.
• Add curry leaves, chillies & onions. Fry well & then add the tomatoes.
• Add salt & chilly powder.
• Mix well by adding paneer & coriander leaves.

Stuffed dosa

• Heat the dosa tawah on high-medium flame.
• Rub the tawah with little oil & make dosa out of dal batter.
• Drizzle some oil if necessary. Flip the dosa & cook both the sides.
• Now place 1 or 2 spoons of paneer masala & wrap the dosa.
• Serve it hot with coconut & kara chutney.

Adai

Ingredients
Group I

• Rice - 1 cup
• Chana dal - 1 cup
• Toor dal - 1/4 cup
• Whole Moong dal  - 1/4 cup
• Urad dal - 1/4 cup
• Onion - 1 (chopped)
• Cumin - 2 tsp
• Coconut  1/2 cup
• Red chillies 5
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Coriander leaves - handful
• Hing - 1/4 tsp
• Ginger - 1/4 inch
• Salt to taste

Group II

• Onion - 1 (chopped)
• Cumin - 1 tsp
• Green chillies - 3 (chopped)
• Red chillies 2 
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Coriander leaves - handful 
• Hing - 1/4 tsp
• Ginger - 1 tbsp (chopped)
• Salt - to taste

Method

• Soak the rice & dals together for 3 hours.
• Grind the soaked rice & dals with little water, till it is done. Not necessary to grind it very smoothly.It can be little coarse.
• Now add all the rest of the group I ingredients & grind for 1 minute or coarsely.
• Now the batter is ready. Keep it aside.
• Now heat oil in the pan & splutter cumin seeds, chillies, curry leaves & hing.
• Add onions, ginger, little salt & continue frying till it is slight brown in color.
• Pour this mixture in the batter. Also add a handful of coriander leaves & mix well.
• Heat the Dosa tawah on medium high.
• Rub the pan with oil/ghee dipped cloth or tissue towel.
• Spread one ladle of batter on the tawa, starting from the middle in a rotating motion.
• Try to make a thin layer.
• Flame should be on medium.
• Drizzle some oil on top of the adai.
• Cook till it becomes golden brown in color.
• Once it is golden brown, flip the adai on the other side to get cooked.
• Serve it hot with coconut chutney.

Tips for the recipe - Batter can be used directly after grinding without any fermentation process. But for better taste allow the batter to ferment for 3-6 hours.

Chapatti Vegetable Roll

Ingredients

• Chapatti - 5
• Mixed vegetable (carrot, beans, cabbage, peas, corn, cauliflower, potato) - 3 cups (thinly chopped, lengthwise 1 inch). Soak the cauliflower in hot water for few minutes.
• Lettuces (optional) - few
• Tomato - 1 medium size (thinly chopped lengthwise)
• Onion - 1 small size (thinly chopped lengthwise)
• Green chilies - 3 (chopped lengthwise)
• Ginger - 1tsp (grated)
• Garlic - 1tsp (grated)
• Mint leaves - 10 -15
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp

Method

• Heat the oil in the pan on high medium flame.
• Splutter cumin seeds & add the ginger & garlic.
• Add chilies, mint & onions. Fry for 1 minute. Do not fry too much.
• Now add the tomatoes & fry for 30 seconds.
• Add all the vegetables & continue frying.
• Add salt, chilly powder & the garam masala powder.
• Fry well. Do not cover it.
• Remove it from fire when it is done.
• Spread a layer of lettuces on the chapatti & place the vegetable masala on top of it.
• Now roll the chappathi & serve hot.

Tips for the recipe - Do not over fry the vegetables. This kind of rolls taste good when the vegetables are slightly crunchy. I normally remove it from flame when the vegetables are 3/4th cooked.

Curd Semiya

Ingredients

• Curd - 1 1/2 lb
• Milk - 1/2  cup
• Semiya - 200 gms
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Coriander leaves - 2 handfuls
• Fried cashews - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Fried raisins - 1 1/2 tbsp

Seasoning

• Cumin seeds- 1 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 spring (chopped)
• Ginger - 1 1/2 tbsp (grated or finely chopped)
• Green chillies - 1 tbsp (chopped)
• Hing - 1/4 tsp
• Oil - 1-2 tbsp

Method

• Bring 3/4 liter of water to boil
• Add semiya to the hot water & reduce the flame.
• Cover & cook for 5 - 10 minutes or till it is done.
• Drain the water & run cold water through it. Allow the semiya to cool.
• Add milk, half of the curd, salt & sugar to the semiya.
• Mix well & keep it aside.
• Heat oil in the pan on medium high flame.
• Splutter cumin seed, curry leaves, green chillies, ginger & hing.
• Fry well & add it to the semiya.
• Now add the remaining curd, fried raisins, cashews & coriander leaves.
• Serve it with any pickle.

Tips for the recipe - Cashews & raisins are the most important ingredients in this recipe which adds more richness & taste to the dish. Adding sugar to the semiya doesn't make the dish sweet. Little sour taste in the curd (though it is fresh) needs a spoon of sugar to make it tasty. This photograph was taken when the curd semiya was thick. But usually, I add little water to dilute it. I like to have my semiya semi liquid. You can serve thick or dilute it by adding little water & milk according to your taste.

Rava(sooji) Upma

Ingredients

• Rava - 1 cup 
• Onion - 1 (chopped lengthwise)
• Green chilles - 5 (slitted)
• Red chillies(optional) - 2 
• Curry leaves - 1 spring
• Oil - 4 tbsp
• Mustard seeds & Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
• Channa Dal - 1 tsp
• Ginger - 1/2 tsp(chopped)
• Hing - 2 pinches
• Coriander leaves - handful
• Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil in the pan and let the mustard seeds splutter on high-medium flame.
• Then add the urad dal, channa dal, chillies, curry leaves, ginger, hing and onions.
• Saute till the onions turn transparent. Add salt.
• Reduce the flame to low-medium.
• Then add the rava & fry well.
• Add 2 cups of hot water.
• Mix well & cover it for 10 minutes.
• Open the lid & mix the upma by adding the chopped coriander leaves.
• Serve it with chutney.

Tips for the recipe -  A spoon of coconut oil can be added while serving for good taste.

Egg Paniyaram

Ingredients

• Fermented idly batter - 3 cups (235 ml each cup)
• Eggs - 3 or 4
• Onion - 1 big size (chopped)
• Green chillies - 6 (chopped)
• Ginger - 3 tsp
• Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
• Crushed pepper - 2 tsp
• Coriander leaves - handful (chopped)
• Oil - as required
• Salt to taste

Method

• Beat the eggs well.
• Except oil, add all the rest of the ingredients & mix well.
• Heat the paniyaram moulds with some oil, on low medium flame.
• Fill 3/4 of the moulds with the batter.
• Drizzle some oil on the top of the paniraram & allow it to cook till the bottom layer becomes brown in color.  
• Turn the paniyaram to cook both the sides evenly.

Tips for the recipe - Beat the eggs well using the beater. The more you beat, softer the paniyaram will be.