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.

Tomato pickle

Ingredients (group I)

• Tomatoes - 10 medium size
• Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp(adjust)
• Sambhar powder/chilly powder - 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Tempering (group II)

• Sesame oil
• Mustard - 1/4 tsp
• Fenugreek seed - 1/4 tsp
• curry leaves - few
• Garlic crushed or chopped - 15
• Hing - 1/4 tsp

Method

• Heat 1/2 cup of sesame oil in the pan.
• Add the tomatoes & fry well. Now add sambar powder & tamarind paste to it. 
• Add the salt & allow to cook till it becomes completely mashy & no raw smell.
• Finally do the tempering with group II ingredients & add it to the pickle.
• Remove it from the stove when the oil separates.
• Once cooled, this can be bottled & refrigerated.

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.

Rava Laddu

Ingredients

• Rava - 1 cup
• Sugar - 3/4 cup
• Ghee -  1/2 cup
• Shredded coconut - handful
• Nuts (crushed) - handful
• Cardamon - 3

Method

• Add little ghee & roast the rava separately & blend it in the blender along with the sugar & cardamon. Keep this aside.
• Heat 1-2 tbsp of ghee on low flame. Roast raisins. Then add the nuts. Take care not to burnt the nuts. Immediately add the grated coconut and semolina in it, stir continously & switch off the stove. 
• Add a spoon of ghee only to the small portion of rava mixture & make balls. Adding few drops of milk or water will make the work easy but the ladoos will turn hard after few hours.

Selavu Rasam

Ingredients
Group I

• Tamarind - Small gooseberry size
• Turmeric - 2 pinches
• Coriander - few
• Salt to taste
• Oil as required

Group II

• Garlic - 8
• Cumin- 1 tsp
• Coriander - 1 tsp
• Pepper corn - 1 tsp
• Red chilly - 1
• Curry leaves - few
• Tomato - 3/4 medium size

Group III

• Mustard - 1/4 tsp
• Red chilly - 1
• Hing - a pinch
• Curry leaves - few
• Shallot - 2 chopped

Method

• Soak tamarind in a cup of water for few mints.Then extract the juice & keep it aside.
• Heat oil to the pan & roast all the group II ingredients.Allow it to cool & grind it with the turmeric. Then add tamarind juice & salt to it & keep aside.
• Now heat the kadai with a spoon of oil & season the group III ingredients. Pour the rasam & bring it to boil. Remove it from flame by adding coriander leaves.

Tips for the recipe - Red onions can be used instead of shallots.  Spice flavour should be the dominant in this rasam. Adding too much of tomatoes will change the taste of the rasam.

Chicken Rasam

Ingredients

• Chicken - 1 split breast
• Tomatoes - 2 (pureed)
• Onions - 1 finely chopped
• Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
• Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Cinnamon - 1 - 2
• Curry leaves - few
• Mustard - 1/4 tsp

Group II

• Garlic - 4 crushed
• Green chillies 4 Crushed
• Coriander leaves - chopped

Group III (rasam powder)

• Cumin - 1 tsp
• Corinader seeds - 1 tsp
• Aniseeds - 1 tsp
• Pepper corns - 1 tsp

Method

• Make a powder of group III ingredients & keep aside. This the rasam powder needs to be added finally.
• Heat enough oil & add cinnamon, ginger-garlic paste on medium flame & fry till the oil separates.
• Now add onions & curry leaves. Fry till it becomes transparent.
• Add the pureed tomato & fry well. 
• Then add the chicken pieces, salt, chilly & turmeric powder.
• Fry for 5 mints & add enough water & cook the chicken.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken & cinnamon when its done & keep it aside. Chicken pieces can be fried later. 
• Heat enough oil to the pan & do the seasoning for the rasam by spluttering some mustard seeds & add all the group II ingredients & fry for few mints on medium flame.
• Pour the rasam in this & allow to boil for 2 mints. Add the rasam powder (group III) & switch off the flame.

I fried the chicken pieces & here is the recipe.

• Heat enough oil & add a tsp of ginger garlic(paste or chopped), onions (2- big), curry leaves(2-3 sprig), tomato (1big), & chilly powder. then add the chicken & fry well. Finally add some pepper & coriander leaves.

Tips for the recipe 

• No need to drain the rasam completely. Slotted spoon will work well for this recipe.
• A spoon of more oil will make this fry taste great.
• Add 1/2 tsp of sambhar power for the fry along with the chilly powder.