VAZHAI POO VADAI

All the parts of banana plant is used for cooking. Its fruit, flower, and trunk all has good medicinal values too. And its flower can be made as Poriyal and also as crispy Vadai. And this week let's see how to make Vadai
INGREDIENTS 
Vazhai poo-1 no 
Pottukadali-1-big cup 
Sombu -1spn. 
Onion -2 nos.
Grated Coconut -1 cup 
Ginger garlic paste-1 tspn 
Chillie powder -1tspn 
Turmeric powder -1/2 tspn
 Refined oil-1/2 lr
Salt to taste. 
Curry, Corriander leaves - little 
METHOD 
1)Clean the vazhaipoo as usual and make it boil with turmeric powder in lot of water well.
2)Don't cut the cleaned vazhai poo.
3)After boiling  drain the poo in a filter completly and let it cool. 
4)Grind pottukadali with sombu nicely in mixie. 
5)Grind coconut with out water. 
6)Coarsely grind the Vazhai poo.
7)Take a bowl and add all the grinded items with chillie powder, ginger garlic paste and salt. 
8)Finally add the well chopped onions, curry and corriander leaves . 
9)Now bring the oil to boil and keep in a medium flame. 
10)Take a small lemon size of the mix and pat  it in a vadai shape and put it in oil. 
11)After it is cooked gently turn the othersideand cook well. 
12)The yummy crispy vazhai vadai is ready to eat.

VEN PONGAL

Ven pongal is the sunday special recipe in our home as it is easy to make. It is given as a prasatham in margazhi month in most of the temples.  
INGREDIENTS 
Raw rice-1 big cup 
Green gram dal/pasi parrupu-1/4 cup 
Ginger-small piece 
Green chillie-2 nos
 Pepper-1tspn 
Jeeragham -1/2tspn 
Toor dal -1/2 tspn
Cashewnut-8no
Ghee -4 spn
Refined oil-2 spn
Curry leaves -little. 
Salt to taste. 
METHOD 
1)Boil rice and pasiparupu with salt in cooker softly. 
2) Divide pepper and jeeragham one part to grind and the other to temper.
3)Grind ginger,chillie,pepper,jeeragham and toordal coarsely in mixie.
4)In a kadai add 1 spn ghee and fry cashewnut keep aside. 
5)Add all the ghee,refined oil, and  temper with the grinded mix and balance pepper and jeeragham and curry leaves.
6)Take the boiled rice,pasiparrupu and smash well. 
7)Add cashew and tempered mixer and stir well. 
8) The special ghee venpongal is ready.

VADAGAM THUVAIYAL:
Vadagam thuvaiyal is made speacialy for venpongal.It suits with idli,dosai and sambar rice also.

INGREDIENTS

Vadagam-1/2 ball

Chillie-5

Coconut grated-1/4 cup

Tamrind-small piece

Salt to taste.

METHOD

1)Fry the vadagam with oil in a kadai.

2)Fry chillie,coconut,tamrind well.

3Grind coarsely all in a mixie with salt.

Vadagham thuvaiyal aroma temp you to eat.

BEANS CARROT PORIYAL

Beans contains high fibres. Carrot is the best substitute for Vitamin A . It gives a glowing skin. Both beans and carrot plays a healthy role in our food. This is a  colourful poriyal and its my son's favoruite. And its also the children favourite. 
INGREDIENTS 
Beans & Carrot-1/4kg 
Grated Coconut -1 cup.  
Curry leaves -little. 
Chillie powder -1/2 spn.  
Salt to taste.
To temper 
Oil-1tspn. 
Mustard-1/2 tspn 
Urad dal-1/2 tspn 
METHOD 
1)Chop the beans and carrot into small pieces. 
2)Put the kadai pour oil temper with mustard,urad dal. 
3)Add the beans,carrot with chillie powder and salt. 
4)Pour 1/2 cup water and cook well. 
5)Finally add the coconut with curryleaves. 
6) This Beans carrot poriyal goes well with all kinds of  kuzhambu.

PAGARKAI KUZHAMBU

Pagarkai acts as a medcine for diabetics. It can be taken in any form like powder,poriyal,fry and kuzhambu. We use to do weekly once pagarkai in our cooking.
INGREDIENTS 
Small Pagarkai-8 nos 
Onion-1 no
Tomato-1 no 
Garlic-5 no
Tamrand-1 lemon size 
Coconut grated-1/4cup
Sombu-1/2 tspn 
Turemric pow-1/2 tspn 
Chillie pow-1/2spn 
Salt to taste 
Curry leaves -little 
TO TEMPER 
Refined oil-5 tspn 
Vadagam-1tspn 
METHOD
1)Grind the coconut with sombu well. 
2)Cut pagarkai and garlic as half,finely chop the onion and tomato into cubes.
3)Pour oil in a kadai and temper  with vadagam,add onion,pagarkai,garlic.tomato and fry. 
4)Add the turmeric,chillie powder and fry. 
5)Put the coconut gravy.
6) Pour the extracted tamarind juice and add water salt. 
7) Cook well for 15 min. The spicy aroma and the colour will indicate that the pagarkai kuzhambu is ready  to serve with hot rice,any porriyal and pappad.

TOMATO RICE

Tomato rice is a spicy dish. It is very easy to make and it is made often in our homes as my children luv it. Potato chips, Veg salad and raitha any of these suits as a good sidedish for this spicy rice.

INGREDINTS
 Boiled rice-2 cup
 Tomato-4 nos
 Onion-1 nos
 Chillie powder -1/2 spn
 Karam masala powder -1/2tspn
 Ginger garlic paste-1/2 tspn
 Mint leaves -little
 Cashew-10 nosGhee-5 tspn
 Refined oil-1 tbspn
 Salt to taste
 METHOD
 1)Cut the tomato into 4 pieces and make it to boil in water well. 
2)Pour sufficient water and boil the tomato. 
3) Leave the boiled tomato to cool and extract the juice filtering the tomato.
4)Chop the onion nicely.
5) Fry the cashew in ghee gently. 
6) Add the rest of the ghee with ref oil and  add karam masla,onion, ginger garlic paste and then fry.
7)Add the tomato juice with chillie powder and salt.
8) Let it boil until it becomes a gravy. 
9)Put boiled rice in a bowl and add the tomato gravy and stir slowly. 
9)Garnish with cashew and mint leaves.  
(If you use soya sauce in your cooking we can use that for a different flavour )

KEERAI KOOTU

Keerai kootu is made in all keerai mula keerai,pazali keerai, palak keerai, vendai keerai.ara keerai etc.All keerais are very good for all age .It must be made atleast twice in a  week.

INGREDIENTS

Pazali keerai-1 bunch

Toor dal-1/2 cup

Chillie pow-1/4 spn

Asofoetida-1 pinch

Grated coconut-1/4 cup

Jeeragam-1/4 spn

To temper

Oil-2 tspn

Mustard-1/2 tspn

Urad dal-1/2 tspn

METHOD

1)Cook the toor dal in cooker with asof.

2)Grind coconut with jeeragam.

3)Wash the keerai well and cut into small  pieces. It needs little patience and keep it aside.

4)Put the kadai,pour oil,temper with mustard  and uraddal.

5) With a cup  water add keerai with toor dal, chillie pow,and salt. 

6)Let it boil well finally add the coconut gravy and cook for little.

BEETROOT PORIYAL

Beetroot is an antioxidants and reduces blood pressure.It is good for health,Childrens like very much.Beetroot poriyal is easy to make for the learners.It is a good combation for all kolamp and sambar.

INGREDIENTS

Beetroot-1/4 kg

Grated coconut-1 cup

Curry lea-little.

Chillie pow-1/2 spn

Salt to taste.

To Temper

Oil-1 spn

Mustard-1/2 tsp

Urad dal-1/2tsp

METHOD

1)Take the beetroot wash well, peel the skin and cut into smallpieces.

2)Put the kadai pour oil temper with mustard,urad dal.

3)Put the beetroot add the chillie pow and salt.

4)Pour water and let it boil well.

5)Add the coconut and curry leaves.

6)Color full beetroot poriyal is ready.

RAW BANANA PEPPER FRY

Usually raw banana fry is made with Chilli powder and tamarind juice, but this one is totally different and very simple. Easy to make and very tasty.
INGREDIENTS
Raw banana-3 nos 
Turmeric pow-1/2tspn 
Home made pepperpow-1tspn 
Salt to taste 
METHOD 
1)Cut the raw banana as semi circles. 
2)Boil lightly with more water and turemric powder and filter the water.
3)Put a kadai and pour some refined oil.
4) Fry the boiled raw banana with pepper and salt.
5)Fry it in a low flame for 15min. 
6)It goes well with sambar and rasam also.

SWEET PONGAL(SAKKARAI PONGAL)

Pongal is the festival of farmers and its a thanksgiving to THE SUN.On that day we use to make sweet pongal,kara pongal, vasakari kulambu. On happy occasions and thai velli, adi velli ,for poojas we use to do sakkari pongal.

INGREDIENTS
Raw rice-1 big cup
Water -  2.5 cup { size of rice cup}
Jaggery-1 small cup
Cardamom-2nos
Cashew nut-10 nos
Dry grapes-10 nos
Ghee- 5 table spn
Orange colour -1 pinch
METHOD
1)Boil rice in cooker well,usually we pour 1 : 2 water, for raw rice we pour 1:2.5 water.
2)Powder jaggery and cardamom and keep it aside.
3)Pour 2 spn ghee in a kadai. and fry cashew, grapes gently and keep it aside.
4)Put jaggery and cardamom,orange color in  that kadai and add little water and cook till the jaggery dissolves and get thick.
5)Smash the boiled rice well and now add the thickened jaggery  and add ghee and stir well
6)Now add the cashew and grapes.
7)Keep the cooker for 5 min in low flame without weight. This will give the pongal a softness.
8) And it will be a treat for you tongue and eyes too as the colour will tempt yo to eat.

PORICHA KUZHAMBU

Poricha kuzhambu is a spicy fav dish which is  made with drumstick,raw banana and dal.
INGREDIENTS 
 Dhoor dal-1/2 cup
Greengram dal-1/2 cup
Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
Asofieta- 2 pinch 
Drumstick- 8 pieces 
Onion -1 chopped
Tomato -1 chopped
Green chillie - 4 sliced 
Curry leaves - little. 
Salt to taste. 
To grind 
Pepper-1/2 spn 
Jeeragam-1/4 spn 
Coconut-grated1/4 cup
Grind all this together in mixie and keep it. 
To temper Oil - 2spn 
Mustard - 1/2tsp 
Jeeragam-1/4tsp 
Urad dal-1/4tsp 
Bengalgram dal-1/4tsp
Asofieta-1pinch 
METHOD
1)Boil all the dal with asofieta,turmeric powder in cooker well.
2)Pour oil in a kadai temper asofieta,mustard,eeragam,urad dal,bengal dal and gramdal.
3)Add chillie,onion,tomato,drumstick to it and fry.
4)Take the boiled dals and smash well and add water and salt pour it in the kadai .
5)Let it boil for 15 min. and then add the curry leaves. 
6)Add the coconut gravy to the content and cook well for 5 mins.
7) It gives you a very spicy flavour and taste.

SENAI FRY

Senai fry is a very different dish. Most people don't prefer Senai,But once they taste this crispy fry they will love it. While cutting, cut senai in  rectangular  thick pieces. As it won't break while frying. And this dish will look like fish fry.

INGREDIENTS
Senai kizangu-1/2 kg
Onion-1
Small Sombu-1/2 tsp
Coconut -1/4 cup grated Turemric pow-1/2 tsp
Chillie pow-1spn
Salt to taste.

METHOD
1)First cut senai in normal shapes  but thick pieces and put it in a paper for 1 hour.
2)Now wash it well in the water .

3)Put the senai in a kadai and add turmeric powder  to it add water fully and boil well .
4)Strain water completly,put in a bowl.
5)Grind coconut and sombu in mixie and finally add chopped onion to it and grind it coarsely.

6)Add this mix to senai with chillie powder  and salt and mix it well, keep it aside for 1/2 hr.

7)Take a kadai pour refined oil 1/2 cup add the senai mix to it and fry well in a low flame.
8)It may take 1/2 hr for a deep fry. Fry until it turns dark brown colour.
9)Now the yummy senai fish fry is ready,it  goes well with sambar rice,tomato rice and finally  with curd rice as it gives you the real taste.

CURRY LEAVES PODI

INGREDIENTS:
Curry leaves  -1 and1/2 cup 

Pepper-1/2 cup
Cumin seed-1tsp
Salt to taste.

METHOD:

1)Wash the curry leaves and drain the water completly.
2)Put in cloth for 1/2 hour to dry.  

3)Fry pepper and cumin seed in a Kadai.

4)Fry curry leaves in low flame,deep fry,let all the aroma

things to cool for 5 min.
5)Add all things to the mixie and grind nicely.
6)You can get the fresh aroma of the podi.
7)Usually all of them make it like idli podi type with urad dal but this one gives you fully the aroma and goodness of curry leaves.

IDLI MILLAGI PODI

Millagai Podi with idli is good combination. It helps  in the emergency times like if it is power cut we can have podi, and it goes well with dosai also.

INGREDIENTS:
Long Red chillie -20nos
Urad dal-1 1/2cup
Bengal Gramdal-3spn
Rice-3spn
Curry lvs-1/4 cup
Asafoetida-1/4 spn salt to taste.

METHOD
1)Take a kadai and fry one by one.
2)Start with chillie,urad dal  asafoetida, rice, bengalgram

,end with curry leaves fried well.Leave it to cool.
3)Grind chillie and salt first in the mixie well.
4)Grind all the things with it well.And now we will get the aroma.

**Grind coarsely**

SNAKE GOURD PITLAI

Bitter gourd pitlai is quite normal whereas this Snake gourd pitlai is a very different and a spicy one. This is one of my favourite dish and also my children loves it like anything.
The aroma in the half done stage will tempt you to taste it.

INGREDIENTS
Snake gourd-1/2 kg
Big onion-3 nos
Grated coconut-1 cup
Ginger garlic paste-1/2 tsp
Oil-1 small cup
Bengal gram dal-1 big cup 

Sombu-1/2 tsp
Chillie pow-1 tsp
Salt to taste

METHOD
1) Soak bengalgram dal for 3 hours and drain the water completely.

2)Take a kadai and fry one by one.
3)Start with sombu, grated coconut, finely chopped onion and end with the finely chopped snake gourd.
4)Grind gently all things one by one in the same order as we fried  and collect all in a bowl. 
5)Put half cup bengalgram dal with the collected bowl and grind the other half well in the mixie.
6)Now add salt, chillie powder, ginger garlic paste,and mix all well.
7)In a kadai pour oil and add all the mixed conted to it and fry in low flame.
8)Saute it often and fry it in the low flame for 1/2 an hour.
9)That's it. . . Yeah. .  the toasted aroma will make sure you that the  snake gourd is ready to tingle your tastebuds.
10) Its the best pair for Sambar rice and to know its real taste just take it with curd rice.
Though it may seem little longer process, in short its a process of low fry, grind and deep fry of all the items. Try this and ask your family to guess What's the vegetable ???

MILLAGU KUZHAMBU

This week let's check out the traditional and also a medicinal - Millagu kuzhambu.This kuzhambu works effectively to cure heavy cough and cold.
Ingredients: (to grind)
Pepper-1 tsp
Chillie powder -1tsp
Coriander powder -1/2 tsp  

Grated Coconut-1 big cup
Before grinding all the above it has to be fried. Begin with pepper, then coconut and finally add chillie,coriander powder and fry till all turns to dark brown colour. Keep those aside and let it cool. Then finely grind these to paste.

Ingredients:(To temper)
Oil-1 small cup
Mustard-1/2 tsp
Fenugreek-1/2 tsp

Ingredients

Tamrind-lemon size
Garlic-10 nos
Small onion-10 nos
Drumstick-2 nos
Curry leaves-little

METHOD
1)Soak the tamarind in hot water for 10 mins and keep it extract the juice.

2)Pour oil in a kadai and temper the mustard ,fenugreek then add the garlic,onion,drumstick fry lightly.
3)Add the pepper,coconut paste and bring it to boil for 5 min. 

4) Now add the tamarand juice and salt.
5)Leave it to boil well for about 10 min and then add the curry leaves. 

6) Now, the special millagu kuzhambu is ready to eat.
7) It goes well with pappad and poriyal.

VADAI

Ingredients:

Urad dal-2 cups
Refined oil-1/2 ltr
Green Chilly -4 nos
Ginger- small piece 
Pepper-1/2tsp
Asofoetida powder -1 pinch
Salt-to taste
Curry leaves-little
Method:
1)Soak urad dal in water for 2 hours.
2)Drain the water completly. 
3)Grind urad dal and also add the chilles and ginger.
4 )While grinding add little water, as excess water leads to an oily Vadai.
5) Be sure to make a soft batter and if we add more water the Vadai would drink oil.
6)Then add the pepper, asofotida powder and salt to the batter.
7)After taken from grinder add the chopped curry leaves. Now the vadai batter is ready. 
8)Heat the oil in a kadai and keep in a medium flame.
9)Take a bannana leaf or a plastic thin sheet.
10)Dip your hand in water and take a lemon size batter in your hand.
11)Pat this in the leaf and put a hole in center with your finger. 
12)Then put this in oil and flip it gently when one side is done. 
13) Golden colour means you that the crispy Vadai is ready to serve.
14)It goes out well with coconut chutney,and sambar.
Vadai and Payasam always mean a special occasions. Just try out all our last month special menus on Thamiz Varusha Pirappu and post your comments. En iniya Thamiz Varusha Pirappu Nal Vazhutthikkal.

COCONUT PAYASAM

Coconut payasam is one of my favorite Dessert. Desserts is probably the most important of the meal, since it will be the last thing your guests will remember before they pass out all over the table.
We use to make this payasam in our homes for festival seasons like Tamil Varushapirapu,Adi valli,Thai amavassai. Coconut and sugar  blends and gives a good flavour.

Ingredients
Coconut grated-2 cups
Sugar-1 cup
Ghee-1tspn
Cordomon-2 no
Raw rice (patchai)-3 spn
Cashewnut-10 nos
Method:
1)Soak the raw rice for 1 hour.
2)Add a cup of water gradually and grind coconut with raw rice and cardamon.
3)Boil 1 lr of water.
4)Slowly add the paste and stir well to avoid lumps .
5)After it is cooked well then add sugar little by little.
6)Fry the cashews in ghee and add it to the payasam.
7)The delicious payasam is ready. 
STRESSED spelled backwards is DESSERTS

DRUMSTICK SAMBAR

Drumstick Sambar

Drumstick Sambar is made in our homes often.We can also use other vegetables like raddish,beans, brinjal, winter melon(Pooshnikai) to make sambar. It goes well with potato fry,pappad etc.

Ingredients:

Toor dal-1 cup

Turmeric Powder-1/2 tsp

Tamarind-1 small lemon size

Asafoetida Powder-1 pinch

Drumstick-1

Small onion -6 nos (peeled)

Sambar Powder-1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Curry leaves little.

To temper:

Oil-2tsp

Mustard-1/2 tsp

Cumin seed-1/2 tsp

Fenugreek-1/2 tsp
Method:
1) Boil the Split gram (Toor dal) with turmeric and asafoetida powder in a cooker.

2)Extract the juice from tamarind and keep aside.

3)Cut the drumstick into equal size.

4)Pour oil in a kadai and temper the mustard,cumin seeds and fenugreek. Then fry onion and drumstick lightly.

5)Smash the boiled Toor dal well and add some water, sambar powder and salt.

6)Pour this in the kadai and let it boil for 10 to 15 min till the drumstick well cooked.

7)Add the tamarand juice and boil until the tamarind smell goes off.

8)Finally add the curry leaves.

9)Now the drumstick sambar is ready.

VEEPAMPOO RASAM

Veepampoo Rasam
This week lets see the healthy tradional rasam which is made especialy on Tamil Poothandu.It can be made once in a month as its a healthy dish.It suits with cooriander leaves thuvayal. Ingredients :
Tamarind-1 lemon size
Boiled thoor dal-2 tsp
Chopped Tomato-1
Ghee-2 tsp
Mustard-1/2 tsp
Asofetida-1 pinch
Veepampoo-1/2tsp (Dried or fresh )
Corriander&curry leaves-little Salt to taste
To grind
Pepper-1/2 tsp
Cumin seed-1/2 tsp
Green chilly -1
Garlic-2 piece

Grind this all in mixie lightly.
Method :
1)Soak tamarind in water and extract  the juice.
2)Add the grinded mixture, tomato and salt to the tamarind juice and mix it.
3) Boil it for few mins.
4) Add a glass of water to the  boiled thoor Dhal and mix it well.
5)Pour this into the boiling juice and boil for 3 min
6)Pour the ghee in a kadai and add asofetida,mustard and veppampoo.
7)Put this to the boiling rasam.
8)Turn off the gas and garnsih with corrander and curry leaves.
9)Now we can get the aroma of  veepempoo rasam which will  stimulate to eat.
10)Serve hot.

MANGO SWEET PACHADI

Mango Sweet Pachadi :
Lets check out all our favourite Thamizh Puthandu recipes this month. These traditional recipes indirectly mean the aspects of our life.
Raw Mango Pachadi, Neem Rasam, Sambar, Vada and Payasam. These recipes are a mixture of sour, bitter, spicy, hot and sweet.

Ingredients:
Big Raw Mango -1 (Grated)
Jaggery - 1 cup (Powdered)
Coconut - 1/2 cup (Grated)
Red Chilli - 3
Mustard - 1/2 Tsp
Black Gram - 1/2 Tsp
Oil - 2 Tsp
Little Curry Leaves.
Salt to taste.

Method:

1) Grate the raw mango.
2) Pour oil in kadai and temper  Mustard, Blackgram and Red Chilli.
3) Boil the grated mango with salt in a half glass of water for 5 to 10 mins .
4) Then add the jaggery and stir well until it becomes semi-solid.
5) Add the coconut and curry leaves.
6) Keep in low flame for 2 minutes.
Now the yummy Mango Pachadi is ready.