SuvaiArusuvai - Veg Recipes of India

Kancheepuram Idli is a special prasadam offered to Varadarajaswami of Kancheepuram. This unique idli recipe, slightly spicier and more aromatic than regular idlis, is a divine treat for devotees and food enthusiasts alike. Recreate the magic of Kancheepuram at home with this authentic recipe. Ingredients: 2 cups parboiled rice 2 cups raw rice 2 cups urad dal (preferably black husked) Salt to taste 2 cups yogurt 10-12 cashew nuts, broken into pieces 1 tsp whole black pepper 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 small piece of ginger, finely chopped 1 to 2 cups ghee 1/2 tsp green chilly paste (optional) Instructions: Soak the Ingredients : Wash the urad dal and rice separately, then soak them in water for at least 2 hours. Grind the Batter : Grind the soaked urad dal to a fine paste in a grinder. Coarsely grind the rice separately in a mixer or blender. Mix the ground urad dal, rice, and salt together in a large bowl. Let the mixture ferment overnight. Prepare the Batter : After fermentation, add yogurt t

Ingredients : Tomatoes - 1/2 kg or 1 cup Tomato Puree Tamrind Paste  - 2 tbsp Sambar Powder - 3 tbsp Grated Coconut - 2 cups Onions - 2 big Green Chillies - 2 nos Salt to taste Oil - 1 tbsp Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Curry Leaves - a few Method: Add one cup of warm water to grated coconut and extract coconut milk. Find here how to extract coconut milk at home.  In a hard bottom pan heat oil, mustard seeds and when they splutter add onions, green chillies and curry leaves. When the onion turns glassy add sambar powder, tomato puree and salt and mix well. Add tamrind paste and 1/2 cup of water and bring it to boil. When it boils add the coconut milk and simmer it for a few mins.  Remove from flame. This goes well with idly, dosa,  or even rice.

When it is tomato season and when they are available in large, one can make tomato puree at home and store it to be used in different gravies, especially North Indian   Gravies   and also can be used while making   Rasams   (South Indian Soups which is eaten with rice) Ingredients: Ripe Tomatoes - 1/2 kg or 6 nos Method: Boil 2 cups of water. When the water boils add the tomatoes. Remove from flame and cover it. When cool add it to juicer blender (which have the option of straining the waste). Do not add water while grinding. Get a thick paste. This can be made in large quantities and stored in freezer too for future use.

Though today is Sunday, as my husband went for official meeting, kids wanted to have Pulav (husband dont take masala items normally). So made some easy pulav. Ingredients: Basmathi Rice - 2 cups Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp Green Chilly - 1 no Peas - 1 cups Onion Big - 2 nos Cardamom - 2 nons Bayleaf - 1 no Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece Ghee - 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves - 1 cup (finely chopped) Salt to taste Method: Soak Basmathi rice for 15 mins. Drain water and keep it aside. In a flat bottom deep pan heat 1 tbsp of ghee and fry the drained rice. Remove and let it cool. Slit the Green Chilly. Chop the onions into thin slices. Add the remaining ghee to the pan and add cardamom, Bayleaf, Cinnamon leaves and fry them for a min. Add the onions, green chilly and ginger garlic paste. When all the ingredients are mixed together, add green peas. Add 2 and a half cup of water and salt. When it starts boiling add the rice and mix thoroughly. Cover it a

Ingredients: Garlic pods - 100gms (peeled) Ginger - 100gms (peeled and finely chopped) Salt - 1 tsp Oil - 1 tbsp Method: In a flat bottom pan heat oil and add garlic and ginger fry for 2 to 3 mins. Cover and remove from flame. Let it cool. In a grinder add all the ingredients along with salt and grind it to a fine paste. Store in airtight container in fridge. This can be used for almost a month as it is fried. If it is not fried, it have to be used within a week.  Note: Fried or not fried, never use water to grind it.

Ingredients: Mint Leaves - 2 ciups Grated coconut - 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup Salt to taste Tamrind Paste - 1/2 tsp Oil - 1 tsp Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Broken Urad Dal - 1 tsp Hing - a pinch Method : Grind mint leaves, grated coconut, coriander leaves, tamrind paste and salt to a fine paste. Heat oil in a frying ladle and add mustard seeds, when it splutters add broken urad dal and hing and season it on top of the Mint Chutney.

Ingredients: Semiya Rawa Powder - 2 spoons Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup (finely chopped) Curry Leaves - 1/4 cup (Finely chopped) Green Chilly - 1 no Ginger - 1/4 inch (Finely chopped or grated) Salt - To taste Butter Milk - 1 cup Water - 1/2 cup Method:   Heat water and mix the semiya rawa powder to it and let it get cooked. Add salt, green chilly, coriander leaves and curry leaves to butter milk and mix it with the cooked powder. This makes a great breakfast. Quick to make too. Note: Alternatively grind coriander leaves, curry leaves, green chilly, ginger and salt and can be mixed to butter milk.

Ingredients: Semiya Rawa Powder - 1/2 cup Milk - 2 cups Sugar -  1 cup (or to taste) Raisins - 2 tbsps Cashew Nuts - 12 nos Ghee - 2 tbsp Water - 1 cup Method: In a pan add 1 tbsp of ghee and fry the semiya rawa powder. Heat water and mix the Semiya Rawa powder in it. It will get cooked in a few mins. Boil the milk and let it cool for a while. In ghee fry the cashewnuts and raisins. Add the cooked Semiya-Rawa powder to the milk and keep it in low flame. Add the sugar to it and keep stirring till the sugar dissolves and all the three blends together. In ghee fry cashewnuts and raisins and add it to the kheer.  Serve hot or cold. Makes a great dish for parties and also for virunthu sappadu.

Ingredients: Semiya (Semolina) - 1 cup Rawa - 1 cup Method: Heat a pan.  Fry Semiya and Rawa separately and grind it to a coarse powder. This powder can be used to make payasam/kheer or Kanji.

Ingredients: Karakuzhambu Powder - 3 or 4 spoons Tamrind Paste - 2.5 tbsp Gingely Oil - 3 tbsp (If the ingredients to be ground are fried using this oil, it enhances the taste) Curry Leaves - 1/4th cup Sambar Onions - 12 pieces Big Onion - 2 nos Tomato - 2 nos Garlic Flakes - 8 nos Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup Green Chilly - 1 no. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch Salt - To taste Method : Add the tamrind paste to 2 cups of water. In 1 tbsp of gingelly oil, fry the sambar onions and let them cool. Grind the sambar onions, tomatoes, garlic flakes, and the Karakuzhambu powder. It should be a very fine paste. Grind the grated coconut and green chillies along with curry leaves separately. Cut the onions into very fine small pieces. In a pan, add gingely oil and add mustard seeds. When it pops add the cut onion and a pinch of salt and keep stirring it till the onions turn glassy. (We add salt to the onions so that it wont get browned up easily). Add the ta

Ingredients : Red Chillies - 1 cup Coriander seeds (Dhaniya) - 3/4 cup Jeera (Cumin Seeds) - 2 tbsp Black Pepper - 1 tbsp Peanuts - 4 nos Asafodeita piece - 1 small piece or 2 pinches Method :. Fry Coriander seeds and Jeera separately. Fry the peanuts and other ingredients too. Grind them thoroughly into a fine powder. Note: The same powder can also be made in larger quantities. The quantities are as follows: Red Chillies: 1 kg Coriander Seeds - 750 gms Jeera - 1 cup Black Pepper - 1/3 cup Peanuts - 1 tbsp Asafodeita - 1 inch piece. This quantity can be fried and ground in flour mill. Keep it in a zip lock bag in freezer. This powder can be used to make Kara Kuzhambu or Vatha Kuzhambu.

Ingredients Black Pepper corns - 1 tbsp Cloves - 1 tsp Cardamoms - 6 nos Bay Leaves - 5 nos Cinnamon Stick - 3 inch piece Nutmeg - 1/2  Cumin Seeds - 2 tbsps Method: Spread all the ingredients in a flat plate and keep it in sun for about an hour. Grind it to a fine powder. Seive it to remove any husks/fibres and store it in airtight container (it can also be freezed). Note: The ingredients can be roasted in a khadai and cooled and ground. (The powder can be ground in this way, if the quantity is less).

In instead of using corn flour to thicken soups, powder two tablespoons of oats and utilize the resulting thickening agent. This adds nutrition and thickness to the soup.

This is a recipe which my mom have given me and which she have been making for more than 35 years. The rasam that is made using this rasam powder have been a hit amongst our family and friends. I too follow the same recipe. Ingredients: Coriander seeds (Dhaniya) - 3 cups   Thuvar Dal - 1 3/4 cups Red Chillies - 1 1/2 cups Black Pepper - 1 cup Cumin Seeds (Jeeragam) - 1 cup Asafodeita piece - 2 inches Turmeric Powder - 1/4 cup Note: If long thin red chillies are used, then 3 cups of chillies can be used. Method: Fry all the ingredients separately in a dry pan. Let it cool and grind it in flour mill (or to a fine powder in mixie). Let it cool and add the turmeric powder and mix thoroughly. Store it in air tight container. For the Tamil Version of the same, check here.

Bring one or two garlic pods to a boil in water. Thoroughly mash and combine with a cup of steaming milk. Anyone can enjoy this, especially expectant mothers and nursing mothers. If desired, add sugar. The best effects are achieved when the beverage is consumed without sugar. Health Benefits: 1. This beverage will aid with weight loss. 2. Assist with lowering hypertension 3. Assist in lowering the level of cholesterol. 

A dish that makes a great dish for evening snacks for kids. This also makes a great starter for parties too. Ingredients : Paneer - 300 gms Potato - 2 big Bread - 2 slices Onion - 1 Big Green Chillies - 2 nos Corn Flour - 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup Oil - 1/4 cup Salt to taste   Method: Pressure cook the potatoes and mash them. Mash the paneer thoroughly. In a plate add 1/4 cup of water and place the bread slices flat and after a min squeeze the water from the slices and crumble them. Cut the onions and green chillies finely. In a shallow bowl, mix the paneer, potatoes, onions, green chillies, corn flour, chopped coriander leaves, bread pieces and salt. Shape the mixture into desired shape of cutlets. (heart shape, circle, or diamond shaped). Let them set in freezer for about 15 to 20 mins. Heat a tawa and add oil to it. Place the cutlets in the tawa. Turn after a min. Ensure that both the sides are golden brown in colour. Note:    Do not add more than 4 or

Ingredients : Tamrind Paste - 2 tsp Small Onions - 8 nos  Tomatoes - 3 Big Sambar Powder - 2 tsp Salt - To taste Turmeric Powder - a pinch Oil - 1 tbsp Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp Urad Dal - 1 tsp Red Chillies - 2 or 3 Methi Seeds - 1/2 tsp Jeera - 1/2 tsp Curry Leaves - 1/4 cup Method: Mix tamrind paste in 1 1/2 cups of water. In a kadai add oil and add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the urad dal, red chillies, methi seeds, jeera and half of the curry leaves. Add small onions and when it turns transparent, add the tamrind water, finely chopped tomatoes, sambar powder, turmeric powder, salt and let it boil. Remove from fire and add the remaining curry leaves on top.

There are lots of brands available in India. Many companies which manufacture spices are now a days manufacture Sambar powders too. But it is always better to make it at home and freeze it in ziplock bags. Ingredients: Coriander Seeds - 500 gms   Red Chillies - 500 gms Thuvar Dal - 100 gms Bengal Gram Dal - 100 gms Raw Rice - 50 gms Black Pepper - 150 gms Fenu Greek (Methi seeds) - 50 gms Hing or Asafodeita - 50 gms Method: Fry all the ingredients in a dry pan one by one till they loose their raw smell and turn golden brown. Let them cool, mix it well and grind it in flour mill. Store it in air tight container. Points to note: To avoid the smell of the red chillies in the house, dry fry all the other ingredients except red chillies and hing. Add a tbsp of oil to the pan and fry the hing first and then the chillies. Once the powder is ground, there will be heat in it and immediatly after reaching home spread it in newspaper and let it cool. Store it in zip lock cove

Ingredients: Sugar - 1 cup Water - 1 cup Method: In a flat bottom Kadai or saucepan add the sugar and keep stirring it continuously. Lt the sugar change to golden brown (If you want to make golden caramel syrup to decorate cakes, add 1/4 cup of water and remove and store it in air tight container). If you want to make a darker brown syrup then keep stirring till the shade changes. Heat the water and add  hot water to the brown syrup and boil it for another 5 more minutes. Let the syrup cool and store it in air tight container.  Important thing to Note: Keep stirring the sugar and every few minutes tilt the pan to ensure that it doesnot stick to the bottom of the pan. When adding hot water to the brown syrup keep your face away so that steam wont hurt you.

A Dal that can be used as a side dish for Chappati or Pongal and also for mixing with rice is this Dal. This Dal is quite healthy and is easy to make too. INGREDIENTS Toor Dal - 1/2 cup Moong Dal - 1/2 cup Onion - 1 big finely chopped Tomato - 1 big finely chopped Green Chillies - 2 to 4 (depending upon the size) Red Chillies - 1  Ginger - 1/2" piece Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves Carrots - 1/2 cup Potato - 1/2 cup Green Peas - 1/2 cup Salt - to taste Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch Asafodeita - 1 pinch Mustard Seeds - 1/2tsp Cumin Seeds - 1/2tsp Mint leaves - 1/4 cup finely chopped Curry leaves - 1/4 cup Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup finely chopped METHOD Pressure cook both the dals with a pinch of turmeric powder. Pressure cook the green peas, carrots and potato separately. In a pan add oil add mustard, when it splutters add the cumin seeds. Add onions, garlic, ginger, green chillies, red chillies, curry leaves and asafodeita. Fry well. Add the tomatoes and mash it thorou

Ingredients : Baby Potato - 1/2 kg Oil - For frying Salt - To taste Pepper powder - 1 tbsp Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp Method: Pressure cook the potatoes and peel the skin. Mix salt, Coriander powder and pepper powder in 2 tbsp of water and coat it over the cooked potatoes. Shallow fry the potatoes.

Ingredients: Rice - 1/4 cup Grated coconut - 1 cup Jaggery grated - 1 cup (increase upon your taste) Milk - 2 cups Cardomom Powder - 1 pinch Cashew Nuts - 6 to 8 nos Ghee - 1/4cup Method Soak rice for 1/2 an hour. Grind it to a fine paste along with coconut. Boil milk and keep it ready. In a hard bottom pan add 1/4 cup of water and jaggery and stir till all the jaggery dissolves. Pour it through a strainer so that any impurities will be removed. Wash the pan and pour the jaggery water to it and bring it to boil. Cook the rice coconut mixture separately. (For 1 cup of the ground mixture add 2 cups of water to cook). When cooked thoroughly add the jaggery water and cardamom powder. Remove from fire and add milk to it.  In the remaining ghee fry the cashew nuts and add it to the kheer. Note: This payasam(kheer) can be had without having sugar.           Coconut can also be cut into small pieces and fried in ghee and can be added to the payasam along with cashewnut.

Ingredients: Paneer - 250 gm Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp Green chilly paste - 1/2 tsp Coriander - 1 tsp (finely chopped) Salt - To taste Oil - for frying Method: Mash the panner thoroughly. Mix Paneer with all the other ingredients in a shallow bowl except the oil. Shape the ingredients into small Kebabs and refrigerate them for almost two hours. Heat oil in a shallow pan, When hot add the kebabs till the pan fits say around 6 to 8 pieces. Cook in high flame initially then when light golden in colour, reduce the flame and fry till golden brown. Remove from oil, and place them on kitchen towel and remove the excess oil. Serve with green chutney and tomato ketchup. Makes a great starter for parties.

Ingredients: Green Chillies - 250 gms Asafodeita - a pinch Salt - 1 tsp Method: Wash and wipe dry the green chillies. Add all the ingredients in a dry grinder and grind it to a fine paste. Store it in an air tight container and refrigerate. Use it when needed.