Aama Vadai

Though the name of this vadai raises many people's eyebrows and make them ask whether it is anyway related to tortoise no it is not. Either this or plain Ulundu vadai is prepared as Neivedhyam for almost all special pooja days.

Ingredients:
Bengal Gram Dal - 2 cups
Thuvar Dal - 2 cups
Salt to taste
Red chillies - 6 to 8
Curry Leaves - 1/2 cup
Asafodeita - 1/2 inch piece or powdered asafodeita 2 spoons

Method:
Wash and soak the Bengal gram and Thuvar Dal together for almost 1 hour. Grind it along with the other ingredients to a coarse consistency. Mix all the ingredients.

Heat oil in a pan. Make balls of the dough. Flatten the dough and put it in oil and fry till it becomes golden brown. Remove from oil and drain it.

Curd Rice - A must in every South Indian meal

 Many might think that making curd rice is very easy. But if not done correctly, even the curd rice could turn out bad. The rice that is cooked for the curd rice should be soft and should be mashed thoroughly. The curd used for curd rice should be unsour. 

Many variations can also be added to the plain curd rice to make it more attractive.

Ingredients:

Rice - 2 cups

Fresh unsour curd - 1 cup

Milk - 2 cups

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Asafodeita - a pinch

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Green Chillies - 2 nos

Curry Leaves - 1/2 cup

Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Method:

Cook the rice with 6 cups of water and 1 cup of milk in pressure cooker. Atleast 5 whistles be allowed. When it is time to open, remove the rice and transfer it to a shallow bowl. Mash well with the back of a scoop laddle thoroughly. When warm add salt and the remaining 1 cup of milk and mix again. Add the curd and mix well. 

In a tadka laddle, add ghee and mustard seeds, when it splutters add the hing, green chillies. Chop the curry leaves to fine pieces and sprinkle on curd rice. Pour the tadka on top of the curry leaves. Mix well so all mixes thoroughly. Finely chop coriander leaves and decorate the curd leaves.

Instant Tamarind Rice

Tamarind Rice have different varieties. The traditional Tamarind Rice can be made either as instant rice or using Pulikaichal. 

Ingredients to make Instant Tamarind Rice: 
Cooked Rice - 2 cups
Gingely Oil - 1/4 cup
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Bengal Gram Dal - 2 tbsp
Ground nuts - 2 to 3 tbsp
Cashewnuts - 10 to 12 nos
Curry Leaves - 1/4 cup
Red chillies - 2 to 4 nos
Tamarind Paste - 6 tbsp
Multi purpose Powder - 3 to 4 tbsp
Powdered Salt - To taste

Method to make Instant Tamarind Rice:
Add 1 tbsp of gingely oil in a pan and when hot add the mustard seeds. When it splutters add it to the rice spread on a flat bowl. Mix well without damaging the rice. Add oil again in pan and fry the Bengal Gram, Ground nuts, cashew nuts, Red chillies and curry leaves to it. After sauteing it for a few minutes add the tamarind paste and bring it to a boil. Add Multipurpose powder and mix well. Add it to the rice and  add salt to it. Mix well without damaging the rice. Instant Tamarind rice is ready.

How to make Pulikaichal to make Tamrind Rice

Preparing and storing Pulikaichal will help in making Puliyodharai easily whenever needed.

Ingredients:
Tamrind - 1 tennis ball sized
Salt - (Better Rock salt) 1/4th handful or to taste
Vendhayam(Fenu greek) - 1 tbsp
Red chillies - 10 to 12 nos
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Asafodeita - 1/2 inch piece
Mustard seeds - 2 tspn
Gingely oil - 1/4th cup
Bengal Gram - 1/2 cup
Groundnut (Raw) - 1/4 cup
Curry Leaves - 1/4 cup

Method: 
Soak the tamarind in hot water and extract tamarind juice. The juice should be thick. This size of tamarind will give 2 to 3 cups of thick extact. (Alternatively around 12 to 14 tbspns of Tamarind Paste can also be used)

Dry roast methi seeds. Fry 1/4 cup of Bengal gram in 1 tsp of gingely oil along with 6 Red chillies. Grind bengal gram and red chillies together with methi seeds and asafodeita to a fine powder.

Heat pan and add gingely oil to it. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the groundnuts to it and fry it till it turns crispy. Add bengal gram and fry till it turns golden brown. Add the remaining red  chillies and curry leaves and saute it for a few mins.

Add turmeric powder and salt to Tamarind extract (add 2 cups of water to the Tamarind paste) and add it slowly to the pan. Simmer the stove and let the extract boil. When it becomes a saucy consistency add the methi seeds powder and boil it again. When the oil comes out remove from flame. Let it cool and store it in a dry container. If stored outside, it had to be used within 3 or 4 days. It can be used for almost a week to 10 days if stored in fridge.

Lemon Rice - An all time favourite mixed rice recipe

Another mixed rice variety, which can be made in a jiffy.

Ingredients:
Cooked Rice - 1 cup
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Bengal Gram Dal - 2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 sp
Green Chillies - 2
Red Chillies - 2
Cashew Nuts - 6 to 8 (optional)
Turmeric Powder - 2 pinches
Asafodeita - 1 pinch
Lemon - Big 1 no.
Curry Leaves -  a few
Salt to taste

Method:
Spread the cooked rice in a flat bowl and add 1 tbsp of ghee to it and let it cool. (Dont let it cool too much, it have to be warm enough). In a pan add 1 tbsp of ghee and 1 tbsp of oil and when hot add mustard seeds. When it splutters add Bengal gram dal and cashew nut(cut into small pieces). Add the red and green chillies. Add turmeric powder and asafodeita and when the cashew nuts turn golden remove from flame.

Cut the curry leaves and add it on top of the rice. Pour the oil on top of the rice and mix thoroughly. Add required salt and mix again without breaking the rice. Better mix it with a fork or the back of laddle. Squeeze the lemon all over the rice and mix again so that the lemon's taste gets mixed all over.

Lemon Rasam - 5 minutes recipe

Ingredients:

Thuvar Dal - 1/4 cup

Tomatoes - 2 large or Tomato Puree
Lemon - 1 big
Green Chillies - 1 no
Curry Leaves - 1/4 cup
Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup finely chopped
Salt to taste

Method to make Lemon Rasam:
Pressure cook Thoor dal. In a vessel add 2 cups of water, finely chopped tomatoes, green chillies, curry leaves, coriander leaves and salt and bring to boil. Add another 1 cup of water to the thoor dal and mash it well. Add the mashed dal to the boiling mixture and when it bubbles remove from flame and squeeze the lemon juice to it.

Temper mustard seeds,jeera and hing in ghee and add it to the Rasam.

Note:
The green chillies can also be added while tempering instead of adding it while boiling.

Adding of Tomato Puree instead of chopped tomatoes helps in cooking even more faster