Pudina Pachadi (Raitha) by Shripriya

Ingredients:
Pudina - One bunch
Green Chillies - 4-5 (depending on your preference add 1-2 more or reduce 1-2)
Tomatoes - 3 medium size
Oil, mustard, and urad for seasoning.
Curd.

Method:
1. Fry pudina and green chillies in a teaspoon of oil.
2. Grind it into a paste.
3. Chop tomatoes into small pieces. In a kadai, put teaspoon of oil and then season with mustard and urad. Then fry the chopped tomatoes in that. Add salt.
4. Turn off the stove. Add the cooked tomatoes to the pudina paste and then add curd according to taste. Pachadi is ready.

This goes well with plain rice, thachi mammu, idli, dosa, and chappathis. Hope you all like it.

Coconut Thayir Pachadi

Ingredients:
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1 no big
Coriander leaves- 1/4 cup
Green Chilly -1 no.
Salt to taste
Curd - 1 cup

Method to make coconut Thayir Pachidi:
Grind all the ingredients together except curd. Grind it to a fine paste and add it to the curd. This makes a great side dish.

Pudina Pachadi

Hi Friends
This is my first post in this blog. This one is a very simple recipe. But more and more detailed recipes and posts to come from now on. :)

Ingredients:
Pudina - One bunch
Green Chillies - 4-5 (depending on your preference add 1-2 more or reduce 1-2)
Tomatoes - 3 medium size
Oil, mustard, and urad for seasoning.
Curd.

1. Fry pudina and green chillies in a teaspoon of oil.
2. Grind it into a paste.
3. Chop tomatoes into small pieces. In a kadai, put teaspoon of oil and then season with mustard and urad. Then fry the chopped tomatoes in that. Add salt.
4. Turn off the stove. Add the cooked tomatoes to the pudina paste and then add curd according to taste. Pachadi is ready.

This goes well with plain rice, thachi mammu, idli, dosa, and chappathis. Hope you all like it.

Mint Raitha

This Raitha seemed to be something different and unique. It tasted too good with both Pulav and also with Tamarind rice.

Ingredient:
Mint Leaves - 5 tbsp
Thick Curd (unsour) - 3 cups
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Green chilly - 1 no

Method:
Add salt and cumin powder to the curd and beat  it well. Chop the mint leaves finely and add it to the curd. Chop the green chilly and add that too to the curd. Whisk the curd and let it set in fridge for about 1/2 an hour. 

Ginger Pachidi - Inji Thayir

Ingredients:
Ginger - 100 gms
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 2 nos
Curry leaves - a few
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Red Chillies - 2
Butter milk - 1 cup
Asafodeita - 1 pinch
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Grind ginger, grated coconut, curry leaves to a fine paste. Add buttermilk to it and mix well. In a seasoning pan heat oil and add mustard seeds, when they splutter add red chillies and asafodeita. Add the seasoning to the buttermilk mixture.

Makes a great side dish for idly, dosa and also ghee rice.

Tomato Thayir Pachadi

Ingredients:
Tomato - 2 nos
Coconut - 1/4 cup
Green Chillies - 1 no.
Coriander leaves - a few
Curd - 1 cup
Salt to taste

Method:
Grind coconut, tomato, green chilly, coriander leaves to a fine paste.

Beat the curd a little along with salt. Add the ground paste to it and mix well. Makes a great side dish for Chappatis, Pulavs and even Rasam rice.

Can be made very easily on festival days.

Carrot Thayir Pachadi

Ingredients:
Carrot - 2 nos
Green Chillies - 2 nos
Curd - 1 1/2 cups (unsour)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1/4 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Broken Urad Dal - 1 tbsp
Asafodeita - 1 pinch
Salt to taste

Method:
Grate carrot, add salt to it and mix well. Let it set. Chop curry leaves and coriander leaves finely. Cut green chilly into 2. Add curry leaves to the carrot . Heat oil in a seasoning laddle and add mustard seeds to it. When they splutter add broken urad dal, asafodeita. Pour this on top of the carrot. Add coriander leaves to the carrot. Add curd to the carrot before serving.

Cucumber Thayir Pachadi

Ingredients:
Cucumber - 1 no
Green Chilly - 2 nos
Curd - 2 cups (unsour)
Curry leaves - a few
Coriander leaves -1/4 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Asafodeita - 1 pinch
Broken Urad Dal - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Grate cucumber funely. Add salt to it and mix well. In a seasoning laddle heat oil and add mustard seeds, when they splutter add broken urad dal and mix well till it becomes red in colour. Add slit green chillies and curry leaves and saute for a few mins. Add asafodeita and pour it on top of the cucumber. Chop coriander leaves finely.

Add curd just before serving. So that it will not become sour.

Javvarisi (Sago) Thayir Pachadi

Ingredients:
Sago - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Curd - 1 cup (unsour)
Green Chilly - 2 nos
Curry leaves - a few
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafodeita - 1 pinch

Method:
Fry Sago in 1 tsp of oil till they become brown in colour. Add it to curd after they get cold. Cut the green chilly into two. Chop the curry leaves and coriander leaves finely. Heat the remaining oil in a seasoning pan and add mustard seeds. When they splutter add asafodeita, curry leaves and green chilly to it. Add it to the curd. Mix the coriander leaves to the curd and serve chilled.

Sweet corn mixed vegetable raitha

Ingredients:
Cauliflower florets - 1 cup
Green peas - 1 cup
Potato - 2 nos
Onion - 1 big
Sweet corn - 1 cup
Carrot - 2 nos
French beans - 1 cup
Curd - 2 cup
Green chilly - 3 nos
Curry leaves - 1/4 cup
Sugar and salt as per taste
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup (finely chopped)

Method:
Cut all the vegetables into big peices. Wash and peel the potato and cut it into big piece. Cut onion into thin strips.

Boil all the vegetables except onion in one cup of water. Strain excess water if any. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they splutter add onion and when it turns slightly transparent, add the green chillies. Saute for a minute or two. Add the boiled vegetables, salt and sugar and mix thoroughly. Transfer it to a serving bowl and add curd to it. Garnish it with finely chopped coriander leaves.

A great whole meal by itself and also a great side dish for chappati. This is a low calorie dish too.

Neem flower pachadi

This is prepared during Chithirai Varuda Pirappu/ Tamil New Year, but the people who hail from Tanjore district. This is done specially from fresh neem flowers.

Ingredients:
Neem flower - 2 tsp
Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
Red chillies - 6 nos
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1/4 cup
Asafodeita - 1 pinch
Jaggery - 1/4 cup
Rice flour - 2 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp

Method:
Fry neem flower in 1 tbsp of ghee till it turns red in colour. (care should be taken as to not to burn the flowers). In a pan add the remaining ghee and oil and when hot add teh mustard seeds. When they splutter add the red chillies, asafodeita, curry leaves. Add 2 cups of water to tamarind paste and make tamarind water. Add it to the pan along with the salt. When it comes to a boil add the jaggery and mix well. In 1/4 cup of water mix the rice flour and make a paste of it and add it to the pan. When everything comes to a boil remove from flame.

Aloo Raitha

To make kids eat curd a bit more I tried this recipe, and it is a real hit.

Ingredients:
Potatoes - 4nos
Curd - 2 cups thick unsour
Salt to taste
Asafodeita - a pinch

To season:
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Green Chillies - 2 nos
Curry Leaves - a few
Coriander leaves -1/4 cup

Method:
Boil, peel and dice the potatoes to small pieces. Beat the curd to make it smooth and add it to the potatoes along with salt and Asafodeita,

Slit the green chillies. Heat oil and add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add cumin seeds. Add the green chillies. Cut the curry leaves into two and sprinkle on top of the curd mixture. Pour the seasoning on top of the curry leaves. Mix all thoroughly and decorate it with coriander leaves.

Variations:
Instead of green chillies red chillies can also be used.
Instead of chillies pepper powder can also be used
Cumin seeds can be powdered and added to the potatoes instead of adding it while seasoning.

Mango Neem Flower Pachidi - A recipe for Tamil New Year

Tamil New Year, or Chittirai Varuda Pirappu is round the corner and one of the main dishes that is made on this day is Mango Neem Flower Pachidi.

The neem flower can be dried and added after frying in ghee or can be add fresh.

Ingredients:
Mango - 1 medium sized
Asafodeita - 1 pinch
Salt - To taste
Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
Green Chillies - 2 nos
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Oil or Ghee - 1 tbsp
Neem Flowers- 1 tbsp (fresh or dried)

Method to make Mango Neem Flower Pachidi:
Wash and peel mangoes. Cook mangoes in 1 cup of water turmeric powder and 1/2 of salt. When the mangoes are soft remove and let it cool. In 1/4 cup of water add salt and stir well till it dissolves. Strain it through a sieve to remove impurities. Add fresh neem flowers and let it boil. When the jaggery thickens add the cooked mango to it.

Temper mustard seeds, green chillies in oil or ghee.

Note:
The neem flowers can be added while tempering too. The pachidi can be decorated with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Okra (Lady's Finger ) Thayir Pachidi - 5 min Recipe

Ingredients:
Okra (Lady's finger) - 8 to 12 nos (cut into thin pieces)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Green Chillies - 1 no
Curd - 1 cup (Thick curd)
Salt to taste

Method to make Okra Pachidi:
In a pan add oil and when hot add the mustard seeds when they splutter add the Okra and green chillies. Keep sauteing till the okra's get fried.  Add salt to it so that it is evenly spread.

Beat the curd and add the fried Okra to it. Keep it in fridge till serving.

Vazhaipazha Pachidi (Banana Pachidi)

Ingredients:
Fully ripe Banana - 2 nos
Sugar - Pinch
Salt - To taste
Thich curd - 1 cup
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Green Chilly  - 1 no
Curry Leaves - a few

Method:
Mash the bananas thoroughly. Add salt, sugar and mix thoroughly. Cut the green chilly into pieces. In a frying laddle, add oil and when hot add mustard. When it splutters add the green chilly. Sprinkle the curry leaves on banana and pour the tempered oil on top of it. Mix thoroughly.

Beat the curd and add 1/2 cup of water to it. Add the beaten curd to Banana. This makes a great pachadi for virunthu samayal.

Kathirikaai Tahyir Pachidi (Brinjal Raitha)

Ingredients:
Brinjal - 1/4 kg
Curd - 2 cups
Oil - 1 tbspn
Urad dal - 2 tbspn
Mustard - 1 tspn
Coriander powder - 1 tbspn
Jeera powder - 1 tbspn
Chilly Powder - 1 tbspn
Salt to taste

Method:
Cut brinjal into thin slices. Spread it in a plate. Mix coriander powder, turmeric powder, 1 tspn of salt and chilly powder and marianate the brinjal slices in this powder. Let it set for atleast 15 mins. Fry it in oil or spread them in a glass plate and keep it in oven for 1 min.

It will turn golden brown. Remove from oil/oven. Beat 1 curd and add a pinch of salt to it. Put the brinjal into it and season it with mustard and urad dal. Let it set for half an hour. Refrigerate it immediatly. Before serving add the remaining curd.

Boondhi Raitha

You might wonder, why I have to write about Boondhi Raitha which is very easy to make. I learnt a small trick from one of my friends which I want to share it with you all.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Boondi (spicy)
1 tbsp Coriander (finely chopped)
1 tsp Jeera Powder
1/2 tsp Chaat Masala (Optional)
Salt – as per taste
2 Green chillies finely chopped or 1/2 tspn Red Chilly Powder
2 cup Curd

Method:
Take the curd in a mixing bowl and beat it thoroughly add salt, jeera powder and chiilies or chilly powder and mix thoroughly untill everything blends together. Refrigerate the curd mixture. Add the boondhis to it just before serving. This will have the boondhi crispy and the curd will also have a great taste.

You can have it as a snack or as a side dish.