Kalyana Kootu- Snakegourd Lentil curry

What? Kalyana kootu..Yes that is how Podalangai(Snakegourd) Kootu called as Kalyana Kootu.I think the reason behind this might be usgae of both Channa Dal and Moong dal, the name has arrived. Not only that, they use this sidedish in most of the Iyer's weddings. So, the name is. Whatever the reasons, it is easily done at home without using Big Kadais like weddings. You can just have it with plain rice with ghee or use Thogaiyals, Parupu podi Rice and have it along with it.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

Podalangai/Snakegourd- 1/2 kilo. or Just 3 small ones
Moon dal - 1/2 cup
Channa Dal- 1/4 cup

To Grind:

Coconut- 1/4 cup
Green chillies- 2 big
Jeera - 2 tsp
Ginger- a small piece
Coriander leaves (Optional)- A few. By adding this, the color of the dish turns green . Looks good and tastes more good.

Tempering:

Mustard- 1 tsp
Urad dal- 1 tsp
Curry leaves n Corainder leaves
Asafoetida- 1tsp

Method:

1) In a cooker, keep Podalangai,Moong dal, Channa dal for about 2 or 3 whistles .Just similar to keeping rice.
2)While doing so, grind the coconut, ginger, green chillies, Jeera and keep it ready.
3) After the dal/Kootu is ready, In a kadai with Oil add Mustard and wait till it splutters. Add urad dal and wait till it turns brown.Add Asafoetida and Curry leaves.
4)Pour the Dal and let it boil for about 5-8 mts. After that add the grinded stuff and let it boil for another 8 minutes.

Atlast Garnish with Lots of Coriander leaves.( If you have added the coriander leave while grinding, no need to garnish later)

Try it and let me know.

Its just Mysore Rasam- Momlicious Recipe

Never been to Mysore. Here it is , I am bringing you one of the flavours of Mysore in Rasam which is called Mysore Rasam. I really dint know the reason why it is called Mysore rasam, but i bet it tastes yummy and great .The process is same like other rasams but tastes different. Confusing...

I have got a perfect name for it. Since, this rasam is my mom's speciality, I would call this Momlicious.Okay..Let me give you the recipe.

Ingredients:

Tamarind- Size of a lemon
Tomato- 2 small or 1 big
Turmeric powder- 1 small tsp
Ginger grated -1 tsp
Sea salt- 1 tsp
Perungayam/Asafoetida- 1 tsp
Cooked toor dal - 1/4 cup

To grind in to paste:

Coconut- 1tsp
Daniya/Coriander seeds- 1tsp
Long Red chillies/Milagaivathal - 1 or 2 (According to your spicyness)
Milagu/Pepper- 1tsp
Vendayam/Fenugreek seeds- 1tsp


Tempering:

Mustard - 1 tsp
Jeera- 1tsp
Coriander and curry leaves

Method:

1) In a pressure cooker, cook toor dal and keep it ready.
2) In a small vessel or rasam pathiram( as we keep separate vesselss for everything),Take tamarind pulp ,chopped tomatoes,Curry leaves,Turmeric powder,Sea Salt and Asafoetida and let it boil for about 15 mts or till it reduces in to half.
3) Mix the paste which you have grinded along with the toor dal and add some more water (1cup) to it. Pour in to the rasam pathiram.
4) Just see to it, when you start seeing the before-boil-stage to boil-stage. you must switch off the rasam. Rasam should never boil when Toor dal/Parupu thani is added.
5)Temper it with mustard and jeera and garnish with coriander and curry leaves.

Thats-it. Mysore rasam is done and nicely tasted with Hot rice with 1 spoon of ghee on it. You can have just with Pappad/Apalam.

Peerkangai Thogaiyal and Chow Chow Kootu- Combination

Ridgegourd/Peerkangai is also proven to keep us strong against the H1N1 virus. It has got its own attributes which will keep us strong along with other natural ingredients. Ridgegourd/Peerkangai can be made in to kootu or porichakootu or Thogiyal. Mostly, I make it as thogaiyal since my husband really likes it very much and also, it goes for Idly or Dosas.

Cho Chow/Chayote/Bangalore kathirikaiis a versatile vegetable. Always, Thogaiyal and kootu goes for a best combination as Dry and Gravy. Atleast Once a week, i will get this Chow Chow and make it as kootu or Porichakootu.SInce my mother and husband have similar taste buds, I did this Thogaiyal and Kootu :)

Here is the recipe for Peerkangai Thogaiyal:



Ingredients :

Peerkangai- 1 to 1.5 ( Peel it and take off the seeds inside. No need to take it completetly,here are there should be okay and cut it in to cubes)
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Urad dal : 1 tsp
Tamarind : a small piece
Long Red CHillies - 2-3
Pepper: 2
Coconut- 2 tsps
Perungayam/Hing/Asafoetida- 1 tsp
salt
Curry leaves and COrianer leaves

Method:

1) In a kadai with oil, put mustard and wait till it splutters.
2) Add urad dal, fry till it turns golden brown and add tamarind, Long Red CHillies, Pepper, Coconut , Perungayam .Just keep it for 2 mintues and cool it
3) In the same kadai , put little oil, and put the Ridgegourd/Peerkangai and salt ,fry till the it turns dry. Note: No need to fry completely. and Cool it.
4) After this, Grind 2+3 . Add very less water. It should be thick like thokku.

Ta..Da its ready. Now, its Chow Chow kootu:



Ingredients:

Chow Chow- 3 ( peeled and cut in to cubes.Remember to take the seeds and the white part out)
Paitham Parupu/Moong dal-1/2 cup
Coconut- 1/2 cup
Jeera- 2 tsp
Green chillies- 2-3 (According to your taste)

For Tadka/Talikardu:

Mustard- 1spn
Urad dal - 1 spn
CUrry leaves and COriander Leaves
Asafoetida/Perungayam: 1 tsp

Method:

1) In a cooker you can keep CHow CHow and Moong dal together for about 3-4 whistles.
2) While doing so, grind Coconut, Jeera and Green chillies in to paste.
3) In a kadai with oil, put the mustard and wait till it splutters. Add Urad Dal, Asafoetida,and put the 1+ 2.Let it boil for about 10 minutes.
4) Atlast Garnish with Coriander and Curry leaves.

You can have Thogaiyal sadam/Rice with this kootu and I bet it tastes so yummy and delicious.

Isn't that simple?

Badam Alwa in 15 minutes(Microwave Dish)

Yeah, its sweet time again. For the past couple days, am suffering from sweet-a-holic.
Last saturday, we've been to Sam's club a wholesale store here.I was planning to buy only diapers but ended up buying more which included Almonds too.My husband is such a calorie adder. Whatever he eats or buys, looks in to the nutrient value and talk about it.( Yeah such a bore) But who cares about it.All I dreamt of making Badam Alwa once I saw that 4 lb package.


My husband has got a very good taste for everything.It has to perfect for him no matter what.But the quantity he takes will be less than anything.So I should make it less as well as tasty.He has got it from my Father-in-Law.He is also a sweet-a-holic person.His expertise is this Badam Alwa.So I learned it from him.Well, the beauty here is he makes this Badam alwa in Microwave and believe me or not , it just took 15 mts only.

I am re-posting this recipe for "Microwave Event"- Sweets 'n' Savourites by Brinda.

Ingredients:

Badam - 1 cup
Saffron - 2-3 strands(Keep strands in 1 tsp of Milk, will give the color)
Sugar - 1 cup
Milk (Necessary quantity)
Yellow color( If you like it you can add it.Just add less than a pinch to water)

Method:

1) Soak Badam in hot water for about an hour.Peel of the badam and grind it in the mixie with milk in a consistent of thick paste like.
2)Place it in the microwave for 2 minutes.Then, after 2 seconds ,stir it well.
3)Again place it back in the microwave for 3 minutes.adding saffron or Yellow color to it.(5 minutes over)
4)Again stir it well and place it for 3 and 2 minutes apart.
5) You may see it reducing after doing the last step. Again, keep it for 5 minutes and stir well.

Ta..da ready in 15 minutes. 1 cup of Badam will yield only 1/2- 3/4 cup atlast.