Channa Sundal/Chickpeas stir fry

Ofcourse a well known recipe. Sundal, Yeah the same we used to get at south indian beaches and also the main dish in navarathri..You can have this as an evening snack which is high in protein and easy to prepare.

Soaking Time:7 hrs 

Cooking Time:10 minutes

Serves:3

Ingredients:

Black Chick peas/Channa/Kadala	1 cup
Grated coconut	1 cup
Salt	to taste
Asafoetida Powder	1/4 tspoon

For tempering:

Oil	1 tbl spoon
Urad dal	1 tspoon
Dry red chilly	3
Mustard	1/2 tspoon
Curry leaves	1 sprig

Preparation:

(1) Soak chickpeas in water for about 7 hours or overnight. Cook in pressure cooker by adding water around the level of chickpeas. Also add needed salt. Cook for 4 whistles. Switch off the stove and let the pressure release. Drain water and keep it aside.

(2) Heat oil in a pan. Add urad dal. Once the color changes brownish add dry red chilly followed by mustard. Once it splutters add curry leaves. Now add cooked chickpeas into it with little drained water(say 1tbl spoon).

(3) Now add grated coconut to it and mix well. Sprinkle 1pinch of salt over it and mix well. Finally add asafoetida powder. Saute for around 5 minutes so that water will evaporates completely. Switch off the stove and close the pan with a lid to retain the flavor.

Enjoy…

The color variation of the sundal you can see is due to low light…Don't confuse :)

Tips and variation:

• If you want more spiciness add coconut by grinding it with two green chillies.

Vegetable Kurma

Another recipe from my MIL. Easy and healthy side dish for Chapati/Poori/Naan….

Ingredients:

Cauliflower	1/4 portion
Carrot	2(small)
Potato	1(small)
Beans(not used here)	10
Green peas(not used here)	1/4 cup
Big Onion	1(medium, chopped)
Tomato	1(medium, chopped)
Turmeric Powder	1/2 tspoon
Chilly Powder	3/4 tspoon
Coriander Powder	1/2 tspoon
Salt	to taste

For grinding:

Grated Coconut	1/2 cup
Green Chilly	3
Garlic	5 cloves
Ginger	1 inch piece
Turmeric Powder	1/2 tspoon
Water	as needed

For tempering:

Oil	2 tspoon
Mustard	1/2 tspoon
Dry red chilly	2
Curry leaves	1 sprig

Preparation:

(1) Chop carrot into round/semi circle shapes. Chop potato into small cube shapes. Break down cauliflower into bite sized florets. Chop beans into round shapes. Add green peas. I didn't used beans and green peas here. Try to make equal quantity with all veggies. Pressure cook for two whistles by adding water around the level of veggies. Once pressure is released switch off the stove and let the pressure release. Keep it aside.

(2) Mean while grind the ingredients shown under the table "for grinding" heading  and make a smooth paste. Keep it aside.

(3) Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onion with little salt. Saute till it changes brownish. Now add chopped tomatoes and saute till it turn juicy(now add 1/4 cup of water and close the pan with a lid. This helps to cook the onion and tomato. You can skip this step too). Now add the ground paste into it and mix well.

(4) Add chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well and make a salt test here. Now add the boiled veggies to it along with the water in it. Mix well. Add more water if you want.

(5) Now close the vessel with a lid and in low flame allow it to boil for some 10 minutes. You will get a semi gravy. Now in a pan temper(kaduvarukkal) with the ingredients shown under "for tempering" heading. Add it to the kurma and mix once. Close the vessel with a lid for 5 minutes before serving.

Have it with your Chappathi/Poori/Naan...

Tips and variations:

• Grinding few cashew nuts, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves along with coconut will enhance the taste.
• If you don't want to pressure cook veggies, boil it in water separately.
• Amount of green chilly and red chilly powder depends on your tolerance level. Adjust accordingly

Mysore Pak-Soft

Mysore pak is one of my favorite sweet. Here in US we can't get it from any bakery. Last month one of our friend brought this from India. That was amazing and i wish to taste it again. Got some tips from my sweet grandma, watched vahchef's video and finally prepared jangris and mysore pak. But i couldn't agree with the taste of jangri thats why not posting that recipe. Regarding mysore pak, it came out too good. I'm very much satisfied with the taste and texture. 

So you too can try. All you need is little bit concentration. 

Ingredients:

Besan flour/Kadalamavu	1 cup
Ghee(melted)	3/4 cup for mixing+1/4 for stirring

For Sugar Syrup:

Sugar	3/4 cup
Water	1/4 cup

Preparation:

(1) Heat a pan and add 1/2 tspoon of ghee. To this add besan flour and saute it. In medium heat stir for around 5 minutes so that its raw smell goes off and a nice flavor emanates.

(2) Sieve the roasted flour to make sure it is evenly powdered (If you found any small balls just break it with hand and sieve it).

(3) Now add 3/4 cup of ghee to it and mix well. You will get a liquid form of mixture here, which will be in pouring consistency. Keep it aside.

(4) Mean while grease a silver plate/cake pan with ghee and keep it aside. I used bread making pan. Keep it aside. In a non stick pan add sugar and water( level should be just to cover the sugar. Don't add too much of water).

(5) In low to medium flame allow it to boil. Stir well till sugar dissolves completely. Once it dissolves stop stirring. Let it boil and reach one-string consistency ie when you take a drop of sugar between your thumb and fore finger it will form a single string. For more details click here->Sugar Syrup Consistency.

(6) Once you got one-string consistency reduce the flame to low and pour the besan mixture into it. Stir continuously. Add little ghee to it (remaining 1/4 cup) . Mind to stir continuously. Initially it will stick to the pan. Add the remaining ghee little by little and stir. At one stage mixture will move to the sides of the pan and will not stick anymore to the bottom ( I couldn't take that final snap. Just like the final stage of ada pradhaman, but that not much thick). All this will be done within 5 to 7 minutes.

(7) Switch off the flame and pour it to the greased pan. It will settle smoothly. After 5 minutes (with little heat in it) cut it to your desired shape using pizza cutter/knife. I used knife. Allow to cool completely and take out the pieces. Enjooooyyyyy………..

Happy Diwali…..

Tips:

• Sugar syrup consistency is important. 
• Mixing besan and sugar syrup is also important. If you proceed further from the correct state mysore pak will turn hard and crispy. Always mix in low flame

Sugar Syrup Consistency

I like to share consistencies of sugar syrup with you all because this may be useful for those who are interested in making sweets. I'm not an expert but like to share my experience. I tried doing some sweets using sugar syrup without removing its impurities. So posting as it is….Those sweet recipes are coming soon :)

Ingredients:

Sugar	1 cup
Water	1/2 cup

Preparation:

(1) Take a steel vessel/ non stick pan and add sugar, water to it. You have to add water just enough to cover it. If you add more water you have to wait more to reach the desired consistency.

(2) After adding both allow it to heat and stir till sugar dissolves completely (if you are new to this always do it in low flame). Once sugar is completely dissolved stop stirring. Allow it to boil ( If you continue to stir after this stage the consistency may vary).

(3) Sugar will starts boiling.

(4) You can check the consistency using a spoon/wooden spatula. Dip it in the syrup and lift out. Allow to cool for 2 or 3 seconds to cool it. Touch it using your fore finger and now fore finger and thumb together. Gently pull the fingers apart. Check for the result(below). You have to check it frequently because in seconds the consistencies may vary.

Thin syrup:

This will be the first stage. If you press the syrup between your fingers you can feel just as touching the water. No sweets are done at this point.

Sticky syrup:

Here if you press your fingers and pull it apart you can feel the syrup as little bit sticky. Gulab jamun can be prepared at this stage.

Half thread consistency:

Here a single thread will form but when you pull apart, it will break forming half string. Jangri/Jilebi and even gulab jamun can be prepared at this stage. 

Single thread consistency:

Here a single thread will form and will not break when you pull apart your fingers gently. Mysore pak/Badushah can be prepared at this stage.

Two thread consistency:

Here two thread will form and will not break when you pull apart your fingers gently . Boondi ladoo can be prepared at this stage.

Three thread consistency:

Here three thread will form that do not break when you pull apart your fingers gently. Sugar crystallizes at this stage.

There are more details like soft ball/ hard ball consistencies. As i personally don't experience it, i don't wish to share. I ll update when i try.

Onion Tomato Chutney-Easy Recipe

Already i added Tomato Chutney in my blog. This recipe is almost same but more easy to do than the other. Ofcourse yummy too…...

Preparation Time: 3 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 minutes

Ingredients:

Big Onion	1(big)
Tomato	2(medium)
Red chilly powder	1 tspoon
Asafoetida powder	1/4 tspoon
Salt	to taste

For seasoning:

Oil	1 tbl spoon
Urad dal	1/2 tspoon
Mustard	1/2 tspoon
Curry leaves	1 sprig

Preparation:

(1) Chop onion and tomato into cubes. Grind it in a mixer without adding water and make a smooth paste. Swipe the side of mixer by adding less than 1/4 cup of water and pour it to the ground paste. Mix with needed salt. Keep it aside (don't add too much of water).

(2) Heat oil in a pan. Season( kaduvarukkal) with the ingredients shown under "for seasoning " heading. Pour the ground paste over it and allow to boil.

(3) Once it starts boiling add chilly powder. In low to medium heat allow it to boil so that the raw smell of chilly powder, onion and tomato goes off and added water will dries off. This may take more than 5 minutes.

(4) When the curry is almost done add asafoetida powder. Switch off the flame and close the vessel with a lid for 5 minutes before serving to retain its flavor. Your onion-tomato chutney is ready.

Enjoy it with your dosa/idly…

Tips:

• Adjust spiciness according to your taste.

VathaKuzhambu/VatralKuzhambu (using Manathakkali Vathal)

I cooked this for my hubby. Few years back he had it from some brahmin hotel and now he want to taste it again. As i have no idea about the recipe , i asked some friends but of no use and I know my mom and MIL too will have no idea...

What next ???yeah googling. Gone through various recipes and finally from youtube i got this which was made by a grandma. Ofcourse I trust grandmas like my sweet granny. Today tried it and got thumbs up from him too :)….So the recipe is here for u you all…Happy cooking...

Ingredients:

Manathakkali vathal ( Dried wonder berry)	1 fist full
Shallots/Big Onion	15(chopped or whole )/1(chopped)
Garlic	6 cloves(finely chopped)
Sambar Powder (home made)	2 tbl spoon
Turmeric Powder	1/2 tspoon
Tamarind	1 gooseberry size (Soak in water, extract the juice and add 2 cups of water to it )
Salt	to taste
Tomato (optional)	1(chopped)
Jaggery (optional)	1 tspoon

for tempering:

Sesame Oil	2 tbl spoon
Mustard	1 tspoon
Fenugreek seed	1/2 tspoon
Urad Dal	1/2 tspoon
Toor Dal	1/2 tsppon
Cumin Seed	1/4 tspoon
Curry Leaves	1 sprig

Preparation:

(1) Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard. Once it splutters add add fenugreek seed. Once it turn reddish add urad dal, toor dal and cumin seed respectively. Now add manathakkali vathal to it and saute till it is fried and pops up. To the fried vathal add onion and garlic. Saute till onion turns brownish. If you use tomato add at this point and saute till it turns mushy( i didn't used).

(2) Now pour the prepared tamarind water to it and allow it to boil. When it boils add sambar powder, turmeric powder and salt to it.

(5) In low to medium heat allow the kuzhambu to get thicken. This may take some 10 minutes. When it is almost done add jaggery to it. Your vatha kuzhambu is now ready.

Enjoy it with your rice….

Tips:

• You can replace manathakkali vathal with any other vathal.
• The curry should be in a medium thickened form that is not too watery.

Parippu Curry

Sorry for not adding photos. I ll update soon….

Ingredients:

Green gram/Moong Dal/Cheruparippu	3/4 cup
Salt	to taste

For grinding:

Grated coconut	1/4 cup
Green chilly	2
Cumin seeds	1/2 tspoon
Turmeric powder	1/4 tspoon

To temper:

Oil	1 tspoon
Dry red chilly	2
Mustard	1/2 tspoon
Curry leaves	1 sprig

Preparation:

(1) Heat a pan. Add moong dal to it and saute it for some seconds. Don't saute too much. The raw smell should goes off.

(2) Now allow the dal to cool. Wash it in water. Cook dal in a pressure cooker by adding water and salt to it for 4 whistles. Once the pressure is released mash it well with a spoon or spatula.

(3) Mean while grind the ingredients shown under "for grinding" heading by adding little water and make a coarse paste.

(4) Pour the ground paste into the dal and mix well. Add more water or salt if needed.

(5) Heat oil in a pan. Add dry red chilly and mustards. Once it splutters add curry leaves. Pour this to the prepared dal.

(6) Mix everything. Your parippu curry is ready.