BrownChickPeas Masala Fry

Ingredients:

Brown Chick Peas - 1 cup
Onion - 1 - chopped
Tomato - 1 - chopped
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Coconut Paste - 4 tsp
Fennel seeds(sombu) - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 3 tsp







Method:

1. Soak the brown chick peas for 2 - 3 hours in hot water. Add salt and a cup of water, boil and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, splutter fennel seeds, add onion and fry until golden brown in onion.
3. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 mins.
4. Add tomato, turmeric powder, chilli powder and fry until oil gets separated.
5. Add coconut paste and 1/2 cup of water and let it boil.
6. Add boiled brown chick peas along with water(if it is there)and let it boil until oil gets separated(see pic). Or if you want as gravy, you can turn off when you get the desired gravy.

Notes and Secrets:

-> Use brown color peas than the other(cream color chick peas)one. This helps to lose weight.Those who follow diet can have more of brown chick peas.
-> Can have as evening snack also(simply the boiled peas). Gives more strength.

Green Gram Curry/Pachai Payir Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

Green gram - 1 cup
Onion - 1 - chopped
Tomato - 1 - chopped
Red chilli - 2 nos.
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Hing(Asafoetida) - A pinch
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp






Method:

1. Boil green gram with salt and keep it aside
2. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard and cumin seeds, add onion and fry until golden brown.
3. Add tomato and fry until oil gets separated. Add the boiled green gram and mix well.
4. Add hing, curry leaves, coriander leaves and little more salt(if needed).
5. Let it boil for 5 mins and serve hot.

Note:

-> Very healthy dish, can have as side dish for chappathi/roti
-> Can have along with rice also. Very yummy! If you want it more spicy, you can add little chilli powder.

Chutney Powder(Podi)

Ingredients:

Urad dal - 1 cup
Channa dal - 1 cup
Red chilli - 6 nos or less(as per need)
Dry coconut - 2 pieces(2 inch each) - chopped
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Tamarind - 2" - make into small pieces
Powdered jaggery - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Dry roast Urad and Channa dal and when the color start to turn brown, change it to a dry vessel.
2. Fry red chillies and keep it aside.
3. Fry coriander and cumin seeds and keep it aside.
4. Fry dry coconut adding 1 tsp of oil.
5. Let everything cool and grind the items mentioned in step 2,3 & 4 and keep it aside.
6. Now grind the roasted urad and channa dal, not too finely
7. Now mix the 2 ground powders(step5 & 6) and grind once again so that both gets mixed well, just few secs.
8. Now add tamarind, jaggery, salt and grind once again for 1 min.
9. Change it to a dry vessel, heat 1 tsp of oil and add to this powder and mix well.
10.Let it cool and store it in air-tight container.

Notes and Secrets:

-> You can store this for 15 - 20 days. If you use after that, check it since we add dry coconut and oil.
-> I have not tried this with sesame oil, but mix with curd and have with idly, dosai, uthappam, kaara paniyaram.

CoconutMilk Rice

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup
Coconut milk - 2 cups
Onion - 1 - Cut it length wise
Ginger garlic paste - 3 tsp
Coriander leaves - A handfull
Cloves - 1 nos
Cinnamon Stick - 2 inch
Cardamom(Elaichi) - 1 nos
Bay leaves - few or 2
Lemon - 1(optional)
Salt - 1/2 tsp or as per need
Oil/Ghee - 2 to 3 tsp



Method:

1. Soak rice for 45 min, drain water and keep it aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add cloves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, bay leaves and let it splutter.
3. Add onion and fry until golden brown in onion.
4. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 5 mins.
5. Add coconut milk and salt now and let it boil.
6. Add rice and stir once and close the lid.
7. When there is no water, simmer the gas, Stir once and let it for 10 mins.
8. Can add fried cashews now(optional)


Notes and Secrets:

-> No need to add very thick coconut milk, one cup thick and the second cup can be little watery.
-> You can also fennel seeds while boiling.
-> Serve with, any raitha variety, gravy item or fried items.

Carrot Raitha

Ingredients:

Carrot - 3 - Grated
Curd - 1/2 cup
Pepper - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients together and your raitha is ready.

Note:

-> You can also add green chillies, curry leaves and coriander leaves.
-> Excellent diet food. Can have with chappathi/roti

Potato Fry - 2

Ingredients:

Potato(Boiled) - 4 - Cut into pieces
Onion - 1 - Cut it length wise
Tomato - 1 - Chopped
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Fennel seeds(Sombu) - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - 2 nos
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 3 tsp







Method:

1. Break fennel seeds and garlic in a blender. Don't grind it finely.(see pic below)
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the mixture of garlic and fennel seeds and let it for 20 secs.
3. Add onion and curry leaves and fry until golden brown in onion.
4. Add tomato, turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and fry until oil gets separated.
5. Add potato and mix well. Simmer the gas and let it for 5 - 10 mins.

Ingredients Picture:














Notes and Secrets:

-> Suits all mixed rice varieties, pulav, etc.,

Wheat Dosai

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 1 cup
water - 1/2 cup or little more
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Hing(Asafoetida)- A pinch(optional)
Salt - 1/2 tsp or as per need
Oil - 1 tsp(each dosai)

Method:

1. To wheat flour, add cumin seeds, hing, salt and water and mix well. If needed add more water. Consistency - should be like dosai batter.
2. Heat dosai pan/ a flat pan, add a ladle of batter and spread using ladle. Add oil around dosai and let it for 30 secs.
3. Flip dosai to the other side to cook well.

Notes and Secrets:

-> Those who follow diet and sugar patients can have this. Low calorie food.
-> Spicy red chilli chutney will be good for this. You can also have some cooked(Boiled) vegetables along with this.
-> Can have this as Breakfast, lunch or as dinner.