Jack-fruit seeds & soy pudding !

The 1st picture is of soaked soya granules. 2nd picture is of ground soya granules & jack-fruit seeds. 3rd picture is the ready pudding & the 4th one is of the jack-fruit seeds.

Whenever, you've more seeds/ nuts while you buy jack-fruit to make vegetable or eat the fruit, from these seeds, some roast it & eat it, but I love to make a dessert. One way is to boil equal or double to quantity of washed moong dal or whole moong dal, cook & mash the seeds & add the gur/vellam/ jaggery to taste & keeps tirring on the gas till it turns dry, add some ghee last. To top it or decorate it with roasted nuts & raisins in some ghee.

But today, I made the pudding with some soya granules, soaked in water & squeezed it, add to the cooked seeds & ground it in the mixie. To this I added some left over rice & 1 roti, crumbled well ! Then to this mixture, I added some gur, say when the whole mixture was about 2 cups, I may have added about 1/2 cup gur/vellam, mixed it well & kept it in the microwave covered high for 2 minutes, stirred it well & kept for another 2 minutes. Then I added about 6 tsp of splenda, roasted some nuts & raisins in ghee & added to the mixture, mixed it well & microwaved for another 1 minute.

One this can be done in the gas too, but only thing, you need a thick pan & need to keep stirring, with more ghee. As for the sugar/ vellam/ splenda, one can add whatever you want according to your taste. To be frank, in none of my recipes, I ever measure, the amount, it is all just put like that, what I feel should be ok. Anyway, one can taste & always add more sugar/vellam ( gur) & so on.
As for adding rice & roti, it is only optional, as it was left over, I didn't want to waste it, so added it ! As I hate wasting food.

Raw Jackfruit/ katal spicy veg.

Cut jack-fruit 200 gms into small pieces, you can microwave it covered with wee bit of water for about 7-9 minutes on high power. it gets cooked soft. In a kadai, heat 1 tsbp of oil, add 1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds, once it crackles, add 1 big onion cut fine, add 1 tomato cut fine, add 1/2 tsp turmeric pdr., 1 tsp chili pdr, let it fry well. Add the cooked jack-fruit pieces, salt to taste, mix well. This goes well with chapatis & also as an accompaniment with rice & sambar.

karonda/Cranberry pickle

  Cranberry is very good for health, especially for kidney problems, drinking cranberry juice helps.
To make pickle, wash cranberries well, dry it. cut into half. For about 200 gms of it, you may need about 1 tbsp oil, heat it in a kadai, add 1 tsp mustard seeds, once it cracks, add 1/2 tsp turmeric pdr., 2 tsp chili pdr or to taste, salt 2 tsp or to taste, 1 tsp roasted & powdered methi seed powder, hing little. Mix well, keep for 2 minutes, remove, cool & store in the fridge. It lasts for about 10 days.

Cucumber-raw mango almond gravy

Mango peeled & cut into small pieces 1 cup            cucumber peeled & cut into small pieces 1 cup
pudina/mint leaves cut fine 1-2 tbsp          salt        badam/ almond paste 2 tbsp. i.e., soak almonds with skin & grind till smooth with little water         haldi/turmeric pdr 1/4 tsp    2 red chilies, green chilies slit 2  
chili pdr 1 tsp       ginger-garlic paste 1 tsp

Heat 1 tbsp oil, add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, add red chilies & gr chilies, fry lightly add mango pieces, fry, add haldi pdr., toss well, add 1 tsp ginger garlic paste, mix well & cook till raw smell goes of ginger & garlic. Add salt, badam paste, cook sightly, add cucumber pieces & enough water, mix well, let it boil, add mint leaves cut fine. This won't get long to get cooked, as cucumber gets cooked fast.

ps- one can use cashew nut paste instead of almond paste.

This recipe is cooling, as raw mango & cucumber are both supposed to retain your body fluids well & are good for summer. This goes well with roti & rice.

Wheat rava dosa/ dalia dosa

dalia 100 gms,   carrot grated 100 gms,         onion 1 big cut fine         green chilies 3-4 cut fine
jeera 1 tsp     green dhania/coriander leaves cut fine   hing little  salt   curry leaves cut fine    cornflour1 tbsp

 Wash & soak dalia for 15-20 minutes, grind. Add salt & all the other ingredients, mix well. In a non stick tava make like dosa, serve with sambar or chutney, or milagai podi.

Mango avial

raw mango cut 1 cup,     haldi/turmeric prd 1/4 tsp,    thick curd 1 cup         grind together coconut 3 tbsp,
jeera/cumin 1 tsp,      raw rice1 tsp, green chilies 6.  heat  2 cups water in a pan, add mango pieces, salt to taste, haldi, add 1 tsp coconut oil. once it boils, add ground masala, let it boil well, add thick curd, switch off the gas.

sabudana murukku

sabudana 1 cup soaked in 1/2 cup curd mixed with little water till soft. Add rice flour 1/2 cup or more depending on how much sabudana can absorb, but not too much. Hing 1/4 tsp, white sesame seeds/til 1 tbsp, salt to taste. Mix all well, grease the pakodam/ chakli mould well, put some of the dough in it & squeeze like murukku/ chakli. fry till golden in hot oil & remove.

Broccoli soup

Broccoli 150 gms, carrot cut into pieces 1 cup,  1 cup onion cut fine, pepper 1 tbsp, garlic pearls 5-6, water. Heat 1 tbsp oil, add pepper, garlic fry lightly, add onion fry well, then add carrots, fry well. Add 1 tbsp cornflour, roast till golden brown, add broccoli & enough water & cook till soft.


ps- broccoli is good for heart, it has anti-cancer properties.

apple halwa- microwave

2 big apples, peeled & cut into small pieces. Put the pieces in a microwave bowl, add about 2 tbsp of maida/ refined flour, mix well, micro high for 2 minutes, mix well again, add about 2 cups of milk, mix well, micro high for another 2-3 minutes. Add splenda/ sugar substitute about 1/2 cup or to taste, that is for the diabetics & health conscious folks, mix well & micro high for 30 seconds only. Others can use normal sugar, mix well & micro high for 2-3 minutes till sugar is well blended. Garnish with roasted nuts & raisins.

ps- those who like doing it on gas, the procedure is the same, but you'd have to keep stirring it all the time & then you may need to use ghee a little. While in the microwave, it is made without fat.

Semolina/ sooji/ rava adai

take about 2 cups of semolina/ rava, add water, salt, green chilies cut fine, 3-4 or to taste, curry leaves cut fine, 1 tsp ajwain. Mix, the consistency should be like idli batter. Normally, when the rava is thick, it may get too thick after you mix, so, you may need to add some more water. This mixture can be mixed & within 10 minutes made like uttapam in a thick tava. For those who eat onion, it can added by cutting it fine. This goes well with chutney or with milagai podi/ gun powder.

With this quantity, you may get 5-6 adai, depending on the thickness of rava.

Quick alu matar/ potato, peas gravy

Normally I always keep some boiled potatoes in my fridge, as it comes handy. Or when you make plain potato vege & it is left over, no problem. Pressure cook about 1 cup peas for 1 cup left over potato vegs, add 3-4 tomatoes along with peas & pressure cook with rice/dal whatever you make. Then do seasoning/ tadka with 2 tsp oil, 1 tsp jeera/cumin add the finely cut 2 onions, along with 2" ginger cut fine & 8 garlic pearls cut fine. when you fry onion & 1/2 tsp haldi/turmeric pdr., adding little salt, helps it to fry in less oil, this can be done in microwave also. Then add the cooked peas & tomato with water, & left over potato vegs. Mix well along with salt to taste & add about 1- 1 1/2 tsp chana masala or garam masala pdr. mix well, let it simmer for about 10 minutes. garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

ps- if you don't have left over potato vege, no problem, you can cut potatoes along with peas & tomato & pressure cook, but then you may have to add some chili pdr when you fry onion according to your taste.As normally when I make potato vege, it has chili pdr. Or you can use green chilies also, as green chilies have Vit. c, so it is better than red chili pdr.

Macaroni/Pasta- with veg & with spinach & potatoes.

The 1st picture shows the onion, green capsicum, green chilies, ginger & garlic cut fine.

2nd one shows the finished pasta.

3rd one shows macaroni ready to be boiled, carrots, cabbage & beans cut fine.

Boil macaroni as much as you need in enough water, with salt & 1 tsp oil/ drain, rinse in cold water & spread on a plate & and ; keep aside. But remember, that when you add lots of veges, then you'd need less macaroni, as I add almost half the quantity of veges with macaroni.
You can use whatever veges you like. I normally use onions 2 cut finely for 1 cup of uncooked macaroni. 2 carrots cut fine,  1 cup cabbage cut fine, capsicum 2 cut fine, beans 10-15 cut fine. green chilies to taste, ginger 1" cut fine, garlic pods 8 cut fine. In 2 tbsp oil, put all veges with little salt, cover & cook on low flame, of you want them soft. Or you can blanch beans, carrots & add to fried onions, cabbage & capsicum & chilies. If you like tomatoes, you can add 2-3 tomatoes cut fine along with veges. Add about 1/2 tsp oregano, mix well. Some like their veges to be crisp, so depending on your taste, as when veges are cooked, add the cooked pasta, with salt to taste, mix well.
For those who like white sauce, I make white sauce with atta/ wheat flour, as it is healthy than maida/ cornflour.
1 tbsp butter, when it melts add about 2 tbsp atta, roast it well, add chili pdr. or pepper pdr, whichever one you prefer, add water, little mix well without lumps, then add about 2 cups water, salt to taste, cook till it boils. it will thicken. You can pour over the pasta & veg & bake it with grated cheese. This tastes good too.


ps- for variation, blanch spinach, cut fine. Cut cooked potatoes into small pieces, roast it well with salt & chili pdr. Cook pasta like before. Layer the baking dish, with pasta, spinach, potatoes, pasta, spinach & potatoes. Add the white sauce & bake in a hot oven for about 20 minutes with grated cheese. This also tastes good. You may add  tomatoes also if you like on top while baking.

The combination depends on your taste & and availability of veges etc. Either it can be baked or eaten with just mixed with veges, & sauce- hot & sweet, or plain ketchup.

Dalia Upma/ Broken wheat upma

For dalai upma, I took for 2 of us, 1 cup dalia, roasted it well & kept aside. For seasoning, 2 tsp oil,
1/2 tsp mustard seeds,          2 tsp each chana & udad dals     4 green chilies cut fine 1" ginger cut fine
5 garlic pearls cut fine  1 big onion, 1 carrot, 1 green capsicum cut fine, 2 tbsp peas.
heat oil after seasoning with mustard seeds, add curry leaves, then the finely cut vegetables, with wee bit of salt, cook lightly till veges turn slightly soft. Add this to the roasted dalia, with about 1 tsp salt, 2 cups of water mix well, pressure cook for 2 whistles.

ps- dalia is good for diabetes, as it is rich in fiber. This makes a good breakfast, as it has complex carbohydrates, with plenty of vitamins. it is very filling. It is better to eat your b'fast like a king & dinner like a pauper, that is what I prefer to do & also eat an early dinner.

Chole my style

Soak kabuli chana/ white chole overnight, pressure cook in the same water, don't discard the water in which you soak the pulses or rice, as then you lose water soluble vitamins, especially Vit. B. Also when you cook, avoid using soda, as it takes away the vitamins from the food, also when you fry pakodas. I soaked about 1 cup of chana. for that you can see that I used 3 medium sized onions, 5 tomatoes, 2" ginger pieces, garlic pearls about 10-12, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 2 green chilies.
1/2 tsp turmeric powder  chili pdr 1 tsp or to taste, chana masala 2 tsp
salt to taste,    3 tsp oil      1 tsp jeera.
grind onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, coriander seeds, green chilies well. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add jeera/cumin seeds, once it cracks, add the ground gravy, like you can see in the picture below the onion, tomatoes etc, with turmeric, chili pdr, fry it well till thickens on low flame, can be done in microwave also with chana masala.the oil that you've used should come on top, then only the gravy will taste good. This goes true for rajma or anything else that you use similar gravy. Once it thickens to the consistency in the picture below, then add the cooked chana with water & salt to taste. let it simmer on low heat for about 10-15 minutes. Remove & garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
ps- this goes well with roti, batura, bread, rice, can have with dosai also.

Cabbage kuttu

For cabbage kuttu, pressure cook, cabbage 1 cup moong dal can be 1 cup or more, for 2 people, 1/2 cup dal with 1 cup cabbage is enough for lunch/ dinner. When you cook, add 1/4 tsp haldi/ turmeric pdr. you may need to keep for 2 whistles.
To grind
Roast 1 tbsp chana dal, 1/2 tsp jeera, red chilies 3-4 with 2 pinch hing. Grind this with 1-2 tbsp grated coconut to a smooth paste. Add to the cooked dal & cabbage along with salt to taste & 1 tsp atta mixed with water to thicken.
For seasoning, 1/2 tsp oil, 1 tsp udad dal, 1 tsp jeera, some curry leaves cut fine. Last add some finely cut coriander leaves.

ps- this goes well with rice & raita or with rotis.

'Upma kolakattai" - snack

For upma kolakattai, 1 cup of idli rava, that is, boiled rice/ sela rice rava/sooji  washed, then remove water & soak in about 1/4 cup water for 30 minutes. For seasoning, 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, 2 tsp each of chana & udad dals, 2-3 green cilies finely cut,  1" ginger cut fine, 1 sprig curry leaves finely chopped. Heat 1 tsp oil, add the mustard seeds & dals, when it cracks & dals turn golden, add the chilies, curry leaves & ginger, roast for 1 minute, add 2 pinch hing, add the soaked rava, with another 1/4 cup water, mix well, till it turns into a lump, just like in the picture shown below the ingredient one. then add some water in your cooker, wash the idli plates well, make kolakattai like shown in the picture or it can be made into round ones, Steam for 10 minutes. Remove & eat with coconut chutney.

ps- this is normally the morning breakfast, like idli it is healthy, as it has very less oil & it is steamed.
incase the left overs are there, or you want to take to office or send to school for lunch, cut the kolakattais into small pieces, take a pan, put 1 tsp oil, some milagai podi, mix well, add the cut pieces, roast for 2 minutes. This also tastes good, as normally I send this for mid-morning snack for my husband to his office.

'Thengai podi'- coconut powder

This is almost like milagai podi, except that along with chana dal 2 cups, udad dal 2 cups,    red chilies 25-30     1 lemon size ball tamarind/imli/puli grated coconut 2 cups. Roast the dals separately with some chilies & 2-3 drops of oil, roast coconut well on small flame till golden brown, add imli pieces, roast another minute. Cool & powder all together with salt to taste. In this no til/ sesame seeds are used. Chilies can be varied depending on the sharpness of chilies & according to taste. You can use more coconut if you want, but take care to roast it well, as then only it will last long. This need not be kept in the fridge.

ps- this goes well with bread toast, you can have it with hot rice, or with dosai, idli, adai etc.

Pruppu podi/ Dal powder

Chana dal 1 cup        arhar dal 2 cups      red chilies 10-15 depending on how spicy it is black pepper 1 tsp. roast the dals separately with chilies &    and; 2-3 drops of oil, as mentioned earlier, if you roast red chilies alone it makes you cough. Roast peppercorns. Cool & and powder it with salt to taste.

ps- this is eaten with steamed rice. this is always kept at home, as on some days, when one is ill, just cook rice in cooker & and have with this powder. This also lasts long. Some people like to have it with their 'morkulambu', i.e., South Indian style of kadi.

ps- when you roast red chilies,  add some salt also, it stops you from coughing. The combination of dals can vary, some prefer to make it with just arhar dal/ tuvaram paruppu, or more of chana dal. use what you like more.

Milagai podi ( Gun powder)

Chana dal 2 cups        udad dal 2 cups       white sesame seeds, better still black sesame seeds as they've 400 & more calcium than the white one or what you can do use both equal quantity 1+1 cup or only white if you wish
red chilies to taste. As red chilies when you roast make you cough, best is use the quantity you need, half with each dal when you roast it with 2-3 drops of oil. roast each dal separately, roast sesame seeds/til also well. Cool & powder all together with salt to taste.

ps- Some people use less of chana dal, so you can use the dals as you like. But when you use til/sesame seeds, it not only enhances the flavour, but also gives you more calcium. Even if you use more til, it is ok, or even without til.

For non-south Indians, this is what we eat with idli, dosai, adai etc, as chutney is not made every day. This lasts long when stored properly. This is mixed with little of til oil & eaten with dosai/idli/ adai.