Pudina Saadam(Mint Rice)- the intriguing flavour of pudina is captured in full ! Thin variety of rice - 1 cup Onions - 2 medium (chopped) Salt Lime juice - 2-3 tsp To grind to a paste: Mint or pudina leaves - 2 cups Small onions - 7,8 Green chillies - 4,5 Pottukadalai (fried gram) - 2 tbsp To temper: Oil - 3 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Gram dhal - 2 tbsp ( soak for 1 hour & dry) Red chillies - 2,3 To garnish: Ghee - 1 tsp Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp (chopped) Cook rice so that the grains are separate. Grind the paste & keep ready. Heat oil, temper the given ingredients & then add onions & fry till the colour changes. Add the paste & fry till the raw smell goes ( the colour should remain green & not turn brown) Add the rice, salt & mix well . Remove from the stove & add lime juice. Garnish with cashewnuts fried in ghee. This step is optional.
Venthaya Keerai Saadam - one,soft & one, grainy ! Soft, bisibela type: Rice - 1 cup Tur dhal - ½ cup Tamarind paste - 1 ½ tbsp Chopped methi leaves - 2 cups Oil - 2 tsp Roast in 1 tsp oil & powder; Red chillies - 8 Dhaniya - 2 tbsp Gram dhal - 2 tbsp Jeera - 1 tsp Hing - 1 tsp Grated coconut - ½ cup To temper: Oil - 2 tbsp Mustard leaves - 1 tsp Urad dhal - 2 tsp Gram dhal - 2 tsp Red chillies - 2,3 Pressure cook rice & soaked dhal together with 5-6 cups of water, adding haldi, till soft. Fry methi leaves in oil till they shrink well & add to the mixture. Add tamarind paste mixed with ½ cup water, salt & prepared powder. Boil everything together & remove. Temper as given & serve hot, topped with ghee. Tip: Spread the coconut in a plate & microwave for 3-4 mts on Hi. It will become dry & it is easy to powder. Grainy “kalantha sadam” type: Thin variety of rice - 1 cup Chopped methi leaves - 2 cups Lime juice - 2-3 tsp Salt Roast in 1 tsp ghee & powder: Gram dhal - 2 tbsp Urad dhal - 1 tbsp Dhaniya - 2 tbsp Red chillies - 5,6 ( or to taste) Grated coconut - 2 tbsp To temper: Ghee - 1 tbsp Oil - 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Urad dhal - 2 tsp Gram dhal - 2 tsp Cashewnuts, chopped - 1 tbsp Cook rice so that grains are separate. Cool by spreading on a plate. Heat oil & ghee, temper the given ingredients & roast till light brown. Add methi leaves & fry well till they are cooked & shrink well. Add the ground powder, salt & mix thoroughly. Transfer this mixture to the plate & pour over rice. Add lime juice, 2 tbsp melted ghee & mix well. For both types, any raita with curd goes very well.
Katharikkai Saadam - the TamilNadu Equivalent of VangiBath. Long thin variety rice - 1 cup Slender, long variety of brinjal - ½ kg Salt, haldi Lime juice - 3 tsp To fry in 2 tsp oil & powder: Red chillies - 8 Dhaniya - 2 tbsp Urad dhal - 3 tbsp Gram dhal - 3 tbsp Hing - 1 tsp To temper: Oil - 2 tbsp Ghee - 2 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp To Garnish: Coriander leaves chopped - 2 tbsp Cashew fried in ghee - 10, 12 Cook rice so that grains are separate. Cool by spreading on a plate. Roast & powder the given ingredients. Chop brinjal into 1” long & ¼ “ thick pieces. Heat oil & ghee, add mustard seeds & then the brinjal pieces. Add haldi, cover & cook till they become tender. Open, add the prepared powder & salt. Mix well & then add the cooled rice. Turn over the contents well so that rice, vegetable & powder blend thoroughly. Remove, add lime juice & garnish with cashew & coriander. Instead of adding lime juice, little thick tamarind water can be added when the brinjals are cooked. Variation: Boiled mochaiparuppu can be added along with brinjals. Capsicum rice can be made by the same method, adding chopped capsicum instead of brinjals.
Kovil Puliyodarai - No Red Chillies, Please ! This is also called Milaku Puliyodarai. Freshly powdered pepper gives a unique taste to this dish. Rice 5 cups Tamarind 100 gms Gingelly oil 100 ml Bengal gram dhal 100gms Udad dhal 100 gm Jeera 2 tsp Methi seeds 1 tsp Mustard seeds 2 tsp Hing powder 2 tsp Cashew broken 50 gms Haldi 2 tsp Freshly ground pepper 3 tsp ( or more ) Curry leaves 2 or 3 sprigs Salt Select thin variety rice. Cook rice with twice the volume of water , 1 tsp haldi & 2 tsp oil so that the grains are separate. Cool by spreading on a big plate. Soak tamarind in 1 ½ cups of warm water, allow to stand for a while & strain after mashing it well. Add salt & 1 tsp haldi to it. In a heavy bottomed vessel heat the oil on a slow fire. When it becomes hot, add gram dhal, udad dhal, jeera, methi seeds, mustard seeds, haldi & finally cashew, in that order, adding one after the previous one gets slightly fried. Add tamarind water with salt & haldi. Boil till it reduces to half & sauce like consistency. Remove from stove & add freshly ground raw pepper( without roasting ) Add to the cooled rice . Adjust the quantity of pepper powder to suit your taste. Add a little more raw gingelly oil which is optional. This is a special type of puliyodarai without red chillies.
Mochaiparuppu Saadam - Try this in mochai season, now ! for SBs photos, please go to http://www.indusladies.com/forums/970482-post2.html Thin variety of rice - 1 cup Mochai paruppu - 1 cup Onions - 2 ( chop ) Grated coconut - ½ cup Oil - 3 tbsp Salt To grind to a paste: Green chillies - 4,5 ( or to taste) Ginger - 1’’ Garlic - 5,6 pieces Coriander leaves - ½ cup Add warm water to coconut, extract 2 cups of milk & keep ready to cook the rice. Wash, soak the rice for 15 mts & drain well. In a pressure pan, heat oil. Add onion & fry till transparent. Next add the paste & fry till the raw smell is gone. Add rice & mochai paruppu & fry for a few mts. Add salt & coconut milk. When the mixture salts boiling vigorously, close the cooker, keep the weight, lower the flame & cook for 10 mts. Cool, open & serve with raita.
Carrot Saadam - colourful, tasty & easy. Thin long variety of rice - 1 cup Bright coloured fresh carrots - 250 gms Salt, haldi Fry in 1 tsp oil & powder; Red chillies - 6,7 Urad dhal - 3 tbsp Jeera - 1 tsp Methi seeds - ½ tsp Grated coconut - ½ cup Hing - ½ tsp To temper: Oil - 1 tbsp Ghee - 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Red chillies - 2 Green chillies - 2 (slit) Curry leaves - few To garnish: Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp Grated coconut - 2 tbsp ( given below) Cook rice so that grains are separate. Cool by spreading on a plate. Roast the ingredients & keep the powder ready. Grate the carrots. Heat oil & ghee. Temper the given ingredients & finally add grated carrots . Add haldi, cover & cook till the carrots are soft. Add the powder, rice & salt. Mix thoroughly so that all ingrdients blend well. Garnish wih coriander leaves & coconut. Coconut, if added when frying the ingredients for powdering, need not be added again. It can be cut off from the roasting ingredients & added fresh as a garnish – Orange carrot, green coriander leaves & white coconut will make a delightful combination.
Lemon Rice - a favourite item on the menu for kanu ! Thin variety of rice - 1 cup Lime juice - 4 tsp ( or more) Salt, haldi Hing - ½ tsp Green chillies - 3-4 cut into pieces To temper: Oil - 2 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Red chillies - 2,3 Gram dhal - 2 tbsp ( soak for 30 mts, drain & use) Curry leaves - few Optional: Lightly steamed cubes of carrots, beans & peas - ½ - 1 cup To fry in 1 tsp oil: Cashewnuts, chopped - 1 tbsp Roasted peanuts - 2 tbsp Cook the rice so that the grains are separate. Cool on a plate. Make a depression in the centre, add lime juice, haldi, green chillies, salt & hing. Heat oil, add tempering ingredients, fry till dhal turns light brown & pour over the ingredients in the depression. Mix thoroughly. Fry the vegetables in 2 tsp oil & add. For garnishing, add cashewnuts & peanuts roasted in 1 tsp oil.
Capsicum Paneer Saadam - serve with mooli raitha. Thin variety of rice - 1 cup Paneer - 100 gms (grate or finely chop) Grated coconut - 2 tbsp Capsicum - 3 ( chop fine) Roasted groundnuts - 2 tbsp – powder coarse Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp Salt Roast in ½ tsp oil & powder fine: Pepper - ½ tsp Dhaniya - 1 tsp Jeera - 1 tsp Red chillies - 2 Cardamom - 2 Clove - 1 Cinnamon - 1” To temper: Oil - 1 tbsp Ghee - 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Cook rice so that the grains are separate. Cool by spreading on a plate. Heat oil & ghee. Temper mustard seeds & add capsicum pieces. Fry for a few mts till it shrinks. Add coconut & paneer. Fry till golden brown. Add powdered masala & ground nuts. Mix & add cooked rice & salt. Mix everything thoroughly & garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with Mooli Raita: White mooli - 2 – clean & grate Coconut - 3 tbsp Green chillies - 3,4 Salt Curds - 1 cup To temper: Oil - 1 tsp Mustard seeds - ½ tsp Grind first 3 ingredients, add curds, salt, mix & temper. This goes with any mixed rice.
Cauliflower Saadam - Quick, easy dish . Small size flowerettes - 1 – 11/2 cups Thin variety of rice - 1 cup Salt Onion – 1 ( chop) Oil - 1 tbsp Ghee - 1 tbsp To grind to a paste: Coconut - ½ cup Green chillies - 3,4 Ginger - 1/2'” Garlic - 5,6 pieces Cloves - 3 Cardamom - 3 Remove the flowerettes & clean them by putting them in warm, salted water for 10 mts. Remove & drop them in boiling water in a vessel, give one boil & switch off the flame. Keep covered for 10 mts, drain & keep the flowers ready. Soak rice for 15 mtes & drain. Heat oil & ghee in a pressure pan. Fry onion till the colour changes. Add ground paste & drained rice. Fry for 4,5 mts, then add 2 cups of water, flowereetes & salt. When the mixture starts boiling, put the weight & simmer the flame. Do not wait for the whistle. Cook for 10 mts & switch off. Serve with any raita. Note: This tastes equally good without adding onion & garlic.
Easy Vegetable Pulao - Single pan cookery. Vegetables like carrot, beans, peas, cauliflower, baby corn etc can be used. Chop them into cubes of 1 cm. Basmati - 1 cup Cut vegetables - 1 cup ( can be more by preference) Onions - 2 - chop, the same size as vegetables ( optional) Coconut - ½ cup Salt Crush together: Ginger - 1” Green chillies - 4,5 Garlic - 4,5 pieces ( optional) Grind to paste: Cashews - 7,8 Khus khus - 2 tsp Saunf - ½ tsp ( optional) Chopped mint & coriander leaves - 1 tbsp each To temper: Ghee + oil - 2 tbsp Cinnamon - 1” Cardamom - 3 Cloves - 3 Star anise - 2,3 pieces ( called annasipoo in tamil) ( The other alternative is to grind, small onions, garlic (optional), green chillies, ginger, cashews , coriander leaves & coconut to a paste & proceed - coco milk is not necessary. This is still more easy!) Add warm water to coconut & extract coconut milk. See that it measures 2 cups. If the vegetables are very fresh, directly use them, or if you prefer them soft, it is safer to steam them. Soak rice in water for 15 mts & drain. In a pressure pan, heat the ghee-oil mixture. Temper as given. When they pop, add onions, fry till glossy & add crushed paste first, fry lightly & then add ground paste. Finally add rice & fry for a few mts till they become slightly stiff. Add vegetables, coconut milk & salt. When the whole mixture startes boiling vigorously, close the pan, keep the weight & immediately lower the flame. Do not wait for the whistle. Cook for 10 mts. Cool, open, add 1 tbsp ghee for a nice flavour. Variation: Peas alone can be added when it becomes peas pulao. Instead of taking coconut milk, you can grind 2 tbsp coconut with the ingredients to be ground. But coconut milk gives an excellant flavour. Serve with boondi - pomegranate raita.