Category: No Need of Onions!!!

No Need of Onions!!! · Rice Varieties.

Corriander Rice Pulav with Vegetables.

Shoba8 Comments
Corriander Rice
Corriander Rice

Corriander has always been my all time favourite garnish. Now there are really two schools of thought on the subject of corriander garnish. My grandmother etc has always been on the opinion that a good dish prepared sumptously with ingredients in the right proportion, with devotion, can stand up for flavour and taste all by itself. It does not need a garnish of chopped corriander. I am of the opinion that even a simple dish can be elevated in taste and flavour by just a dash of a corriander sprig….Well…to each his own. TO think of a dish spiced completely with this aromatic leaf itself seemed to be a very welcoming thought…It was an inspiration from my earlier post Pudina Rice…I simlpy allowed my hands to pick up whatever It felt like and came up with this dish…

Today was a picnic at the Zoo, so it was a really tasty course with a side of Raitha and Chips. Do try it and hope you really like it.

INGREDIENTS:

A big bunch of Corriander Leaves.

5 Green Chillies.

1/3 cup of Dessicated Coconut.

1 inch piece of Ginger.

A handful of Cashew Halves.

2 cups of Basmati Rice cooked in 3 1/2 cups of water.

1/2 cup of Peas.

1/2 cup of chopped potatoes.

1/2 cup of finely chopped carrots.

1 cup of cauliflower floretts.

Salt.

PREPARATION:

  • Spread out the cooked Basmati Rice so it cools considerably before you mix in the vegetables.
  • Microwave all the vegetables except Peas, in the micro wave for 4 minutes.
  • In a mixer jar, place the cashews at the very base and then add chillies, ginger, 1 clove, corrainder and finally the coconut. We do this since corriander cannot stand up to pulsing in the mixer without water, we sandwich it between heavy ingredients.
  • Pulse without adding water and set aside.
  • In a wide mouthed kadai add 3 spoons of oil, 2 cloves, jeera, curry leaves and then add the half cooked veggies.
  • Add turmeric and salt for the veggies and allow to cook for some time.
  • Now add the ground paste and mix well and give it a couple more minutes to cook and the raw smell of the corriander to evaporate.
  • When the veggies and the paste have mixed in well add the rice little by little and mix it well taking care not to break the rice.
  • Add a dollop of ghee and serve HOT with onion and cucumber raitha.


No Need of Onions!!! · Side Dishes for Rotis/Dosas/ Naan.

Quick N Tangy Tomato Ginger Gravy.

Shoba3 Comments

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This is a quick side dish for Venn Pongal /Vada/ Chappathi/Dosa /Puris  and Idlis. It`s pretty much easy and simple to make but vrey delicious and appetising. I remember one time when my mami made this for Pongal. We simply lapped it up!!! Yeah…its that good!!!

INGREDIENTS:

4 Big Slicing Tomatoes or Tomatoes on the Vine. Double the quantity for Roma.

1 inch Ginger finely grated.

3 Green Chillies vertically slit.

1/2 spoon Red Chilli Powder.

Salt.

Hing.

Mustard.

Turmeric.

PREPARATION:

  • Puree all the tomatoes in the mixer without adding much water and set aside.
  • In a kadai, add a spoon of oil and when hot, pop in mustard, broken urad dhal and curry leaves.
  • When the mustard splutters, add grated ginger, slit green chillies, curry leaves and a pinch of hing.
  • Allow a couple of seconds to saute and then immediately add the pureed tomato.
  • If needed, you can add 1/8 cup of water to the mixer and after a quick shake, pour it in to the kadai.
  • Add turmeric, salt and  red chilli powder and stir in well.
  • Simmer for about ten minutes and switch off heat.
  • Serve garnished with chopped cilantro.

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HINT:

As an option to increase the volume in case  a large serving is needed, is to saute the onions after the seasoning and then add the tomato puree. This version is made with tomatoes but it can be made without on a day when no onions need to be  consumed.

Kid Friendly Recipes. · No Need of Onions!!! · Snacks & Tiffin Items

Crunchy & Delicious Vazhakkai Chips ( Raw Banana slices fried in oil and spiced with powders)

Shoba8 Comments

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Madurai amma`s favourite all time chips was the Raw Banana Chips. When we were in school, she would suddenly pick a fresh bunch of green and firm Raw Bananas from her favourite street hawker in Ranganathan Street and immediately would decide on making chips with them. That was the criteria…the raw bananas HAD to be fresh, firm almost just plucked from the tree!!! She would come back home and instruct me to peel it and with the  help of the Anjali Slicer, would directly slice them on to the hot oil and flavour them with spices and powders. She would then place them on a cool dry container and store it air tight for almost a week. With the advent of Hot Chips, I must admit that much of our chips making was cut down quite a bit. But there is nothing like home made chips!!! This week when I saw the raw bananas that my husband had picked from the Indian Store, I was suddenly reminded of my grand mother  and her impulsive plan to make Raw Banana Chips and I was suddenly craving for them. This weekend I treated my family( and me of course!)  to some fried goodness…..

INGREDIENTS:

2 Fresh Raw Bananas which feel firm to touch.

Oil to fry.

1 1/2 spoon of Red Chilli Powder.

1 spoon of Salt.

Hing.

PREPARATION:

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  • Peel all the raw bananas and using a Mandolin or your knife, slice them cross section in to thin circles.
  • The more thin the slices are the easier to fry to crispness.
  • Place them all on a plate to dry out a little and this also makes it easier to pop them in to the oil.
  • Combine the red chilli powder, the salt and the hing in a little dish and keep ready.
  • Keep sufficient oil on a kadai and place on a stove set to Medium High.
  • When the oil is sufficiently hot , pop the sliced Raw Banana pieces one by one.
  • Keep the number always at a manageable level and dont crowd the kadai with too many chips as they wont fry well.
  • Allow to fry well on both sides.
  • Keep a collander lined with tissue on the side and drain all the chips on to the collander.
  • When still hot from the oil. sprinkle the spice powder liberally on both sides of the chips.
  • As the fried slices do not have any salt on their own, its the spice seasoning that renders the taste .
  • Repeat procedure until all the slices are fried.
  • Store in an air tight container and serve as a side with Rasam or as an awesome evening snack.

Sending a canister of these fried goodness to WYF – Fried Snack Event getting hosted at SimpleIndianFood.

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Kerala / Palakkad Recipes. · No Need of Onions!!! · Poriyals / Kootu Varieties.

Vazhakkai Podimas (Raw Banana half cooked,grated, and spiced with powders)

Shoba12 Comments
Vazhakkai Podimas.
Vazhakkai Podimas.

Vazhakkai as in Raw Bananas already mentioned are a favourite in my family. They are readily available and when properly preserved in the refrigerator, almost stays fresh for a week or more. I never make raw bananas the day I buy them,  unless I am tempted to slice them to topple in hot oil to make fresh fresh chips spiced with salt and red chilli powder.  This time I was having a very good friend visiting and I made this for dinner. It`s a very healthy preparation as it basically cooks the raw bananas in water until they are half done, grates them and completes spicing it up on the kadai. Easy, healthy and of course quick.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Raw Bananas.

5 cups of water.

Salt.

Hing.

Turmeric,

3 spoons of boiled rice.

1  spoons of toor dhal.

1 spoon of bengal gram.

1 spoon of Dhania.

Curry Leaves.

5 Red Chillies.

PREPARATION:

  • Splice the raw banana in to two halves. without peeling the skin off. In other words, keep the skin and stalk on intact.
  • Put a container with 5-6 cups of water on the stove and allow to heat.
  • Now drop the raw banana halves in to the water and close with a lid. Allow approximately 6-7 minutes of cooking time.
  • Switch off the heat and allow a few minutes to cool.  Drain off all the water and now you will be able to easily peel the skin off.
  • The bananas should be half cooked and firm and not mushy as this will render them impossible to be grated.
  • Grate the half cooked banans and spread them on a plate. Sprinkle salt and hing and allow to settle.
  • Roast the boiled rice, toor dhal, bengal gram, red chilies and the curry leaves and grind to a coarse powder in the mixer.
  • In a kadai, add 2 spoons of oil, mustard seeds, urad dhal, curry leaves and hing and then the grated raw banana.
  • Mix well and then add the roasted ground powder. Add another 2 spoons of oil and switch off when done.
  • Serve HOT with Onion Sambar and Garlic Rasam.


No Need of Onions!!! · Sambar / Rasam / Kuzhambu Varieties.

Vendakkai Sambar (Ladyfinger sauted in tamarind gravy cooked with spice powders)

Shoba11 Comments

Vendekkai Sambar
Vendekkai Sambar

This is a variety of  “Sambar” that does not have the ground coconut and spices in it so its pretty straightforward. There are two kinds of basic sambars that we make – the variety that has spices roasted and ground with coconut and the other variety that is spiced only with the sambar powder. This is a part of the latter and hence very easy to make. This sambar is excellent also as a side for Pongal, Idlis and the like. It`s also great with Dosa, adai etc.

INGREDIENTS:

8-10 ladysfinger.

1 1/2 cups of Tamarind Extract.

Salt

Turmeric

1 spoon of heaped Sambar Powder.

1/2 cup cooked Toor Dhal.

3/4 spoon of rice flour dissolved in 4 spoons of water.

Cilantro

Curry Leaves.

Hing.

Seasoning:

Mustard, Curry Leaves.

PREPARATION:

  • Take the washed and cleaned Okras and chop off the tips and the top so you have slightly longer pieces. Set aside.
  • Take a copper bottomed vessel and pour oil and season with mustard, curry leaves and hing. Immediately add the chopped pieces of okra and stir in well.
  • Allow the ladysfinger pieces to saute well in the seasoning and when its done, add the prepared tamarind extract water.
  • Add salt, hing, turmeric, sambar powder, cilantro and sir in well. Allow the gravy to boil and lose all the raw flavours and smells.
  • After about 20 minutes, the gravy would have reduced and the spices would be well entrenched in the Okra pieces.
  • Take the cooked toor dhal and slightly dilute with a little water and add to the reduced sambar gravy and stir in well.
  • If you feel that the consistency is a little too watery, add the rice flour dissolved in the water to this and stir to see instant thickening.
  • Allow to boil and immediately switch off the heat. Garnish with torn curry leaves and chopped cilantro.
  • Serve with rice and Kovakkai Curry or Kathirikkai Podimas.
No Need of Onions!!! · Poriyals / Kootu Varieties.

Crispy Arbi Fry (Colocasia part steamed and slow roasted in oil with spices)

Shoba11 Comments
Arbi Fry
Arbi Fry

Colocasia or Arbi or Sepangkizhangu, a starchy root tuber, very much similar to Potatoes,  has always been a favourite. It`s slightly different from the potatoes , in that it is irregular shaped and has a slightly scaly skin. When boiled, it also gives out a slightly sticky feeling so its important that the tuber is not ovber cooked. Amma would not make it too often, but when she does D and me woud devour it right away. Many of my friends at school also loved her Arbi Fry. It`s not something that I do very regularly as it does need a little extra oil,  more than I would be comfortable with…But when I do make it, I dont scrimp on the oil or the spices.

INGREDIENTS:

20 pieces or 1/2 kgs of Colocasia/Arbi/Sepangkizhangu.

Turmeric

1 1/2 spoons of Red Chilli Powder.

Salt

1 spoon of Besan and 1 spoon of Rice Flour.

Hing

A spoon of tamarind extract.

PREPARATION:

  • There are multiple varieties of this tuber available throughout the world and the one that I see in Indian and Chinese stores in the U.S are pretty bigger than their Indian counterparts.
  • Firstly wash and clean these tubers and put them, along with the skin  in to the pressure cooker. Add salt and a little tamarind water and steam for about 7-8 minutes without weight.
  • When the steamed tubers are cooled, peel away the skin and cut them in to little cross sectional rings and place them to dry on a plate. Set aside for a few minutes.
  • Sprinkle salt on the arbi rings. In a little cup mix the red chilli powder, turmeric, besan, rice flour, and hing to form a powder. Add a pinch of Sambar Powder for added spice!!
  • Sprinkle this powder on the colocasia rings and allow a few minutes for it to stick.
  • Now take a non stick kadai and add 3 spoons of oil. When hot, add mustard seeds, urad dhal, curry leaves and hing and immediately the part steamed pieces of colocasia.
  • Add some more salt or chilli  powder, if you need to at this point. Mix well and cover and cook on a low flame.
  • Add a little spoon of oil now and then so that the tubers dont burn. Keeo stirring the mixture carefully so all parts of the colocasia get cooked and also take care that they dont break.
  • In about 20-25 minutes they will be nicely done. Switch off and transfer to a serving bowl.
  • If you still want the roasted effect, spray a little oil, and pop it in to the oven at BROIL for 2 minutes alone.
  • Enjoy Delicious and crispy Sepangkizhangu/Arbi Fry with Vendekkai Sambar and Tomato Rasam.
Brisk Breakfast · Easy LunchBox Series. · No Need of Onions!!! · Snacks & Tiffin Items

Quick & Easy Idli Upma.(Upma snack made from idlis and seasoning with spices.)

Shoba13 Comments

 

 

 

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In my school days when I was a little girl, one of the things I used to hate was Idlis. I guess, I always felt that the Idlis by themselves have no taste whatsoever and derive the overall effect, by what goes on the side. Even today I feel its true. So whenever Amma used to pack idlis for lunch, some how she would find that the would come back completely untouched,with a nice sprinkling of sand on them!!! Whenever she would ask me, It seems I would tell her that when my friends were playing, the sand got in to the box!!! Now when I think about it, I realize how naive I must have sounded. Did I assume her also to be so naive??? This would happen ever often, that finally she stopped giving me Idlis for lunch.

Much later, when I was at the hostel for my post graduation, I realised how heavenly  Idlis can be!!! There used to be this “Mobile” Idli Shop near my college hostel. He would simply take a plastic plate, grab a piece of banana leaf and place three piping hot idlis on them and serve them with a side of sambar and coconut chutney. My joy knew no bounds and I was so tired of the hostels spicy greasy food, I welcomed simple Idlis. I knew that they could never upset my stomach. It was always a safe bet. Many days,we would pack a few extra idlis and bring them to the hostel to make Idli Upma the next day. As I was making them for breakfast this morning, I remembered lessons that life had taught me , with the humble “Idlis” over the years….

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 Leftover Idlis.

1/2 Onion Chopped fine.

Salt

1/2 spoon of Red Chilli Powder.

1 1/2 – 2 spoons of Idli Gunpowder or Idli Molagapodi.

1/4 spoon of Karuvepalai Podi or Curry Leaves Powder.

Seasoning:

A spoon of oil, mustard seeds, broken urad dhal, curry leaves, hing.

PREPARATION:

  • Crumble the Idlis in to little bite sized pieces and set aside spread out on a plate. If you feel that the Idlis are a little dry and rough, sprinkle a teeny bit of water and pop it in the microwave for 2 minutes.
  • When the Idlis are still hot, sprinkle a tad more of salt, red chilli powder and hing.
  • In a kadai, add a spoon of oil and when its hot, add the urad dhal, mustard, hing and curry leaves.
  • When the mustard splutters, immediatelyadd the chopped onions and give it a quick stir and allow to slightly become a pinkish brown.
  • Add the  the crumbled and spiced  pieces of Idlis.
  • Allow to stir well and let the powders mix well.
  • After a few minutes, add the spoon of Idli Molagapodi as well as the Karuvepalai Podi and mix in it.
  • Allow 2 minutes for them to mix well and switch iff heat.
  • Serve Hot garnished with curry leaves and a dollop of ghee for the kids!!!

HINT:

Another version is to saute onions after seasonings, before adding the crumbled Idlis. Personally, I dont prefer it as I add the Molagapodi to it. But that gives a completely different tryst to the taste.

Easy N Tasty Idli Upma being sent to Divya`s Show Me Your Breakfast Event at her blog.

No Need of Onions!!! · Sambar / Rasam / Kuzhambu Varieties.

Delicious Home Made Tomato Rasam.

Shoba16 Comments

Thakkali Rasam

Rasam – slurp!!! It`s my all time favourite comfort food. Even a not so intersting day is made spicy and special simply thinking of making rasam. Of all the rasams that I love, my favourite has always been the home made amma`s piping hot tomato rasam. In India of course, there is a lot of tang to the tomatoes, that amma makes tomato rasam with almost no tamarind. Here, sometimes I need the kick of tanginess from the tamarind so I do liberate myself by using the tamarind water base in the makng of thakkali rasam. On days when I get tomatillos, I use them on their own. I make this rasam in a zillion ways, but here is one of them…

INGREDIENTS:

1 big heirloom tomato/slicing tomato/2 roma tomatoes or 3 tomatillos.

1 cup of tamarind extract from a lime sized ball of tamarind.

1 spoon of Rasam Powder.

A pinch of turmeric.

A pinch of hing.

Curry Leaves.

Sprigs of Cilantro.

Salt

1/3 cup of cooked toor dhal.

2 vertically slit green chillies.

Seasoning:

A spoon of ghee, mustard seeds, curry leaves, pinch of jeera.

PREPARATION:

  • In a mixer container, drop half a tomato, a few sprigs of cilantro, curry leaves and 4-5 spoons of tamarind water and grind to a smooth paste.
  • Add this to the tamarind water already prepared and put in the rasam pot and place over the stove.
  • Chop the other half of the big tomato in to little pieces and add to the pot.
  • Slowly add salt, hing, rasam powder, little cilantro, curry leaves, turmeric and allow to simmer on medium low flame.
  • It`s important that the rasam is simmered in the pot over a low flame for maximum taste.
  • Take the cooked toor dhal and add a cup of water and using your fingers, mash the dhal and mix it well with the water.
  • Add this watery toor dhal to the reduced rasam concentrate in the pot.
  • Stir well and when you see the first boil, switch off, add the remaining sprigs of cilantro and curry leaves, the slit chillies and close with a lid immediately.
  • In a small kadai, season in ghee using mustard seeds, jeera and a dash of hing and pour over the rasam in the pot.
  • Serve PIPING HOT!!!
Kerala / Palakkad Recipes. · No Need of Onions!!! · Sambar / Rasam / Kuzhambu Varieties.

Pumpkin & Cucumber Molagootal. (Ash Gourd & Cucumber cooked with coconut and spices)

Shoba10 Comments

Pumpkin Molagootal

Many days the staple diet at home, when I was growing up, used to be Pumpkin Molagootal. I guess it was cooked so often as it was pretty easy to make, uses less ingredients, and since the main vegetble is Pumpkin, its a very healthy preparation. On a day when you would want to eat healthy and finish cooking without a fuss, Molagootal would be an easy option. Goes very well with some thing tangy like Inji Pulikachal, Brinjal Puli Pachadi, Vendekkai Thayir Pachadi, Maavadu, Maanga Curry or any kind of pickles too specially lemon. Since it can be had with so many sides, every side dish, almost makes you feel like you have made a completly different menu combination.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of cubed pieces of pumpkin and cucumbers.

A pinch of Turmeric.

1/2 spoon of Red Chilli Powder.

Salt.

1/2 spoon of Fresh/Dessicated Coconut.

1 spoon of Jeera.

1/2 cup of cooked toor dhal.

Seasoning:

Coconut Oil, Mustard Seeds and Curry Leaves.

PREPARATION:

  • Place the chopped vegetables in a wide vessel. Add 1/2 cup of water, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt and cook it in the pressure cooker for just one whistle.
  • Drain out the water and save in a container. Put the cooked veggies on to a kadai and place on the stove.
  • Grind fresh coconut with jeera using  this water saved from cooking the vegetables , and make a smooth paste. Set aside.
  • Add ground paste, cooked and mashed toor dhal, a little more salt, hing, curry leaves and allow to boil. Adjust the water a little bit if you feel that the consistency is way too thick.
  • In a seasoning ladle, add 2 spoons of coconut oil, mustard, curry leaves, broken urad dhal and pour over the Molagootal.
  • Mix with rice and use any of the following sides: Inji Pulikachal, Brinjal Puli Pachadi, Vendekkai Thayir Pachadi, Maavadu, Maanga Curry, Lemon Pickle, Nelikkai Oorgai etc.
  • Each combination would be different and delicious!!!!

HINT:

Various other vegetable combinations could be used to make:

Cabbage and Peas Molagootal.

Pumpkin & Chayote Molagootal etc.

Easy LunchBox Series. · Kerala / Palakkad Recipes. · No Need of Onions!!! · Snacks & Tiffin Items

Tamarind Sevai (Real Rice Sevai flavoured with tamarind and spices)

Shoba6 Comments
Tamarind Sevai.
Tamarind Sevai.

I had already posted Tamarind Sevai or Puli Sevai in my previous post using rice sticks. But having actually made the fresh Sevai, I decided to go all the way and flavour it with tamarind just like I normally do. There are days, when you really go through the pantry, wondering what to cook, and to get it done with. On those days I simply flavour rice sticks with some home made “pulikachal” or even the store bought 777 variety. It does taste great with the baked vegetable chips from Trader Joes my favourite store!!! Today was one of those days when I really enjoyed my cooking and dedicated myself to it. I do really love to cook and put my heart in to making it for my loved ones…Those days there are no shortcuts and mishaps – It`s traditional cooking and the taste is pretty delectable.

INGREDIENTS:

Prepared Sevai.

A small gooseberry shaped tamarind ball soaked in 3 spoons of water and warmed.

3-4 red chillies.

Curry Leaves.

A pinch of salt.

Hing.

Oil & Mustard for seasoning.

PREPARATION:

  • In the mixer, grind soaked tamarind, red chillies, salt and hing to a fine paste.
  • In a kadai, add a spoon of oil and when hot, add mustard, curry leaves and this ground paste.
  • Saute the paste in the oil until its well cooked. As the tamarind is used raw this helps in cooking the ground paste.
  • When well done, switch off the stove and add the sevai.
  • Moderation on the salt is required as the Sevai already has the salt in it.
  • Alternatively, if you have store bought pulikachal mix simply mix it in to the cooked sevai and add some seasoning with mustard and curry leaves for added flavour and moisture.
  • Enjoy hot Puli Sevai with Appalam or Chips or just like that!!!

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