Tomato Pulao

Tomato pulao is an extremely tangy flavorful South Indian rice preparation. It is an easy to make and perfect one pot meal for lunch box. I made Rohu Fish curry in Orissa Style along with Tamato pulao which made for a delectable combination. 

Ingredients :

Gobindobhog (Bengal's aromatic rice) - 2 cup, cooked rice
Tomato - 2 large, chopped
Onion - 2, finely sliced
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Green chilli - 2, finely chopped
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Salt to taste

For the tempering ~

Oil - 2 tbsp
Bay leave - 1
Cloves - 2
Cardamom - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method :

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan, add all tempering ingredients. When the seeds are splutter then add sliced onion, fry till slightly golden brown, add ginger-garlic paste and saute for few minutes.

Now add chopped tomato, chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, green chilli, salt, cook till tomato become mushy.

Finally add the cooked rice and mix gently till well incorporate.

Garnish with coriander leaves and tomato pieces. Serve hot Rohu fish Curry & Enjoy.......

Sending this to Merry Tummy's "Cook With Red Event", Swathi's "Favorite Recipes", Nupur's "Christmas and New Year Recipes"

Oats Uttapam

Uttapam is a traditional South Indian breakfast. It's traditional make with fermented rice and urad dal paste but it is a time consuming process. Oats uttapam topped with vegetable is a very nutritious and healthy breakfast or snacks. A simple recipe to make but it tastes too good.

Ingredients :

For the batter ~

Oats - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1/ 3 cup
Semolina - 1/4 cup
Eno salt (cooking soda)- 1/2 tsp
Yogurt -  1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Water as required

For the topping ~ 

Carrot - 1, peeled and grated
Onion - 2 finely chopped
Green chilli - 1, finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch piece, grated
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Black pepper powder - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method :

Grind oats in the mixer to a course powder. In a bowl mix oats, rice flour, semolina, salt. Add yogurt and cooking soda and little by little water, mix and make a thick batter. Keep it aside for 15-20 minutes.

In another bowl mix all topping ingredients. Keep aside.

Now heat a tawa drop 2-3 drops of oil. pour a ladle of batter and spread slighly just like pancake. Drizzle few drops of oil along the edge of the uttapam on medium flame.

Quick sprinkle the topping mixture all over the uttapam and cover it with a lid on medium flame till the edges are golden brown. 

Slighly press the onion mixture with a spatula and turn to other side and roast it.

The batter turns thick quickly add water if required.  

Remove the uttapam from the tawa and repeat the same process for the rest of the batter.

Serve hot with Cilantro peanuts chutney....

 Sending this to Arthy's "Healthy snacking" event

Mangalore Bajji / Goli Bajje ~ A Mangalore Special - SN Challenge

I am so glad to celebrate this delightful journey of SNC till now. As you all know that Divya from You Too Can Cook runs this event successfully.  In this event is to exchange their recipes between two teams. One team is Northern team and another team Southern team. A member of northern team and a member of southern team will challenge the opposite team members with a recipe of their respective region recipes. After celebration month in this month Southern team challenge us Mangalore Bajji by Priya of Priya's Versatile Recipes and Northern team challenge with Litti Chokha by Nupur of UK Rasoi. Hats off Divya for this wonderful idea...Click here to participate..

Goli bajje, commonly known as Mangalore bajji is a very famous and traditional snack in Mangore Region. Its pair well with chutney and even ketchup. Goli bajje made from thick of maida, besan, very sour card and traditionally fried in coconut oil. If the card is sour enough, you can skip the fermentation of batter. Goli bajje is easy to make, soft and elastic but the taste is awesome. I used refined oil instead of coconut oil. Nice to have it in chilled or rainy weather for hot fried snacks with ketchup and a cup of tea.

Ingredients :

All purpose flour/Maida - 1 cup
Besan - 1/4 cup
Curd - 1/2 cup
Water - 1/4 cup
Coconut pieces - 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Ginger - 1 tsp, finely chopped
Green chilli - 2 nos
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Few coriander leaves, chopped
Oil for frying

Method :

In a bowl add maida, besan, baking soda, curd, salt and sugar and slowly whisk to form a thick paste. Add water slowly make a batter, batter should not be too thick or too runny like a medu vada batter. Cover it an d keep it in a warm place overnight or minimum for 1 hour. Now add chopped coriander leaves, coconut pieces, green chilli, cumin seeds and mix well.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan. When oil hot enough then drop a tablespoon of batter to the hot oil and continue the same process. Fry on both sides until the bajjis turns golden brown.

Serve hot with tomato ketchup or kasundi (a pungent mustard sauce)....

Malabar Fish Curry

This is a typical Kerala fish specialty with authentic malabar flavor. This probably is the most striking of all fish curries mainly because of its attractive color. Fish curry cooked in coconut milk along with fried red chilli, onion, ginger, garlic, tomato, chopped coconut paste and other spices. This is best combinationo of rice, pulao..

Ingredients :

Rui fish - 2 pcs
Onion - 2 big, chopped
Ginger - 1 inch,chopped
Garlic - 6-7 cloves
Tomato - 1 big, chopped
Coconut - 1/2 cup, chopped
Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

For Seasoning ~

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Channa dal - 1/4 ts
Curry leaves - few

Method :

Clean and wash the fish pieces. Heat oil in a kadai or pan, deep fry the fish pieces.

In another pan heat oil add chopped onion, fry till golden brown. Add chopped ginger, garlic cloves, chopped coconut, saute till are golden brown. Cool it room temperature. Blend to make a paste with little water.

Now heat oil in pan, add seasoning ingredients. When seeds are splutter then add paste, turmeric, red chilli, cumin and coriander powder, mix well and cook in low flame. When it starts simmering add the fried fish pieces and cook till it is done.

Finally add coconut milk and stir well with masala. Cook for another 2 minutes in slow flame. Remove from the heat.

Serve hot with Lemon rice.

Sending this to Recipe Junction's "Spotlight : Raksha Bandhan" event, Simply food's "Lets cook with Coconut" event

Paasi Paruppu Payasam / Moong Dal Kheer

Hello Friends!! I am glad to be a part of this wonderful SNC group, started by Divya Pramil of You Too Can Cook. I belong to the Northern Team and each month we have to complete provide by the Southerm Team. This month Divya on behalf of Southern Team challenged us Paasi Paruppu Payasam or Moong Dal Kheer. I never heard about this recipe before this challange. The idea of this event is that we learn so many different recipes from different region. Thanks Divya for sharing this wonderful traditional south indian payasam.

Paasi Paruppu Payasam / Kheer is a creamy dal pudding. This is delicately flavored with cardamom, coconut and nuts. This payasam is made with green gram dal or moong dal. This is so easy to make but each mouthful is heaven to drink. 

Ingredients : 

Yellow moong dal/ Paasi paruppu - 100 gms
Raw rice/ Pacharisi - 25 gms (I used basmati)
Jaggery - 200 gmsCashew nuts - 10-15 pcs
Cardamom pods -  3 pcs
Coconut pieces - 12, small
Milk - 1 cup
Ghee - 1 tbsp

 Procedure : 

Wash dal and rice in water and keep aside.

Grind coconut pieces and cardamom pods coarsely and set aside. (If you are using grated coconut grind the cardamoms alone, you can add grated coconut as it is)

Take jaggery, place inside the a paper and crush it into smaller pieces using a hammer. Put in a blender and grind jaggery into fine powder, set aside.

In a pressure cooker add moong dal, rice then pour 300 ml of water, close the lid, place the whistle and pressure cooker for 10 minutes on low flame. 

Open the lid after 10 minutes ot after the pressure drops.

Then mashed well the cooked dal. 

Pour the milk and place on low flame. Stir well.

This consistency will be perfect so, extra water is not necessary here but if you feel your dal is thick add a little more milk.

Then add jaggery powder and stir well. check the sweetness and more jaggery if necessary.

Add grated coconut or the prepared coarse coconut mixture and stir well . Cook for 2 minutes.

In another pan add ghee when it start to melt add cashew nuts and fry till it turns brown and add it to the payasam. (Always fry cashew on low flame else it will burn quickly and when it starts turning brown remove from flame and also see that the ghee is not smoky hot)

Remove from flame and serve them warm or cold. (As time goes the kheer will thicken, if it thickens up too much just place on flame, some more milk and stir well)

Enjoy with this delicious Paasi Paruppu Payasam / Moong Dal Kheer......

Tips ~

1. You can increase or decrease the sweetness according to your wish. Jaggery may contain some impurities and if you are not sure about it, just add some 100ml of water to jaggery powder and place on flame. Do not boil on high flam, we do not need any stirring consistencies here. When the jaggery dissolves completely strain and then pour it into the payasam.

2. Raw rice is purely optional. It does not make different in the taste. 

3. You can also add chopped almond and raisin along with cashew nuts.

4. Milk adds a richness and enhances the taste. 

5. The payasam/kheer should not be too thick nor too runny.

Sending this to Divya's "SNC Challenge" and Recipe junction's "Spotlight : Raksha Bandhan" event

Chettinad Chicken Curry / Chettinad Chicken Masala

Chettinad cuisine, one of the famous cuisine which very well reflects the authentic flavors of South India. This cuisine is so many authentic foods with wonderful flavors. Chettinad chicken masala is a semi dry gravy version which has a awesome flavors due to adding up fennel seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorn. The Chettinad Chicken curry turns so good, spicy and aromatic masala. Goes well as sides with variety of rice dishes like pulao, biriyani, fried rice and also with chapatis and rotis. 

Ingredients :

Chicken - 500 gms
Onion - 5 pcs, sliced 
Ginger - 1 inch 
Garlic - 1, whole
Salt as needed
Oil - 5 tsp

Masala powder ~

Dry red chilli - 6-8
Cumin seeds - 3/4 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Peppercorn - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves for garnishing

Method :

Clean and wash the chicken pieces. Keep aside

Heat a pan and dry roast masala powder ingredients until you get an aroma. Take care not to burn them. Cool down and add them to a blender make a fine masala powder, set aside. (This is authentic chettinad masala powder)

Make also ginger-garlic paste. 

Now heat oil a pan and after it heats up add sliced onion, fry in low flame until raw smell goes off.

Add ginger-garlic paste, saute for few minutes.

Now add chicken pieces, saute well for 10 mins in medium flame. 

Add the prepared masala powder and stir well, cook on low flame. 
After 5 minutes add 1 cup of water and required salt, stir well. Close the pan with a lid.

Stir occasionally that the chicken does not get burnt. Cook in low flame.

When water evaporated and chicken seems cooked well remove from the flame.

Garnish with curry leaves and serve with Sweet Pulao and salad.

Sending this to Recipe Junction's "Spotlight : Raksha Bandhan" event and Motions and Emotion's "Friends Forever" event