Easy Rasam Recipe | Rasam | Charu

Rasam | Charu  is a South Indian specialty and no  feast is completed  without this tangy, spicy delicacy. It can be had with hot steamed rice or can be had as soup | appetizer. Rasam is good to have during winter season. It is very good in treating common cold, fever and it aids digestion. Everyone have their unique way of preparing this rasam and this is my way J..

Ingredients:

• Tomato – 1 No.
• Tamarind – gooseberry size
• Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
• Asafoetida | Hing – ½ tsp
• Coriander Leaves | Cilantro – 3 tbsp
• Salt to taste

To grind:

• Pepper – 1 tsp
• Jeera – 1 tsp
• Garlic – 5 pods

For seasoning:

• Ghee | oil – 1 tsp
• Mustard – 1 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp
• Red chilli – 1 No.
• Curry leaves - few

 Method:

1. Soak tamarind in a cup of water and keep aside.
2. Mash tomato well in a cup of water. Bring this to boil with asafoetida and turmeric powder.
3. In the mean time, grind coarsely the items given For Grinding, without adding water.
4. When the tomato water boils, add the ground powder, tamarind extract and required salt.
5. In a kadai, pour oil and season the items given “For Seasoning” and pour the seasoning over the rasam. When the rasam becomes frothy on top,  switch off.
6. Add chopped coriander leaves, close it with the lid for 15 minutes and then serve.

Hot & peppery rasam is ready to be enjoyed with rice & any  veg | non-veg side dish of your choice!

Note:

• Don’t allow the rasam to boil at the final stage.

Tags: Easy rasam recipe, South Indian Rasam recipes, Tomato-Tamarind rasam  recipe, How to make rasam without ready-made rasam powder?, Rasam Varieties

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Spicy Cabbage Curry | Muttaikose Pirattal | Cabbage Masala

Spicy Cabbage Curry | Muttaikose Pirattal | Cabbage Masala  is an alternative to our  regular stir fries | Priyal. At this point, I want to share few words about Pirattal. Pirattal  is a famous  Chettinad dish and is prepared by  mixing  vegetable | meat with the right combination of masala using little oil. Today I’ve chosen cabbage for making this curry.  I know many don’t like the flavour of cabbage and this is the recipe for those who avoid cabbage only for its smell.

Ingredients:

• Cabbage  (shredded) – 1 cup
• Onion (finely chopped) – 1 No
• Garlic (crushed) – 3 pods
• Tomato (finely chopped) – 1 No.
• Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – a pinch
• Salt to taste

For seasoning:

• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Fennel seeds – 1tsp
• Curry leaves – few.

Method:

1. Shred the cabbage into slightly thick strips, wash and drain. Keep aside.
2. In a kadai, pour oil and season with the items given  “For seasoning”.
3. Add finely chopped onion and crushed garlic till you get nice aroma of garlic.
4. Add finely chopped tomato and sauté till it becomes mushy.
5. Add the spice powders and sauté till the masala gets cooked well.
6. Finally add cabbage and combine everything well. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes in simmer.
7. Sprinkle a handful of water and cook covered in simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring in between.
8. When the cabbge is 3/4^th done, add the required salt and cook until done.

Spicy Muttaikose Pirattal is ready! You can serve it as a side dish for sambar, rasam and curd rice. You can even use it as a filling for wrap.

Note:

• I like cabbage to be crunchy in pirattal. If you want the veggie to be soft, add little more water and cook accordingly.
• Try to use fresh, crunchy  cabbage.

Tags: Chettinad Muttaikose pirattal recipe, Chettinad Pirattal recipe, Chettinad kose pirattal, Chettinad muttakose pirattal, Chettinad recipes, Diet recipes, Spicy cabbage masala recipe, cabbage masala curry, side dish for rice, spicy cabbage curry recipe. 

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Spicy Egg Fry | Muttai Varuval | ஈஸி முட்டை வறுவல்

Spicy Egg Fry | Muttai Varuval | ஈஸி முட்டை வறுவல் is a spicy, tasty egg recipe using hard boiled eggs blended with some spices. The recipe which I’m giving here needs a few ingredients, very simple to follow and can be made in jiffy. I’m sure that  its taste cannot be compromised with any other complex recipes and it would be a treat for the egg-lovers.

Ingredients:

• Eggs – 4 Nos
• Onion (finely chopped) – 1 No.
• Green chili (finely chopped) – 1 No.
• Tomato (finely chopped) – 1 No.
• Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
• Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Boil eggs, remove the shell and cut into halves. Keep aside.
• In a non-stick pan, heat oil, add finely chopped onion and sauté till it becomes golden brown.
• Then add green chilli, curry leaves and tomato. Cook till the tomato becomes mushy.
• Now add all the spice powders and sauté for a while.
• Add ¼ cup water and allow the masala to cook.
• When the masala thickens, place the egg halves on the pan and evenly grease the egg halves with the masala.
• Close the lid and allow to cook for about 5 minutes in simmer.

Spicy Chettinad style egg fry is ready to serve! This egg fry goes well with sambar, dhal, curd or with rotis as well as pulaos.

Note:

• Don’t toss the egg halves in the masala as there is a possibility of egg yoke coming out.

Tags: Egg fry recipe, Egg recipes, Chettinad style muttai varuval recipe, Simple egg fry recipe, Easy egg fry recipe, Easy muttai masala, Easy muttai varuval recipe, South Indian style Egg recipe, Bachelor egg recipes.

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Mutton Chukka | Mutton Dry Chukka

Mutton Chukka is yet another spicy fry made with boneless mutton | goat meat.  I have tasted  varieties of mutton chukka and the method of preparation varies from place to place but I always opt for Chettinad Mutton Chukka | Mutton Dry Chukka. This  is a dry fry item which can be  made with minimal ingredients as compared to any non-veg recipes and by following simple steps. I would suggest this recipe for a bachelor if anyone wants to try  a simple recipe with mutton which suits best  even for rasam and to make the meal exotic & something different. It goes well with non-vegetarian gravies like Elumbu Sambar, Elumbu Thanni Kuzhambu, etc., and also can  be had with any vegetable sambar, rasam, curd rice, variety rices | pulaos.

Ingredients:

• Mutton ( Boneless) – ¼ Kg.
• Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – ½  tsp
• Small Onion (finely chopped) – 15 Nos.
• Garlic (finely chopped) – 8 to 10 Nos.                       
• Tomato (finely chopped) – 1 No. (small)       
• Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Pepper-Jeera powder – 1 tsp
• Salt to taste.

For seasoning:

• Bay leaf – 1 no.
• Cinnamon – 1” piece
• Kal paasi  - 1 piece
• Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
• Red chilli – 2 Nos.
• Curry leaves – few
• Gingelly Oil – 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Wash mutton thoroughly, cube it and pressure cook along with salt, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder and ½ cup water  for about 3 whistles and 5 minutes in simmer.
2. Take a non-stick pan | heavy bottomed kadai, pour oil (preferably gingelly oil), season with items one by one given under seasoning.
3. Add onion and garlic, fry till it becomes golden brown.
4. Next add tomato, fry till it gets mashed well, then add red chilli powder, sauté till oil gets separated. Then transfer the contents from the pressure cooker, mix well, add required salt ( remember we add salt while cooking mutton), cover with the lid and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Open the lid and allow the water from the gravy to get dry completely by stirring in between.
6. When the fry becomes dry without any gravy, add  pepper- jeera powder,  mix well and switch off.

Your Chettinad Mutton Chukka is ready to  be served with hot steaming rice as I said earlier. I love to have this chukka with tamarind rice. Try this combo for yourself!

Note:

• Carefully add salt while frying because this fry won’t need much salt.
• Mutton chukka needs some  spiciness  but you can either raise |  reduce the red chillies and chilli powder according to your spice level.

Tags: Recipe for mutton chukka, Authentic Chettinad Mutton Chukka recipe, How to prepare Chettinad Mutton Chukka? Restaurant style mutton chukka recipe, Bachelor’s recipe with mutton, Bachelors’ mutton chukka recipe, Mutton fry recipe, Chettinad mutton fry recipe, Mutton dry fry recipe, Mutton fry recipe without gravy, Chettinad mutton dry chukka recipe, Dry mutton chukka recipe

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Cauliflower Rice/ Cauliflower Sadam

Cauliflower rice/ Cauliflower sadam  is very simple to make and best suited for our lunch boxes. Cauliflower season has started now and our refrigerators will  definitely have a place for it. Nowadays, cauliflowers are available in big sizes. In that case, we have to think about two different menus with the same vegetable. If I happen to buy such a big cauliflower, I usually make some side dish or curry with a portion of cauliflower and most often, the rest will go for making Cauliflower rice. This rice can be made with leftover rice also. If you are left with a bowl of cooked rice and want to make it interesting, you can go for this rice recipe.

Now we will move on to cauliflower rice recipe.

Ingredients:

• Cooked rice -1 ½ cup
• Cauliflower florets – 1cup
• Onion (finely chopped) – 1 No. (Medium)
• Garlic (crushed) – 2 pods (optional)
• Tomato (finely chopped) – 2 Nos
• Red chilli powder – 2tsp
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
• Cilantro/ coriander leaves (finely chopped) – 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

For seasoning:

• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Fennel seeds – 1 tsp

Method:

1. As usual, clean the cauliflower and cut it into small florets. Soak these florets in hot water with salt and turmeric for about 5 minutes.
2. Take out the florets and wash in regular water and allow the water from the florets to drain completely.
3. Cook the rice as we do for making variety rice and allow it to cool.
4. In a non-stick pan, pour oil and temper with the ingredients given under ‘For seasoning’.
5. Add finely chopped onion and garlic and sauté till the onion becomes translucent.
6. Add finely chopped tomatoes and sauté till tomatoes get mashed well.
7. Add the masala powders and cook till the oil leaves out from the masala.
8. Now, add cauliflower and mix everything well and sauté for 2 minutes. Then sprinkle a handful of water over cauliflower and cook it covered for 5 minutes. Open the lid now & then, and stir so that the masala doesn’t get burnt at the bottom.
9. Finally add coriander leaves and give a stir.
10. After the cauliflower becomes soft and  gets mixed with the masala,  add the cooked rice and gently mix the cauliflower masala. Keep it covered with a lid for a minute.

Your Cauliflower Rice is ready to serve with any raita, tomato sauce or potato chips! As I said earlier, this is an ideal dish for your children’s lunch box.

Note:

• I have prepared this rice with regular Ponni rice, you can  use Basmati rice or even leftover rice!
• You need to cook the cauliflower according to your taste, ie. Either crunchy or soft, cook it accordingly in step (8). My personal opinion is crunchy cauliflower will taste better than the soft one.

Tags: Cauliflower rice recipe, cauliflower sadam recipe, rice using cauliflower masala, variety rice using cauliflower, lunch box recipe with cauliflower, cauliflower masala sadam, left over rice recipe with cauliflower, cauliflower masala with rice, mixed rice using cauliflower, cauliflower masala and left over rice.

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Quick Onion Tomato Chutney (அவசர சட்னி)

Preparation time :5 minutes     

Cooking time : 10 minutes

Serves 3 

Difficulty :  Easy

There are many versions of making onion tomato chutney. This recipe does not need the  grinding part and we can make it in a jiffy with minimum ingredients. Hence, in our family, we name it as “Avasara Chutney” (அவசர சட்னி).  But don’t under estimate its taste, I can assure that it tops every other chutneys.  

I am categorizing this chutney under Bachelor’s recipe since it does not need grinding and more over, it needs only one vessel! You can make it in large quantities and keep it in a refrigerator for a week’s use. With store bought ready made idli flour, you can enjoy this chutney with hot steaming idlies or dosas!

Ingredients:

• Big Onion (finely chopped) – 2 Nos. (or)                                                                                 Shallots (finely chopped) - ½ cup
• Tomato (finely chopped) – 2 Nos.
• Red chilli powder – 3 tsp
• Salt to taste

For seasoning:

• Mustard – 1 tsp
• Urad dhal – 1 tsp
• Curry leaves – few
• Gingelly oil – 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Pour oil in a kadai, season with the items given “for seasoning”.
2. Add onions and sauté till it  becomes tender and turns light golden colour.
3. Add tomatoes and required salt, sauté until the tomatoes get mashed well. Close it with a lid and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add red chilli powder, sauté well till the raw smell of chilli powder fades away.
5. Add ½ cup of water, stir everything well, bring it to boil for 2 minutes.

Your quick onion tomato chutney is ready to be enjoyed with hot steaming idlies or crispy dosas! It can even be had with chapatti, curd rice, etc.

Tags: Easy onion tomato chutney recipe, onion chutney without grinding, tomato chutney without grinding, easy chutney recipe, best side dish for idli/ dosa, quick chutney for idli/dosa, tomato onion chutney

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Peerkangai Kootu (Ridge Gourd Kootu)

Preparation time :10 minutes     

Cooking time : 15 minutes

Serves 4 

Difficulty :  Easy

Ridge gourd is known as Peerkangai in Tamil and it has high dietary fibre. It is a diabetic friendly vegetable and also  helps in aiding weight loss. It has high beta carotene, zinc, iron and  magnesium. So it is better to include in your weekly diet. When peerkangai combined with dhal gives many health benefits and I can term it as a “Bachelor recipe” because this one dish gives all vitamins, proteins, etc essential for day to day life. It serves multi purpose, i.e. it can be served either for mixing with rice or as a side dish for rice & rasam/ kuzhambu/curd or for chappathi too.

Peerkangai kootu is very easy to prepare and delicious too. This can be prepared with any dhal. Using moong dhal will not require too many preparations.

Ingredients:

• Ridge gourd     - 1 No. (Medium size)
• Moong dhal     - 75 ml
• Turmeric powder – a pinch
• Red chilli powder – ¼ tsp
• Shallots            (chopped) - 5 Nos.
• Green chillies(slitted) – 2 Nos.
• Tomato            (chopped) – 1 No.
• Scraped coconut – 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

For seasoning:

• Mustard – 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds (Jeera) -1 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Oil – 1 tsp

Method:

Wash , remove the skin of the ridge gourd and cut into small cubes.  Cook the moong dhal with turmeric powder  and water until very soft.  Pour oil in a kadai and season with the items given for seasoning. Then add onion, green chillies  and tomato, sauté for a minute. Now add ridge gourd pieces and sauté for a minute, then add cooked moong dhal and red chilli powder and mix well. Cook the vegetable with a lid covered for 5 minutes. Now add coconut and required salt, mix everything and cook for a minute. Your

peerkangai kootu is ready to be served!!

As I already told, this tastes great when it is mixed with hot rice with a few drops of ghee. Bachelors, you can have this hot rice with pickle or chips and I assure you of a heavenly meal, Try it!

This can be taken as a side dish for kara kuzhambu, Meenkuzhambu or for rasam.

Note:

Depending on the usage of this dish i.e. main/side dish, you can adjust the spice level with the addition of chilli powder. The measurements I have given will be mild enough to take it as side dish.

Tags: Rodge gourd kootu, Restaurant style ridge gourd kootu recipe, Peerkangai kootu, Peerkangai Kootu South Indian recipe, Kootu with ridge gourd, Ridge gourd paasi paruppu kootu, Peerkangai Paasi paruppu kootu, Ridge gourd Green moong dhal kootu

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