BEET RAITA, how to make a yummy raita with beets

I have posted several varieties of raitas here
But this raita which I found on my friend @padmabalasubramanian is very very tasty and yummy.Within 2-3 days, I have made this twice. Thanks buddy!

Ingredients

A small beetroot -  peeled, chopped and pressure cooked

Fresh curds - 2 cups

Salt to taste

To grind

Fresh grated coconut - 2 tsps

Green chillies - 2

Hing powder - 1/4 tsp

To garnish

Pomegranate arils

Coriander leaves, chopped

Recipe cuisine: South Indian; Category: Side/accompaniment/lunch/dinner

Prep time: 5 mts; Cooking time: 10 mts

Serves 2-3

Coconut, green chillies, hing powder and cooked beetroot loaded to the blender jar

and ground to a smooth paste

salt to taste added

fresh curds added 

and whisked well to a smooth mixture

Garnished with chopped cilantro and pomegranate arils

Served with peas pulav and green gram dhal

Notes

*Seasoning 1/2 tsp jeera and a slit green chilli in ghee is optional

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

MYSORE RASAM, how to prepare spicy rasam

Did not even realise, I hadn't posted this Rasam...
Only when my brother's wife told me, she doesn't have the authentic version of what my mom amd my sister used to make, it dawned on me....
She wanted to make this urgently...isn't it better, I share with all this lovely recipe??
Quickly I browsed the almost 48  year old note book, which has my hand written recipes of my mom and sister.....was lost in thoughts for awhile.........
In the words of Thomas Hood....
I remember, I remember
The house where I was born.....
The little window
Where the Sun came peeping at morn...
And now, I come back to my malpatskitchen.......

Please check my other Rasam Varieties

Ingredients

Tur dhal - 1/8 cup, pressure cooked with a pinch of turmeric powder and kept ready

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Sambar powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Solid hing - 1

Curry leaves - a few

Tomato - 1, chopped

To roast in 1/2 tsp ghee and grind

Coriander seeds/dhania - 2 tsps

Channa dhal - 1 tsp

Pepper - 3/4 tsp

Jeera - 3/4 tsp

Red chillies - 2

Fresh grated coconut - 2 tsps

For seasoning

Ghee - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

To garnish

Fresh chopped coriander leaves/cilantro

Recipe cuisine: South indian; Category: Lunch/soup/dinner

Prep time: 10 mts; Cooking time: 20 mts

Serves 3-4

All the ingredients for roasting

when they are half roasted, add coconut too and roast well, let it cool down

In the meantime, take in a vessel the following things: tamarind paste, chopped tomato, sambar powder, salt to taste and hing

Pour water to half the vessel, and let it boil on slow flames. If you aren't using tamarind paste, take a half a lemon size of tamarind and extract juice

Tur dhal cooked and ready

roasted ingredients ground

when the rasam level has reduced to half, add this ground mixture

let it boil for 2 minutes. on slow flames. that is enough

Then add the cooked dhal and required amount of water, till brim

Let it become frothy. No need to boil.

Mustard seeds in ghee, seasoned and added

Chopped coriander leaves garnished.

Serve this hot and spicy rasam with your favorite vegetable or appalam or vadam.

Notes

* I like rasam, not to be too thick. If you want more 'vandal'rasam, then increase the quantity of tur dhal

*We can just roast and powder the ingredients without adding coconut too.

*Adding coconut compels you to finish off the rasam within a day, because, during summer, it might go waste the next day.

POTATO WHITE PODIMAS, how to make white aloo podimas

This curry is another favorite Tanjore Cuisine, which I learnt from my mother-in-law.
I have already posted several varieties of potato curry
Spicy Podimas
Fresh masala potato curry
Potato roast
This white curry has a unique taste and flavor, and goes well with all types of kuzhambus and rasams.
This is a big family favorite!!!

Ingredients

Potatoes - 4, pressure cooked, cooled and cubed

Onions - 2, finely chopped

Salt to taste

To season

Gingely or cooking oil - 2-3 tsps

Hing powder - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds = 1 tsp

Urad dhal, broken - 1 tsp

Green chillies - 3-4, chopped

Curry leaves

Recipe cuisine: South Indian; Category: Lunch/dinner

Prep time: 15 mts; Cooking time: 15 mts

Serves 2-3

Pressure cooked potatoes, peeled, cooled and crumbled. They should not be mashed, gently crumble

Chopped onions, green chillies and curry leaves.....ready

Pan heated with oil, hing powder, mustard seeds and broken urad dhal seasoned

Onions, green chillies and curry leaves added

sauteed well till the onions become translucent

Crumbled potatoes and salt to taste added

Mixed well, switched off

This wonderful curry can be served with rice or rotis.

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

FRESH TURMERIC - GREENS CHUTNEY, how to make a chutney with fresh turmeric, coriander, curry and mint leaves

Turmeric , like many other spices, has a long history of usage in traditional medicines. It has become one of the "Super foods" because of the rich Curcumin present in turmeric.
*Is anti inflammatory and antioxidant.
*good for vascular health, accelerates muscle regeneration
*good for respiratory tract
*Prevents intestinal Cancer
*good for digestion
*Prevents Alzheimer's.
*Prevents arthritis

Coriander, Mint and Curry leaves are well known for their health benefits. If all these are combined in a chutney, and this recipe is adapted from Suba @thecopperkadai on Instagram,  and I am thankful to her for this wonderful recipe.

Please check my other turmeric recipes
Turneric ginger pickle
Fresh turmeric gojju

Ingredients

Fresh turmeric - 2 rhizomes, cut into roundels

Coriander leaves - a handful

Curry leaves - a handful

Mint leaves - a handful

Onion - 1, chopped fine

Green chillies - 1-2

Red chillies - 1-2

Cooking oil - 2 tsps

Hing powder - 1/4 tsp

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Fried grams - 4 tbsps

Grated coconut - 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

For seasoning

Cooking oil - 2 tsps

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Split urad dhal - 1 tsp

Recipe cuisine: South Indian; Category: side/breakfast/dinner

Prep time: 5 mts; Cooking time: 10 mts

Serves 3-4

All 3 greens washed, cleaned and kept ready

 Heat oil in a pan, add hing powder, red and green chillies along with onions

Then add the cut fresh turmeric pieces

After sauteeing onions and turmeric for 2-3 minutes, add the greens

add tamarind paste and salt to taste, and saute till the greens shrink a bit

Now add fried grams

Switch off and add coconut, mix everything

Allow to cool down, and grind to a fine chutney, seasoned with the above mentioned ingredients

Serve with dosas, idlis or any tiffin variety

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

MALPAT'S THAALIS - South Indian thaali - 44

Menu

Beans paruppu usili

Potato roast

Iru puli kuzhambu

Goddu rasam

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

RAGI-RED RICE DOSAS, IDLIS How to make dosas and idlis out of Finger millet and red rice

RAGI aka FINGER MILLET..............
Is a Power House of health benefits.....
* acts as a treatment for Osteoporosis, Anemia and Diabetis.
*a natural relaxant to relieve stress and induce good sleep.
*Its high rate of fiber keeps you with a full feeling for a long time, and thus curbs unwanted munching.
*very high in Calcium, good for bones
*reduces cholesterol and increases heart-health
*abundant in anti oxidants
*good source of protein and amino acids
*helps digestion, prevents constipation
improves hemoglobin levels, good for lactating mothers
*helps in maintaining vitality of the skin

KULLAKKAR RED RICE
This is an ancient rice variety, grown in India, and it possesses
*anti oxidant properties
*high zinc and iron
*contains complex carbohydrates good for health
*regulates blood pressure
*prevents skin diseases
*prevents skin ageing
 So, with these 2 rich ingredients and adding some more, these dosas and idlis are prepared!

Ingredients

Kullakkar red rice - 1 cup

Ragi/finger millet - 1 cup

Boiled rice + Idli rice - 1 cup

Whole urad - 1 cup

Methi seeds - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Enough oil to make the dosas

Recipe cuisine: South Indian; Category: Breakfast/dinner

Soaking time: 6-7 hours; Cooking time: 3-4 minutes for each dosa

           Whole urad and methi taken in a vessel, washed and soaked. I normally soak them over night, and grind in the early morning, so that the batter is ready by dinner time. If you want, you can soak in the morning, grind in the evening and leave it over night for fermenting

Ragi, red rice, and boiled + idli rice taken in a bowl, washed and soaked 

Urad and methi first ground, then the rice-ragi batter ground, all mixed well with salt to taste

See how well it has fermented!!!

Spread it like a regular dosa, and drizzle some oil around it really comes out very thin and crisp

Flip it over

Serve with sambar or chutney

                                               Idlis also came out very well, soft and fluffy

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com