Kadalai Curry (Black Chenna Curry)

Requirements:
Black Chenna - 2 Cups (Soaked in water for 7-8 hours)
Chopped Onions - 1/2 Cup
Chopped Tomatoes - 2 nos
Cut Coconut Pieces - 2 tp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

For dry roast:
Red Chili -4 nos
Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
Turmeric Powder -1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder -1/2 tsp
Cinnamon Stick - 1
Garam masala - 1/2tsp
Dry roast all the ingredients and make it paste adding little water using a blender and keep it aside.

For Seasoning:
Mustard Seeds, Urad dal, Jeera, Hing and Curry leaves, Oil.

Procedure:

• In a cooker or heavy bottom skillet heat Oil and do the seasoning with above ingredients.
• Then fry the chopped onion until it transparent.To cook onion little fast add half of the salt this time.
• Now add chopped tomatoes, cut coconut pieces and ginger garlic paste together and saute till the tomatoes cooks fully.
• Time to add the dry roast masala's to the above mixture and fry for 2 minutes.
• Now add the wash and clean soaked black chenna to the gravy we made. Check the salt.
• Add require amount of water and cook until the black chenna cooked. (Pressure cook it for 15- 20 minutes.)
• Hot and spicy black chenna curry is ready to go with Appam or puttu.

Broccoli and Carrot Poriyal

Requirements:

Grated Carrots - 1 Cup
Chopped Broccoli florets - 1/2 Cup
Green Chillies - 2 nos(slits in center)
Onion - 1 (Chopped)
Turmeric Powder -1/4 tsp
Chili Powder -1/4 tsp(optional)
Hing  a pinch
Salt to taste

For Seasoning:
Mustard seeds, Urad Dal, Curry leaves, Oil for seasoning.

Procedure:

• Heat the pan with little oil, once it hot do the seasoning with above seasoning ingredients.
• Then saute the chopped onion until it golden brown.
• Now add the grated carrots and chopped broccoli florets to the above onions. Fry for 2-3 minutes, this will cook so quickly.
• Add turmeric powder, Hing and salt to taste.
• Saute for another one more minute. 
• Ready to go with rice or roti.

Coconut Chutney

Requirements:
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Green chili - 3 numbers( need more spicy add extra chilies)
Fried Bengal Gram - 2 tsp (optional)
Tamarind Juice  - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste.

Seasoning:
Mustard seeds, Urad dal and Curry leaves.
Oil - 1 tsp

Procedure:

• Put all the ingredients in a small blender and grind it like a smooth paste with little amount of water.
• In a hot pan put oil and do the seasoning with mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Mix the seasoning with chutney paste.
• Yummy spicy coconut chutney is ready for serving. 

Ven Pongal

Very simple and easy recipe.  Healthy dish for kids.

Requirements:

Raw Rice -3 cups

Moong dal -1 cup

Seasonings:

Pepper Corns- 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves 1 spring

Ginger - 1/2 tsp (chopped)

Ghee - 2 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Hing -1/4 tsp

Cashew - 2 tsp

Salt to taste.

Procedure:

• Pressure cook the rice and dal together with salt and require amount of water.
• Now in a small pan heat oil and ghee together. Once it hot put pepper corns, cumin seeds, ginger, curry leaves and cashew one by one. Fry till its turn golden brown. Add hing at last.
• Remove from stove and pour the mixture on top of the cooked rice and dal. Mix very well.
• Serve hot with sambar and Coconut Chutney.

Idly Sambar

Requirements:
Moong dal - 1/2 cup
Green chilli -3 Slits in center
Onion - 1/2(cut lengthwise)
Tomato - 1
Carrot - 1/4 cubed
Potato- 1/4 cubed (vegetables are optional, u can put anything u want. Like Brinjal, drum stick, beans etc..)
Salt to taste

Masala:
Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder -1/2tsp
Chilli powder -1/4 tsp (optional)
Coriander leaves for garnish.

For Seasoning:
Mustard seeds, Urad dal, hing, curyy leaves, oil)

Method:

• Pressure cook all the ingredients except masalas in a pressure cooker. Cook up to 3-5 whistle.  It takes about 10 minutes.
• Once all the pressure gone, open it and add all the masalas and salt. Cook it for another 5 minutes.
• Heat little oil and do the seasoning with mustard seeds, urad dal , hing and curry leaves.
• Pour it on top of the sambar. Hot and spicy sambar is ready to go with idly or dosa.
• Garnish with Coriander leaves.

Spinach Dip

Requirements:

Spinach - 1Cup(boiled and squeeze out excess water)

Yogurt -2 tps

Mayonnaise - 3 tps

Garlic powder - 1/2 tps

Oregano leaves - 1/ 4 tps

Pepper powder - 1/4tps

Salt to taste

Olive oil - 1/4tps

Lemon juice - few drops

Procedure:

In a bowl add all the ingredients one by one, and mix it well together.

Now the dip is ready to eat. Great with crackers, chips, or Nachos.

Tips:

In a large pot boil water and add pinch of salt to it. Once it started boiling put the spinach leaves and turn off the heat. Close the lid.Let it be for 10 minutes  

Then wash it under the cold water. Drain and squeeze the excess water.

Baingan(Egg plant) Raita

Requirements:

Egg Plant- 1 medium size(Burn it in flame and mash the flesh inside)

Onion -1/4 cup(chopped)

Green chili -2 chopped

Grated ginger -1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 spring

Curd - 1/2 cup

Tempering:

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad dal -1/4 tsp

Chenna Dal - 1/4 tsp

Hing 1/4 tsp

Oil -2 tsp

Salt to taste

Procedure:

• First apply little oil on top of an egg plant and burn it in flame of fire to roast. Make sure all the sides of the egg plant burnt black. Once it cool down remove the skin and mash the flesh, mix with chopped onions and keep it aside.

• In a pan heat oil and do the seasoning with mustard seeds, urad dal, chenna dal, hing and curry leaves. After a minute add ginger and green chili and saute for few seconds.

• Pour it on top of the egg plant mixture. Add curd and salt to taste and mix it well .

• Ready to eat with roti or naan.

You can add less or more green chilies and curd to your taste.