Kodo Millet (Varagu) Cookies

Source:

Mrs. Karpagam Swaminathan (HBG)


Ingredients:

Kodo Millet (varagu) Flour - 3/4 cup

Wheat Flour - 3/4 cup

Powdered Sugar - 1/2 cup

Butter (salted) - 1/2 cup (melted and at room temperature)

Pineapple Essence - 1 tsp

Cooking Soda - 1 pinch

Milk - 3 tbsp


Method:

1.  Preheat the oven at 180 degrees.

2.  Sieve together the millet flour, wheat flour, and cooking soda.

3.  Whisk together the melted butter and powdered sugar and beat well until combined.

4.  Add the dry ingredients to this and make a dough using milk as needed.  Use milk according to the dough consistency.

5.  Roll the dough with a rolling pin to 1 inch thickness.

6.  Cut with cookie cutters of desired shape.

7.  Arrange on the baking tray.

8.  Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes at 180 degrees.

9.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

10.  Store in an airtight container and use as needed.

These are healthy and delicious cookies to munch.

Jackfruit Muffins (Eggless)

Source:

Mrs. Saras Viswam


Ingredients:

Maida - 2 cups

Powdered Sugar - 1 cup

Jackfruit Bulbs - 9 (finely chopped)

Chakka Varatti (Jackfruit Jam) - 2 tbsp

Cooking Oil - 1/3 cup

Baking Powder - 1-1/2 tsp

Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Milk - 1 tbsp (if needed)



Method:


1.  Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

2.  Place liners in muffin/cupcake molds.

3.  Sieve well together maida, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

4.  In a bowl, mix together chakka varatti (jackfruit jam), finely chopped jackfruit pieces, sugar, and oil.  Whisk well until combined.

5.  To this, add the sieved dry ingredients (maida+baking powder+baking soda+salt) and mix well together until combined.

6.  Add some milk to loosen the mixture if the batter is very thick.

7.  Fill the batter to 2/3rds of the muffin molds.

8.  Bake at 180 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

9.  Serve or store.


My Notes:

You can use buttercream infused with chakka varatti (jackfruit jam) to frost the muffins if desired and top it with a fresh jackfruit piece.

Bread Rawa Toast

Source:

Mrs. Bhargavi Dogiparthi


Ingredients:

Rawa - 1 cup

Curd - 1 cup

Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp or as desired

Green Chilli Paste - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Tomatoes - 1 (finely chopped)

Onion - 1 (finely chopped)

Coriander Leaves (finely chopped) - 1 tbsp

Bread - 10 to 12 slices

Ghee/Oil - To toast


Method:

Mix all the ingredients above (except bread and ghee/oil) together into a thick paste.  Keep aside for 10 minutes.  Apply 1 tbsp of this onto one side of a bread slice and place on a hot tawa (with the paste applied side down).  Toast on low flame using ghee or oil as desired.  Flip over and toast the other side.  When golden brown on both sides, remove from the tawa.  Serve hot with tomato sauce.

Kudhiraivali (Barnyard Millet) Keerai Fried Rice

Source:

Nalla Soru, Ananda Vikatan


Ingredients:

Kuthiraivali Rice (Barnyard Millet) - 1 cup

Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Ghee - 2 tsp

Garlic - 4 flakes

Mint/Coriander/Red Thandu Keerai (Amaranth) - 4 tbsp (finely chopped)

Pepper Powder - 1 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp or as per taste


Method:

1.  Wash and cook rice in 2 cups of water.  Make sure the grains are separate but cooked as for fried rice.

2.  Heat oil in a pan and splutter cumin seeds.

3.  Add chopped garlic and salt and mix.

4.  To this, add the keerai, mix, and cook until done.

5.  Mix in the cooked rice and pepper powder.

Serve hot with a raitha or gravy or sauce of your choice.


Health Benefits:

All millets can be grown using natural fertilizers though they do not need any fertilizers or chemical inducers.  When planted in rainy season, they grown well on their own.  The barnyard millet is rich in mineral salts.  Riboflavin, thiamine, vitamin B complex and fiber content are replenished on using the kuthiraivali.  It is a rich source of energy.  It contains protein, iron, phosphorus, and a very little quantity of fat.  Induces hunger.  Encourage good digestion.

The thandu keerai or mint or coriander leaves is another good source of mineral salts and beta carotene that are good for eyes.

Growing children, diabetic patients, and heart patients can all consume this fried rice. 

Ladies Finger Masala/Bhindi Masala

Source:

Mallika Badrinath Vegetarian Gravies


Ingredients:

Ladies Finger - 1/4 kg

Onions - 2 large

Tomato - 1

Fresh Thick Curds - 1 cup

Green Chillies - 2

Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Salt - As required

Coriander Powder - 1 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 tsp

Cashewnuts - 5

Poppy Seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - To fry


Method:

Cut ladies finger into 1 inch length pieces. Deep fry in hot oil till light brown. (Do not over fry since it may become crisp.)

Dice onions and tomatoes into 1 inch pieces. Slit green chillies vertically.

Dry roast cashew nuts and poppy separately.

Fry onions till transparent in little oil.

Grind these onions with roasted ingredients to smooth paste.

Heat oil in frying pan, tamper aniseeds or cumin seeds with little fenugreek seeds.

Add slit chillies and ground paste.

Stir constantly in medium flame till golden brown colour.

Add sugar, salt, chilli powder, dhania/coriander powder, jeera powder and continue frying till oil separates. 

To this, mix strained and whipped curds and continue frying till oil floats on top.

Add cut tomatoes and ladies finger.  Allow it to boil for a few minutes.

Remove from fire and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot, garnished with fresh cream on top while serving if desired.

This rich and delicious gravy is a great accompaniment for rotis, phulkas, jeera rice, fried rice, etc.

This gravy is an all-time favorite of our family.  I always save at least 7 to 8 ladies fingers to do this whenever we buy it.

Potato Vada/Tikki

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 1 kg (boiled and mashed)

Green Chilli Paste - 1 tbsp

Salt - As per taste

Lime Juice - 1 tbsp

Onions - 3 (finely chopped)

Aval (Rice flakes/beaten rice/Poha) - 1 to 1-1/2 cups 

Rava (semolina) - 1 tbsp

Maida - 1 tbsp


Method:

1.  Wash and soak rice flakes for 10 minutes.  Drain and squeeze the excess water out of the soaked rice flakes.

2.  Mix together boiled and mashed potatoes, soaked rice flakes, maida, rava, salt, green chilly paste, finely chopped onions, and lime juice.

3.  Make tikkis/cutlet-shaped vadas.  Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown and crisp.  Serve hot with sauce of your choice.

Homemade Green Chilly Sauce

Ingredients:

Green Chillies - 200 gm

Garlic - 20 gm

Onions (Finely chopped) - 150 gm

Vinegar - Enough to soak

Salt - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Sodium Benzoate - 1 tsp (optional)


Method:

1.  Soak green chillies, garlic, and finely chopped onions in vinegar and leave it overnight.

2.  Next day, grind the soaked green chillies, garlic, and finely chopped onions to a smooth paste adding vinegar if necessary.  Do not use water at all.

3.  Strain well to remove the seeds and any lumps.  The remnants of the paste after straining can be used in cooking as it has some spiciness left in it.

4.  Heat the extract (the strained portion) for a few minutes until it is just about to boil i.e. it starts bubbling on the sides.  Add salt and sugar and bring to boil.

5.  Remove from fire and fill in a sterilized container/bottle.  Refrigerate and use when needed.

6.  Use sodium benzoate only if you prefer to store the green chilly sauce for a longer time, viz., 3 to 4 months or more.  Otherwise, this step can be omitted.  Take 2 tbsp of the sauce separately and mix sodium benzoate to this portion.  Add this mixture to the rest of the sauce and mix well.  Store in a clean, dry container and refrigerate to use when needed.

Crispy Vegetable Fry

Source:

Mrs. Kavitha Saravanan


Ingredients:

Carrot - 100 gm

Capsicum - 100 gm

Onion - 1

Cabbage - 100 gm

Cornflour - 2 tsp

Red Chillies - 20

Salt -- As desired

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Garlic - 3 flakes

Maida - 100 gm


Method:

1.  Dice carrots, capsicum, onion, and cabbage into square pieces.

2.  Grind together red chillies, garlic, ginger and salt until combined together.

3.  Mix diced vegetables, cornflour, ground paste, and maida sprinkling just enough water.

4.  Deep fry like the vegetable mix in hot oil like pakodas.  Serve hot.

A healthy and crispy snack with all the goodness of vegetables.

Masala Pori

Source:

Mrs. Kavitha Saravanan


Ingredients:

Pori (Puffed Rice) - 4 liters

Khus Khus (Poppy Seeds) - 2 tbsp

Cinnamon - 4 small pieces

Red Chillies - 10

Sombu (Aniseeds/Saunf) - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Roasted Gram Dhal (Pottukadalai) - 2 tbsp

Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs

Garlic - 1 (smashed)

Cashewnuts - 10

Salt - As per taste

Oil - 4 tbsp


Method:

1.  Sun dry all ingredients separately.

2.  Powder khus khus finely and keep aside.

3.  Powder cinnamon, red chillies, sombu, turmeric powder and salt together.  Keep this masala powder aside.

4.  In a kadai, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds.  Add roasted gram, cashews, curry leaves and garlic and fry.

5.  Add khus khus powder, masala powder, and puffed rice and mix well until everything is incorporated together.

Store in airtight containers.  A crunchy and healthy snack to relish.


My Notes:

Garlic and cashews are optional.  Roasted groundnuts can also be added if desired.

Homemade Mango Toffee

Source:

Mrs. Kavitha Saravanan


Ingredients:


Mango Pulp - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Ghee - 2 tsp

Liquid Glucose - 2 tsp

Milk Powder/Condensed Milk - 2 tsp


Method:


1.  Heat a heavy bottomed vessel.

2.  Add mango pulp, sugar, ghee, and liquid glucose and mix well.

3.  Keep stirring on medium flame until a soft ball consistency is reached and all the ingredients are well combined.

4.   Add 2 tsp of milk powder or condensed milk diluted in water.

5.  Keep stirring continuously on medium flame for about 15 minutes without taking off your hand until the pulp mixture comes off the vessel without sticking on the sides.  Switch off the stove.

6.  Apply ghee on a plate.

7.  Pour the mango toffee mixture in the greased plate and spread evenly.

8.  Allow to set for at least 6 hours.

9.  Cut into square pieces and wrap in a butter paper to serve as individual toffees.  Store in an airtight container.  Average shelf life is 1 week.


My Notes:

Any fruit pulp can be used to make this toffee.

Gobi Manchurian

Source:

Mrs. Sumathi


Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1 (large)

Corn Flour - 3 tbsp

Maida - 1/4 cup

Soya Sauce - 2 tbsp

Salt - To taste

Capsicum - 2

Big Onions - 2

Garlic - 6 flakes

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Chilly Sauce - 1 tbsp

Tomato Sauce - 2 tbsp

Oil - To fry


Method:

1.  Chop capsicum and onions lengthwise.

2.  Peel skin of ginger, wash thoroughly, and chop finely.  Also, finely chop garlic flakes.

3.  Separate flowerettes of the cauliflower.  Wash them in water.

4.  Boil water, add salt, and dip the flowerettes for a minute and strain.

5.  In a broad vessel, add cornflour, maida, soya sauce, and salt and mix to a bajji batter consistency using just enough water.

6.  Dip flowerettes in this batter and deep fry till golden brown and crisp.

7.  In a kadai, heat 2 tbsp oil.  Add chopped onions, garlic and ginger and fry till onions are translucent.

8.  Add chopped capsicum and give a quick stir.

9.  Add the chilly sauce and tomato sauce and mix well.

10.  Now add the fried cauliflowerettes and mix until all the flowerettes are coated with the masala.  Serve hot.


My Notes:

Finely chopped spring onions can be used to garnish the gobi manchurian.  Add them at the end and give a quick stir and serve the manchurian hot and sizzling.

Either green chilly sauce or red chilly sauce can be used.

Kaju Kathli

Source:

Mrs. Geetha



Ingredients:

Cashewnuts (broken) - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Badam or Rose Essence - 10 drops (if desired)

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Edible Silver Warq (foil) - if desired



Method:


1.  Heat a heavy bottomed kadai and fry the cashews for 2 minutes.  Switch off the flame and leave the cashews in the kadai for about 10 minutes.  Make a coarse powder of the cashews in a dry mixie jar.  Mix badam/rose essence to this cashew powder in a broad basin/plate and keep aside.

2.  In a heavy bottomed pan, add 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water and heat in medium flame until the sugar completely dissolves.  Once the sugar dissolves, allow the syrup to boil until 1 string consistency without disturbing it.  Just check for consistency of the syrup once in a while.  Do not keep mixing.

3.  Once the desired consistency of the sugar syrup (1 string) is reached, switch off the flame and remove pan from stove.

4.  Immediately add in the cashew powder to the sugar syrup.  Mix well.  This will be like a dosa batter consistency.  Keep on mixing consistently using a ladle (without stopping) for about 8 to 10 minutes.

5.  Add 1 tbsp ghee to this mixture and stir continuously until a khoa consistency is reached (or a slightly soft dough consistency).

6.  Apply ghee on a plastic sheet.  Place the cashew dough on the sheet in the center.  Place another greased (ghee applied) plastic sheet on the cashew dough  (inverted to face the dough side) and flatten it using a rolling pin to an even thickness of 1/4 cm or as thin as desired.

7.  Allow to cool.  Remove the top plastic sheet.  Stick the silver warq on cashew paste.  Cut into diamond pieces using a knife.  Serve fresh the soft and delicious Kaju Kathlis or store them in a container.  They stay good for about a week to 10 days (if left until then).


My Notes:

Any nuts can be used to make these kathlis viz., roasted peanuts, badam, pista, etc.  A combination of badam and cashews can also be used.

To get a soft dough consistency is more important than the time to mix.  So, keep checking for the consistency.  The time to reach this consistency may vary from 5 to 10 minutes according to quantity of cashews used and the thickness of the sugar syrup.

Beware:  If the sugar syrup is too thick, the cashew-sugar paste may become thick and hard sooner if mixed in too much and may crumble.  Please keep an eye on the consistency of the sugar syrup and also cashew-sugar syrup mixture.  The soft chappathi dough like  consistency is really important.

If you feel it is too sweet, reduce sugar by 2 tbsp and do the kathlis.

Raw Mango Adai (Maangaai Adai)

Source:

Mrs. Sasi Prem


Ingredients:

Sour Raw Mango - 1 medium sized

Par Boiled Rice - 2 cups

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Coconut (scraped) - 1/2 cup

Green Chillies - 12 to 15 medium sized

Salt - As per taste

Asafoetida - A pinch

Potato - 1 (grated)

Carrot - 1 (grated)

Onions - 4 medium sized (finely chopped)

Coriander Leaves (finely chopped) - 1 tbsp


Method:

1.  Wash and soak par boiled rice in hot water for 1 hour.

2.  Wash, peel skin, and cut raw mango into small pieces.

3.  Grind together raw mango, ginger, scraped coconut, salt, asafoetida, green chillies, and soaked rice to a coarse batter using required water to grind.

4.  To the adai batter, add chopped onions, grated potato, grated carrot, and finely chopped coriander leaves and mix well.

5.  Smear oil on a hot tawa and pour small adais and toast on both sides using oil.  Serve hot.

Drumstick Leaves (Murungai Keerai) Soup

Source:

Mrs. Sasi Prem


Ingredients:

Green Gram Dhal (Paasi/Payaru Paruppu) - 100 gm

Drumstick Leaves (Murungai Keerai) - 1 cup

Small Onions (Shallots) - 1/4 kg

Cumin Seeds (Jeeragam) - 1 tsp

Salt - As per taste

Coconut - 1 cup (scraped)

Pepper Powder - To taste


Method:

1.  Wash and cook green gram dhal until half cooked.

2.  Peel skin of small onions and wash drumstick leaves.  Cook drumstick leaves, small onions, and half cooked green gram dhal with just enough water until completely cooked and soft.

3.  Take 2 extracts of scraped coconut using 1 cup of water each time.

4.  Add cumin seeds, coconut milk/extract, salt, and pepper powder to the cooked dhal mixture and bring to boil.  Serve hot.

Chilly Potato Crisps

Source:

Mrs. Meera Sathish


Ingredients:

Potato - 1/4 kg

Cornflour - 2 tsp

Maida - 1 tsp

Onions - 2 (finely chopped)

Garlic (finely chopped) - 1 tsp

Ginger (finely chopped) - 1 tsp

Green Chillies (finely chopped) - 3 tsp

Red Chillies - 8

Tomato Sauce - 3 tbsp

Soya Sauce - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Spring Onions - 1 bunch (finely chopped)

Salt - To taste


Procedure:

1.  Make a thick paste of cornflour and maida adding water as required.  Keep aside.

2.  Soak red chillies in lukewarm water for 1 hour.  Strain water and grind red chillies to a smooth paste to make red chilli paste.  If using readily available red chilli paste, use 1/2 tsp of the paste or more according to taste.

3.  Chop potatoes lengthwise as you would do for french fries (finger chips).  Soak in salted water for 10 minutes and strain in a colander and allow to dry.

4.  Mix well the chopped potatoes and cornflour-maida paste and deep fry in oil until golden brown.

5.  In a kadai, heat 4 tsp of oil.  Add chopped onions, chopped garlic, chopped green chillies, and chopped ginger.  Fry them all together until golden brown.  To this, add sugar, soya sauce, tomato sauce, salt, and about 4 to 5 tsp of water and mix well.

6.  Now add the deep fried potatoes to prepared masala paste and mix well until combined.

7.  Sprinkle the chopped spring onions on top and give a quick stir and serve hot.

Vennila Oothappam

Source:

Mrs. Visalakshmi Ravi


Ingredients:

For Oothappam:

Raw Rice - 4 cups

Urad dhal - 1 cup

Salt - As required

Water - As required

Cooking Soda - 1/2 tsp


For Masala Topping:

Green Peas - 1 cup (cooked and slightly mashed)

Carrot - 1 cup (chopped and cooked)

Potato - 1 cup (chopped and cooked)

Bread slices - 2 (cubed and dried)

Cashewnuts - 1 tbsp (broken to pieces and fried in ghee)

Kismis - 1 tbsp (fry in ghee)

Onions - 1 cup (finely chopped)

Tomatoes - 6 (cut lengthwise)

Green Chillies - 2 (chopped lengthwise)

Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp

Tomato Sauce - 1 tbsp

Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Salt - To taste

Lime Juice - 1 tsp

Oil - To fry

Ghee - To fry


Method:

Wash and soak rice for 2 hours and urad dhal for 1/2 an hour.  Grind together to a mildly coarse batter (not too smooth) with the required water and salt to idli batter consistency.  Store in a closed vessel, allow to ferment, and use the next day adding the cooking soda just before making oothappams.

To make the masala topping, heat oil in a kadai.  Fry in the oil garam masala powder, long sliced green chillies, finely chopped onions, tomatoes cut lengthwise.  Fry for 2 minutes until well combined.  Add cooked green peas, potatoes, and carrots and stir for a minute.  Add in other ingredients for the masala topping including the fried cashews and kismis and mix well.  Do not add water.  Your masala for topping the oothappam is ready.

To make vennila oothappams, heat dosa tawa and spread oil all over.  Pour a little batter to make small palm sized oothappams and top with the vegetable masala and drizzle oil all around the oothappam.  Make oothappams with closed lid and turn over the oothappams after removing the lid.  Leave it for a minute on the masala topping side and serve hot with desired chutney or any other accompaniment.  This oothappam is complete by itself too and may not require any side dish as such.

Khoa Peni

Source:

Mrs. Visalakshmi Ravi


Ingredients:

For Khoa:

Milk - 1 liter

Sugar - 100 gm


For the Poori:

Dalda - 100 gm

Maida - 400 gm

Salt - As per taste


For the Sugar Syrup (Jeera):

Sugar - 400 gm

Water - 100 mL


Process:

1.  For khoa, boil milk in medium flame until it is thick and reduced and becomes almost half liter.  Now add sugar and boil more until it becomes semi solid to khoa consistency.  Cool.  Keep aside.

2.  For poori, sieve maida and add melted and cooled dalda and salt and make a dough.  If needed, sprinkle water to make poori dough.  Keep closed for 1 hour.

3.  For the jeera, boil sugar and water to one string consistency.  Keep aside and allow to cool.

Make big sized chappathis/rotis and cut out medium sized pooris with a lid from it.  Place about a teaspoon of khoa in the center.  Close the poori to make a semi circle (half moon shape) sealing the edges with water applied on one side of the poori to stick it up.  Deep fry these khoa stuffed pooris in hot oil on medium flame.  Soak them in sugar syrup (jeera) for about 2 minutes and place them on a separate plate.  Allow to cool and serve garnished to finely chopped nuts.  Your khoa peni is ready.

What this blog has??

Hi all

Welcome to this space.

Out of interest in cooking and since my early days of cooking, I have been collecting so many recipe books of basic authentic vegetarian (eggetarian also) cooking and noting down recipes that I come across in my day-to-day life viz., from elders, that have come down to my hands through generations especially through my mother-in-law, mom, aunts, cousins, sister, extended family, friends, neighbors, near and dears, TV, magazines and what not!!  Whenever I hear a recipe, I just pick up a paper or notebook or diary to note it down.  Now, when I cleaned up my cupboard, my desk, my shelves, etc., I could see recipes all around in bits of papers, on the back of bills, handwritten notes, diaries, saved as doc files in my laptop plus the innumerable books that I bought whenever I visited a book shop and also the supplementary books of magazines.  I felt it would be better to compile them all in this space so that I would have ready reference of the recipes and also share them with you all.  Out of these recipes, some are tried, some are on the to-do list, some traditional, some modern, some of Indian cuisine, some of other cuisines, some that we do daily at home, most from recipe books and other sources, simple ones, some elaborate ones, some of daily cooking that are not noted in any books but just come through generations, some of festival specials or pooja prasadams, etc. etc.   Hope this treasure of my handwritten notes would be helpful to you all too.

As only some of these recipes are tried ones and not all, they may not be supported with photos.  Please look for those which suit your family's taste and try them out.

For my tried and tested vegetarian recipes, please check my blog tastytangy.blogspot.in .

Also, my other passion is crafting.  Some of my works are featured in kriyaetions.blogspot.in (also FB page of Kriyaetions)

Thank you for visiting this space.

Happy cooking!!