Navaratri Recipes| Navarathri Recipes

Navaratri Recipes: Sundal Recipes, Sweets, Snacks, Rice and Savoury. 

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Sundal Recipes:

Pattani Sundal

Kondakadalai Sundal

Black Chana Masala Sundal

Sweet Corn Sundal

Kollu Sundal

Thenga Manga Pattani Sundal

Rajma Masala Sundal

Sweets:

Aval| Poha Kesari

Pineapple Kesari

Milk Kesari

Vermicelli Kesari

Red Poha Ladoo

Sakkarai Pongal

Aval Jaggery Payasam

Sweet Kuzhi Paniyaram

Snacks:

Sabudana| Javvarisi Vada

Medhu Vadai

Vegetable Medhu Vada

Rice:

Coconut Rice

Lemon Rice

Tamarind Rice

Curd Rice

Upma:

Sago|Javvarisi Upma

Ven Pongal

Lemon Aval| Poha

Puli Aval| Poha

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Idli dosa Batter using Blender| Mixie

Idli Dosa batter using Blender or Mixer is an easy as well as quick method to make soft idlis and crispy dosas which does not have any difference in taste as well as quality of the idli dosa. The idli is soft and spongy with right texture the dosa is crispy if prepared into thin dosa and super soft and spongy if prepared in to uttappam or set dosa.

As the grinding process of Idli dosa batter in wet grinder is time consuming i donot prepare idli dosa or even Medhu vada batter in wet grinder. I use blender or mixer at the maximum to save time and the cleaning process is also comparatively so easy.

INGREDIENTS:
Preparation Time: 30 minutes+ Soaking time+ Fermenting time
Cooking Time: 5-10 minutes
Cuisine: Tamil
Makes- around 4 litres

INGREDIENTS:
Basic Idli Dosa Batter:
 Idli Rice (half parboiled)/ Raw Rice- 4 cups
Whole Urad dhal-1 cup
Fenugreek seeds/ methi- 1 teaspoon
Cooked Rice/Sadam(or)Poha/Aval/Flaked rice/Aval- 1/2 cup
Salt- to taste(1 teaspoon/litre approximately)
Water- as required
* You could use 2 cups of any Raw rice/ Idli rice and 2 cups of Boiled rice together for a cup of urad dhal.

For Dosa: Add just before making dosa.
Sugar- 1/2 teaspoon/litre batter approximately

PROCEDURE:

• Wash the rice and urad dhal well atleast five times or more till you get clear water.
• Add fenugreek/methi seeds with rice or urad dal; Soak the rice in a deep bowl by covering with enough water for them to submerge.
• Add the urad dhal in a separate bowl with more water to submerge as urad dhal takes more water and increases in volume while soaking.
• Allow both to soak for 2 hours. Drain the water from urad dhal and rice. Soak the poha 5 minutes in water and drain the water and add with rice or urad dhal(if you are using cooked rice add directly before grinding); set aside.

• In a blender jar/mixie jar grind the rice first for a minutes to break the grains and then add water occasionally little by little to get a coarsely ground paste. You could use ice water or fresh water for grinding. When you touch the rice with hand you should feel the grainy texture like rice rava found in the batter for the right consistency.
• Transfer the batter into the deep mixing bowl and set aside.
• Now add the soaked urad dhal into the blender jar and make a very smooth fluffy paste by adding water in between.
• Transfer the urad paste over the rice paste.

• Now clean the blender jar with a cup of water and reserve the water.
• Now add some salt to taste and mix both the paste well with hand in circular motion either clockwise or anti clockwise to incorporate air into the batter. Add the reserved water and mix well to make thick batter. Batter should not be too thick as it takes more time to ferment.
• I have divided the batter into two bowls and allowed to ferment.
• Keep the batter closed with a loose lid and ferment for overnight or around 10 hours. It may take longer to ferment than the batter prepared using wet grinder. Fermenting time varies with climatic conditions summer it takes less time to ferment and winter takes more time to ferment. 

• The size of the vessel is more important it should have some extra space to accommodate while the batter rises and some space to avoid spillage while mixing.
• Once the batter increase in volume showing risen top forms a puffed up appearance indicates the batter is ready.
• Using a ladle beat the dosa batter well to make uniformly mixed batter. Once you mix the batter the consistency should be really fluffy; set aside.
• To store the batter keep it inside the fridge with a tight lid and store for a week.
• Refer here for the tips to make soft Idlis and Crispy Dosas.
• Note: If you use this batter for only making dosas 1/4 cup of cooked rice or poha is enough for this proportion.
• You could use ice water for grinding to neutralize the heat generated during the grinding process to avoid damage to your blender. But most of the times i use normal water as i am lazy.
• I used to avoid salt while mixing if I decide to store the batter for a week long without change in taste (sourness) in the batter. It takes extra 1 hour for fermenting. When i need i used to remove the required quantity and add salt to make idli/ dosa.
• Refer Idli dosa batter recipe in wet grinder for more tips to make the idli dosa.

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Lemon Bread Upma Recipe

Lemon Bread Upma| Potato Bread Upma| Lemon Bread stirfry recipe is a quick fix breakfast or snack recipe. It is an absolutely tasty way to finish off the leftover bread slices. I had shared yesterday another bread upma recipe with veggies. This is another take on the Vegetable Bread Upma  recipe which vanished with in minutes of preparation at our home. So I had tried another variation like lemon rice instantly and that was real yummy and liked by all. Do try my recipe and let me know the outcome; share your views about the taste.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Cuisine: South Indian
Serves:2

INGREDIENTS:
Bread slices(white/brown)-5 slices I used sandwich bread
Oil- 3 teaspoons
Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Jeera/ Cumin seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Peanuts/ Ground nut- 2 tablespoons
Dry red chillies-2(optional)
Curry leaves- 2 strands
Onion, chopped- 1/2
Green chillies- 2
Ginger, finely chopped-1/2 inch
Potato, finely chopped-1
Salt- to taste
Turmeric powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Lemon- 1 and 1/2 large (or) 2 small

PROCEDURE:

• Chop the onion, green chillies and ginger. Finely chop the potatoes into small pieces or cubes which makes them cook fast. Align the bread over and over the other, cutting them in a cris-cross manner to get small sized bread pieces.
• Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds and jeera. Add the peanuts and dry red chillies allow to lightly brown them.

• Now add the onion, green chillies, ginger and curry leaves. Cook till the onion turns translucent.
• Add the finely chopped potato and saute in that oil with some salt; cook in slow flame till the potatoes get cooked.
• Now add the turmeric powder and cook for fifteen seconds till the raw flavour leaves.

• Now add the bread pieces and mix well and cook till the bread pieces heated up and becomes soft.

• Sprinkle little water if required while cooking.
• Finally squeeze the lemon juice on top of bread and immediately switch off the gas and mix well to combine. 

• Notes: Sprinkle little water if required if the mixture is about to burn. Do not pour water and cook like normal upma.
• Donot cook once you add the lemon juice otherwise the whole mixture turns bitter.

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Vegetable Bread Upma| Breakfast Recipes

Bread Upma| Bread Stirfry is an easy and quick to make breakfast or snack made with any white or brown leftover bread. This is quick to make and an easy way to finish off the leftover bread in a tasty way. This time I had some bread slices that were about to expire so I decided to make this upma. My kid loved this upma. Even me started loving this spongy soft bread upma.

You could make this recipe with a few bread pieces and consume as a snack. You can prepare this upma simply with onion, ginger and green chillies like normal upma. I have added some veggies to make it colourful and also healthy.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Cuisine: South Indian
Serves:2

INGREDIENTS:
Bread slices(white/ brown)- 5 (I used sandwich bread)
Oil- 2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Jeera/ cumin seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves- 2 strands
Onion, chopped- 1/2 large
Ginger, finely chopped- 1/2 inch
Green chillies-2
Tomato-1/2
Vegetables of choice, finely chopped(carrot-1 small, beans-6, capsicum- 1/4 i used)
Salt- to taste
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Coriander leaves- 2 tablespoons

PROCEDURE:

• Chop the onion, ginger, green chillies, carrot, beans and capsicum. Align the bread one over the other and cut them crisscross 4-5 times to get small sized bread pieces like croutons.

• Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds, jeera and curry leaves. Once they crackle add the onion, ginger and green chillies. Once the onion turn translucent add the finely chopped tomato and vegetables with some salt.

• Cook the vegetables in the oil if required sprinkle little water to cook the veggies.
• Once the vegetables get cooked add the turmeric powder and cook for thirty seconds to relieve the raw flavour.
• Now add the bread pieces and mix well; cook for a minute or two till the bread pieces gets the heat, becomes soft and the colour of the bread changes. 

• Sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves and switch off the gas.

• Notes:Use vegetables of your choice to make this upma. You could use cauliflower, sweetcorn, potatoes, cabbage, broccoli too.
• Add  red chilli powder if you like to prepare the dish more spicy.
• Sprinkle little water if required if the mixture is about to burn. Do not pour water and cook like normal upma.

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Ghee Rice Recipe

Ghee rice| Nei Choru| Ney Choru is an easy to prepare variety rice which goes well with vegetarian as well as non vegetarian like (Pepper chicken) side dishes. It is quite simple to make dish dominated with the flavour of ghee and garam masala. It is generally prepared for festivals or family or friends gathering or weddings as it is simple as well as a rich versatile dish.

I usually serve this dish with Pepper chicken for non vegetarians and for vegetarians with Kurma. Pepper chicken compliments very well as it is a spicy dish. I prepare this dish whenever i feel lazy to prepare Biryani or Pulao. Check my other Rice Recipes in this link.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Cuisine: South Indian
Serves:4-5

INGREDIENTS:
Basmathi Rice- 3 cups
Water- 4 and 1/2 cups
Salt- to taste
Ghee- 1/4 cup+1 tablespoon+ 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon- 1 inch
Clove- 4
Cardamom-5
Bay leaf- 2
Star anise-1(optional)
Jeera/cumin(or)Shahi jeera- 1/2 teaspoon
Onion, chopped lengthwise- 1
Green chilies, slit-3(optional)
Ginger garlic paste/chopped- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon

Ghee- 2 tablespoons
Onion, chopped lengthwise-1
Cashew nuts-20 nos
Raisins- 20 nos

PROCEDURE:

• Wash and soak the rice in water for 15 minutes.
• Heat 1/4 cup of ghee inside the pressure cooker and add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf, star anise and jeera.
• Once they fry in oil and starts to give the aroma add the onion and green chillies with a pinch of salt.

• Once the onion becomes translucent add the ginger garlic paste and cook for fifteen seconds to leaves the raw flavour.
• Drain the water thoroughly from the rice and add inside the pressure cooker.
• Fry the rice inside the ghee for a minute by gently mixing without breaking the rice grains.(If you feel the rice is breaking proceed to the next step)

• Add some salt and 4 and 1/2 cups of water (use boiling hot water to save the cooking time) and mix and cover it with the lid and keep the weight on it.
• Cook for 2 whistles and switch off the gas.
• In a separate pan heat a tablespoon of ghee and fry the chopped onion till golden crisp.
• Add the cashews and raisins together with onions once they starts to become golden.(you could remove the fried onion and fry the cashews)

• Open the pressure cooker and sprinkle some coriander leaves; now add the fried onion, cashews and raisins with the ghee.

• Add a teaspoon of fresh ghee for more flavour and mix gently without breaking the rice.
• Serve hot with Pepper chicken
• Note: You could follow the same procedure for huge quantities. Instead of pressure cooking, cook the rice separately with salt and mix once the the onion and ginger garlic cooks well. 

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Pepper Chicken| Chicken Recipes

Chettinad Pepper Chicken| Hot and spicy pepper chicken| Pepper Chicken Roast| Pepper Chicken dry| Pepper Chicken semi gravy| Milagu Kozhi Varuval is an spicy chicken preparation. It tastes great with plain rice with rasam or Jeera Rice, Ghee Rice, Vegetable Pulao, Chicken Pulao...etc like lesser spicy rice varieties.

You could make this preparation as a semi dry or dry (roast) preparation with same ingredients and procedure. For roast requires it requires little more cooking to dry up the moisture. Simple and quick to make tasty dish perfectly suits for the weekends.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Cuisine: Tamil
Serves:4

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken-1 kg
Onion- 3 large
Green chillies- 2
Ginger garlic paste- 1 tablespoon
Tomato-1 medium
Turmeric powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Chilli powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder- 1 tablespoon
Garam masala powder- 2 teaspoon
Fennel Powder- 1 teaspoon (optional)
Pepper powder- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons (adjust according to your spice level)
Coriander leaves- 3 tablespoons
Curry leaves- 4 strands
Salt- to taste
Oil- 2-3 tablespoons

PROCEDURE:

• Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan and add the onion, green chillies with  curry leaves.
• Add some salt and cook till the onion starts to brown. Now add the ginger garlic paste and cook for thirty seconds till the raw smell leaves. 
• Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook till it becomes mushy.

• Add the masala spices turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, Garam masala powder, fennel powder and pepper powder;  mix well and cook for thirty seconds to cook the masala.
• Now add the cleaned chicken and salt. Mix well and cook till the outside of the chicken starts to become white.

• Cover with a lid and cook till the chicken get cooked thoroughly.
• Now open the lid and allow to the dry the moisture content from the gravy.
• If you wish to make as a semi dry preparation slightly dryout the moisture and finally sprinkle some pepper powder and switch off the flame.

• If you desire to cook as a dry like roast once the chicken is cooked open the lid and allow the  moisture to evaporate on a medium to high flame with constant stirring.
• Sprinkle some coriander leaves and switch off the gas.

• In a separate pan heat oil and add some curry leaves and coconut pieces if you wish. Once the curry leaves becomes crispy add on top of the pepper chicken and mix well.
• Serve hot with plain rice and Rasam, Jeera Rice, Ghee Rice, Vegetable Pulao, Chicken Pulao any of your desired combination.

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