Appam

Whip up Soft and spongy appams in just an hour! No need to grind rice..
Yes, we take the easy way out!

Ingredients:

Pal Appam Flour (Brand - Double Horse) - Available at Super Markets (I picked this up in Purchase Point @ Mahalingapuram) - 1 pkt

Warm milk - 1 tumbler

Warm water - 1 tumbler

Sugar - 1 tsp

Salt to taste.

Method :

1. Measure the amount of appam powder - (I used 2 tumblers)

2. Add the warm milk and water, add sugar and salt and in turn around this mixture just for 1/2 a minute in mixie.

3. Cover and keep it for a hour.

4. You can see the froth and air in this appam maavu.

5. In a appa kadai, brush little oil, add 1 "karandi" maavu, swirl it and over a low flame, cover and cook.

6. Make sure to retain the softness (i.e, it should be still white in color after cooking)

7. Serve it with Coconut Kurma/ sweetened coconut milk / chutney

Creamy Cauliflower Kurma

Yummy 'n' creamy Cauliflower Kurma which goes well with Appam, Idiappam and chapathi. Sure to get good reviews from the household members!

My benchmark of a good kurma is Saravana Bhavan's Cauliflower chops.. Everytime it tastes the same..

Ingredients :

Onion - 1 small
Boiled Cauliflower florets - 1 small
Green peas - 2 -3 tsp
Dabur Homemade Coconut Milk - 200 ml pack (you can use 3/4 of this pack)
Amul Cream - 200 ml pack (1/2 of this pack)
Coconut Oil - 2 tsp

Masala to be grounded :

Fresh dessicated coconut - 2 tbsp
Green chillies - 3
Khus Khus - 1 tsp
Cinnamon/clove - 1 each
Elaichi - 2
Ginger - 1 small piece
Garlic pods - 2-3


Method :

1. In a Kadai, heat coconut oil. Fry the onions well, add the boiled cauliflower florets and green peas.
2. Saute for a minute, add the grounded masala and little water. Cover and cook for a minute.
3. Add salt and when the gravy starts boiling, reduce the flame.
4. Now add coconut milk and a little sugar. After a minute, add the amul cream.
5. Garnish with corainder leaves and serve it hot.

Palak Coriander Pulav

A spicy "chutney pulao" for Sunday lunch.. You can replace palak with mint, as a variation..


Ingredients:
Basmati rice 1 cup
Palak(Spinach) 1/2 cup
Corinder leaves 1/2 cup
Green chillies 4
Ginger 1″ piece
Garlic 4-5
Lemon juice 2 tbl spns
Sugar 1 tea spn
Coconut 2 tbl spns
Garam masala 1/2 tea spn
Bay leaves 2
Cloves 3
Cinnamon 1″ stick
Cardamom 2Ghee/oil 1 tbl spn
Onion 1 big
Vegetables(Green beans, carrot, peas, cauliflower) 1 cup
Salt

Method:

Grind together palak, coriander leaves, green chillies, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, coconut, sugar and garam masala without adding much water (If required, only a little water can be added).

Heat ghee, add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, garlic. Fry for a minute. Add onion and fry till they turn slightly brown in color.

Add vegetables and the paste, fry for 5min. Add rice, toss and add one cup of water, salt and close the lid. Let it cook till one whistle.

Can be served with Onion raita.

Kariveppilai Milagu Kuzhambu

My favourite Kariveppilai Milagu Kuzhambu.. Nothing to beat this combination with hot rice, lots of ghee and pappadam!

Ingredients :

Kariveppilai – 2 cups ( leaves to be discarded from stems)
Red Chillies (Long) – 5
Pepper – 2 tsp
Jeera – 2 tsp
Gingelly Oil – 4 tblsp
Tamarind – 1 small ball
Garlic Pods – 2 /3
Salt
Sugar
Perungayam
Roasted Pepper – Jeera Powder – 1-2 tsp

Heat 2 tbsp of gingelly oil, add the red chillies, pepper, Jeera, fry well and then add Karuveppilai leaves.

Add tamarind ball, little salt, perungayam, garlic pods and sprinkle some water. Cook covered on a low flame for about 3-4 mins, till the leaves become soft.

When Cool, grind this mixture nicely adding little water. Once again, heat oil, splutter mustard and jeera and add this ground mixture. On a medium flame, cook this covered until the oil separates from the mixture. Check for salt, add sugar, a little perungayam and then finally add the roasted pepper – jeera powder.

The mixture would be more or less like chutney and can be bottled and stored in the fridge for 7-10 days.