Manathakkali Keerai Curry

Manathakkali keerai poriyal 

Manathakkali keerai

Manathakkali is Black night shade in English. This keerai is rich in antioxidants, iron, vitamins, calcium and minerals. It is good for the treatment of mouth ulcers as well as stomach ulcers besides helping control diabetes. This keerai is among the veggies readily available in Thondamuthur where I currently live. 

Ingredients

• Manathakkali keerai - 1 bunch
• 1 onion -finely chopped
• 1/2  Tsp mustard seeds
• 1  Tsp urad dal
• 1/2  Tsp jeera
• 2-3 red chillies
• 3 Tbsp -grated coconut
• 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
• Salt to taste

Method of preparation

Picked and cleaned keerai leaves

• Pick only the leaves of the keerai and clean well.  Chop the leaves and keep aside.

• Heat oil in a kadai. Add the mustard seeds and jeera. When it splutters, add the urad dal, red chillies broken into halves.

• Add the finely chopped onion and saute till it turns golden brown.

• Now add the manathakkali keerai to the kadai and stir well. 

• Close the kadai and let the keeerai cook in its own juice.

• When it is nearly done, add the required salt.

• Stir well . When it is done, add the grated coconut and stir well.

Manathakkali keerai poriyal

Manathakkali keerai is ready to serve. . 

Javarsi (Sago) idli

Javarsi (Sago) Idli

Javarsi- sago

Javarsi idli is a quick and healthy South Indian breakfast for busy mornings with no grinding and no hassle. Served with sambar and chutney this is a filling and gluten-free dish. 

Sago contains antioxidants and resistant starch and has been linked to many benefits, including improving risk factors for heart disease and enhancing exercise performance.

Ingredients

• 1 cup javarsi (sago)

• 2 cups  idli arisi           

• 2 cups curd

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ENO salt

Method of preparation

• Wash the idli arisi well.

• Add the sago and curd to the rice (idli arisi).

• Mix well. Add sufficient water to make the batter idli consistency.

• Keep overnight to ferment.

Ground sago idli batter

Grease the idli moulds and get the idli cooker ready.

• Whisk the idli mix well. Add a little more water if needed.

• Stir in 1 teaspoon salt.

• Add 1 teaspoon ENO salt to the batter and quickly mix it in, moving the ladle in one direction only till bubbles start forming. 

• Quickly ladle the batter into the greased idli plates and steam for 10 minutes in the idli cooker.

Idli moulds with batter

Javersi idlis are ready.

Sago idlis ready to eat

Paruppu Usili

Paruppu Usili- cluster beans


This is a Tamil Brahmin favourite and goes very well with rasam as well as vettha kuzhambu. The main ingredients are cluster beans with tuvar dal.  

Kothavarangai-Cluster beans

Ingredients

• Cluster beans beans – 1 cup chopped fine.
• Tuvar dal (tuvaram parippu) – 3/4 cup
• Channa dal (kadala parippu) – 1/4 cup
• Dried red chillies – 2 to 3
• Hing/asafoetida – 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder – a pinch
• Salt – to taste

For tempering

• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. urad dal
• Oil- 2-3 tbsps.

 Method of preparation

• Soak tuvar dal and channa dal in water for  2 hours.
• Cook the chopped cluster beans in  a pressure cooker. One whistle and simmer for 2 minutes.
• Grind the dals, dried red chillies, hing, turmeric powder and 3/4 tsp salt coarsely with minimum water.
• Take the ground paste out and make it into medium sized balls.
• Place in idli moulds and steam the dal balls for 10 to 15 minutes. (test with toothpick to see if done).
• Transfer the dal balls into a plate and crumble it  like bread crumbs.

• Pour oil in the kadai and temper with mustard seeds and urad dal.
• Add the cooked cluster beans and salt when the mustard seeds splutter.
• Stir fry and add the crumbled dal balls and stir well.
• Close the kadai and cook for a few minutes.

Paruppu usuli-ready to serve

More Kuzhambu (Curd based dish)

More Kuzhambu

More kuzhambu is a curd based dish, popular in South India. The vegetables which can be added are ash gourd, pumpkin, brinjal, carrot, capsicum,drumstick and lady's finger.

Preparation of vegetables
Generally the vegetables are chopped into 2 inch long pieces as shown in the figure.

For the kuzhambu

• 1 cup of good quality curd
• 1 tsp salt
• A pinch of turmeric 

 Whisk the curd with salt and turmeric well and keep aside.

For the ground paste

• Soak  1 teaspoon tuvar dal and 1/2 teaspoon channa dal in warm water and keep aside for a while.
• 2 green chillies chopped
• 1 teaspoon jeera
• A few curry leaves
• 3 tablespoons of grated coconut

Grind the above ingredients to a smooth paste.

Cooking the vegetables

Cook the cut vegetables in water with a little salt and turmeric. The cooked vegetable  should not be too mushy. 

• Add the ground paste to the kuzhambu and stir well.
• Add the cooked vegetable and stir well.
• Cook on low flame till a few bubbles appear. 
• Add a small piece of jaggery to the kuzhambu.
• Switch off stove and leave to stand.

For the tempering

• 1 to 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp. of mustard seeds
• 1 red chilli- broken into two bits
• A few curry leaves
• A small pinch of  powdered asafoetida 

Heat the oil in a kadai.

Add the mustard seeds, broken chilli,curry leaves and asafoetida .

More kuzhambu

Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve with hot steaming rice.

Rava Idli---Quick and tasty

Rava Idli

For idli batter

1. 1 cup rava
2. 1 cup curd
3. 1 tbsp green coriander leaves
4. 1 teasp. salt
5. 1 teasp. ENO salt

For seasoning

• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tsp ghee
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1 tbsp cashewnuts- broken (optional)
• A few curry leaves
• 1-2 finely chopped green chillies
• a pinch of asofoetidia

Oil for greasing idli plates

Making the batter

• In a deep bowl, take 1 cup rava and add the 1 cup curd to it.Add chopped coriander. 
• Add the salt and 1 cup of water. 
• Mix well with the help of a flat ladle or whisk. It should be a smooth dough like for chappati.
• Keep aside for 10 minutes. 

Rava dosai batter

Tempering for rava idli

• Heat the oil and ghee in a kadai and add the mustard seeds. Wait for the mustard seeds to splutter.
• Add the urad dal. 
• Saute the cashewnuts. 
• Add the curry leaves, green chillies and asafetida. 
• Now to the rava batter add water little by little to get medium consistency.
• To this add the tempering and stir.
• Add 1 tsp Eno salt and stir with ladle uniformly and quickly in one direction only. A few bubble will be seen on the batter. 

Quickly ladle the batter into the greased idli plates and steam for 10 minutes in the idli cooker.

Rava idli batter in idli moulds

On cooling use a spoon to carefully take out the rava idlis.

Serve hot with chutney

sambar and 

podi (https://radhascooking.blogspot.com/2019/09/idlidosai-milagai-podi-gun-powder-in.html )