KOVAKKAI / IVY GOURD mezhukkupuratti

Here I am with a vegetable recipe..its none other than kovakkai aka Ivy gourd...one of my favourite vegetable..in fact  I love all vegetables.....

Ivy gourd has many benefits like it improves metabolism ,it is rich in vitamins ,fibre ,iron etc.evrything good about this tiny veggie except the chopping/slicing part.I normally uses a  vegetable chopper to make all poriyal stuffs but in this recipe i needed them as perfect round shape which cannot be obtained while using a chopper.Let's move to the recipe

INGREDIENTS

kovakkai - 250 gm        

shallots - 5 

curry leaf - a spring

garlic - 2 cloves

chilli powder - 1 tsp

turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

corriander powder - 1/4 tsp

salt - as per taste

coconut oil - 1 tbsp

HOW TO MAKE

In a kadai heat oil add mustards 

add crushed shallots ,garlic, curry leaves and saute

add the powders and mix well

now add chopped kovakkai and saute

add enough salt

give a stir every 5 minutes

after 15-20 minutes ,kovakkai mezhukkupuratti is reday 

serve with rice or chapathi

SADYA STYLE BEETROOT PACHADI

 

HAPPY ONAM EVERYONE.........I prepared onam sadya this year too...Last year thought of posting recipes but apart from laziness 😁😁😁and being busy  how soon time flies........I don't know I am soooo obsessed with onam sadya.I become soo excited as onam approaches.First we thought of buying onam sadya kit but changed my mind last minute.joy of homemade food and a sense of accomplishment ,preparing sooo many dishes at a stretch PLUS feasting on banana leaf.Its a greaaat feeeeling

Among sadya recipes puli inji is my most favourite dish.Since i was sooo busy preparing and setting everything i couldn't take any pics of puli inji.But this beetroot pachadi is my second favourite.The colour and taste is awesome without which i feel sadya on the banana leaf won't look picture perfect;))).....😉😎

Ingredients

Beetroot -1

Green chilli - 1

Salt - as needed

Grated coconut - 1/4 cup or less

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Ginger - one small piece

Shallot - 1

Curd - 1/4 cup 

To temper

Coconut oil - 1tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1tsp

Dry red chilli - 2

Curry leaves - a spring 

How to make

Grate or chop the beetroot finely

In a pan add very little water and green chillies  along with beetroot and cook

Add salt

Add little water and grind coconut cumin seeds shallot and ginger into a fine paste

Add the coconut paste into the cooked beetroot and mix well

Cook for 3 minutes

Switch off the flame and add the beaten curd and mix well

Now heat a pan add oil and splutter mustards,dry red chillies and curry leaves

Pour this into the beetroot mixture

Cover the pan with a lid for some time

Later open the lid give a mix and it's ready to serve

Eggless Chocolate Cupcakes

 

It was my birthday again and this time I made some cupcakes as my husband got a cake .This was an easy peesy eggless cake which was soft and moist .I gave  frosting using nutella which only enhanced the flavour of the cake.

My daughter got her hands on experimenting with frosting and decorating the cakes with sprinkles.She enjoys doing that a lot:)).i recently started trying my hands on frosting and I think I am getting good at it slowly.last month I even baked a birthday cake for my husband .I currently have  very few nozzles.So I can't try more designs

Now to the recipe

INGREDIENTS

Lukewarm milk - 1/2 cup

Oil - 1/3 cup

Coffee powder - 1tsp

Water - 1tbsp

Powdered sugar - 1cup

Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

All purpose flour - 1 cup

Baking powder - 1/2 tsp

Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

corn flour - 2tbsp

milk powder - 1/3 cup

cocoa powder - 1/4 cup

salt - a pinch

vinegar - 1 tsp

HOW TO MAKE

preheat oven at 180 degrees

mix coffee powder with water and keep aside

in a bowl take milk ,oil ,coffee mix ,sugar ,vanilla essence and mix well

mix all the dry ingredients and sieve two or three times

add the dry ingredients to the  wet ingredients little by little and fold using a spatula

once done add 1tsp vinegar and give a final mix

pour the batter till 2/3rd of the cupcake mould

bake for 15-20 minutes at 180 degrees

allow to cool completely

KINNATHAPPAM

 

Kinnathappam was one of our childhood snacks my mother used to make.She used to make kinnathappam which were both white and brown in colour ie by using sugar and jaggery.I was not a big fan of kinnathappam then..Not just kinnathappam anything like unniyappam or neyyappam or black halwa.But few days back right before falling asleep at night I got this sudden craving of having unniyappam.😯.I have no idea why and how .But that was just the beginning .After I made a small batch of unniyappam next I wanted to have kinnathappam .So went on to try this one

My mom never used chana daal in kinnathappam.But I love chana daal and came across this recipe in youtube.And it was delicious and soft textured;like mouth melting.I was doubtful about adding coconut oil instead of ghee .But it tasted like I never added oil at all:))..The blend of channa daal and coconut milk takes this dish to another level.let's see the recipe..By the way will be posting unniyappam soon.

INGREDIENTS

Rice flour - 1cup

Jaggery syrup - 3/4 cup

coconut milk - 1cup

Cooked channa daal - 1/4 cup

salt - a pinch

coconut oil - 1/4 cup 

ghee - to grease the plate

METHOD

In a pan add rice flour,cooked and smashed chana daal,jaggery syrup,salt and coconut milk .mix well thoroughly.

Place it on fire and keep stirring continuously untill it starts forming thick.

now add coconut oil little by little and continue mixing.

Continue stirring until the mixture comes together and leave the sides of the pan.

Grease a plate with ghee and transfer the hot mixture to the plate.

Press and smoothen the mixture using a spoon.

Before steaming

Now cover the plate with aluminium foil or Banana leaf or butter paper and steam for about 25minutes.

De mould it once cooled completely .

Slice and enjoy your delicious kinnathappam.🤗

SPICY KUZHIPANIYARAM

 

KUZHIPANIYARAM is something I love as much as idlies and dosas or even more🤩.Living in TN and not getting to know paniyarams..nooooooo way!!!..I believe no one makes delicious sambar idlies dosas or chutney as tamilians do..The smell of sambar that comes out of each house ..it's heavenly

I got introduced to kuzhipaniyaram by my dear colleague a couple of years back.since then I am a big fan of these soft beauties.paniyarams are available either sweet or spicy .I prefer the spicy or karapaniyaram with chutney.Now my little one as well as my husband are also addicted to kuzhipaniyaram s:).Today for the first time I tried making them at home.since I don't have grinder idli or dosas are not made frequently.But yesterday I prepared the idli/dosa batter .so today suddenly when I got the craving for paniyarams I just made them.

lets's move on to the recipe.....

INGREDIENTS

Dosa batter - 1 cup

Oil - 1tbsp

Mustard -1tsp

Urad dal - 2tsp

Pepper pods - 1tsp

Green chilli - 1big

Curry leaves - 1spring

Onion  - 1big

Salt to taste

How to make

Chopp onions n keep

Heat oil in a pan 

Add mustard seeds and urad dal

When urad dal turns Brown in colour add chopped curry leaves , green chillies and pepper

Switch off flame

In a bowl add dosa batter and add onions ,salt and the tempered urad dal mix into it

Mix well

Heat the paniyaram pan

Rub each hole with oil

Pour batter into each hole 

Cover and cook

After 3 minutes paniyarams are ready to get flipped

Flip n cook

After 2 minutes move the paniyarams to a serving plate

Serve hot with your favourite chutney or sambar:)

COCONUT ROSE LADDOO

This beauuuutiful pinkies were made today.I actually wanted to make them on Diwali but as we were out of station I couldn't make.Yesterday on the auspicious eve of Trikkaartigai our neighbour ,as usual, made gulab jamuns and murukk and shared some with us.That is really sweet of them.while returning their vessel i didn't want to send it back empty .so I thought of making some coconut rose laddoos and share with them.And they said they loved it🤩..Me being an ardent coconut lover,I loved these laddoos to the core..

INGREDIENTS

Dessicated Coconut - 1cup

Condensed milk - 3 tbsp

Rose syrup - 2tbsp

Cardamom powder -  a pinch

Ghee - 1 tbsp

 

HOW TO MAKE

 In a pan heat ghee and add the dessicated coconut and roast for 2minutes.

Add in condensed milk ,rose syrup and cardamom powder.

Mix well and stir untill everything becomes thick and comes together.

Switch off the stove and allow to cool.

When it is warm apply some ghee on your palm and roll small laddoos out of the coconut mixture.i made small laddoos

Roll the laddoos in dessicated coconut 

Store in airtight cont.ainer and use within three or four days

FRUIT CHAAT

 

 

Hi all...today I am posting a simple n  healthy fruit chaat recipe .you can use any seasonal fruits of your choice.My favorites are papaya and watermelon 🍉...but I love 🍇🍊🍎 them toooo😁..I love the sweetness of fruit mixed with  the tanginess of chaat masala and pepper powder .

INGREDIENTS 

Apple - 1

Watermelon  - 1 cup cubed

Grapes - 1/2 cup

Orange - 1

Papaya - 1 cup cubed

Chaat masala - 1tsp

Amchr powder  - 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder  - 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp

HOW TO MAKE

In a bowl mix all the fruits of your choice along with the chaat masala ,cumin pepper anchor powders.

Your fruit chaat is ready to serve