Banana Salad

A yummy sweet ‘n sour salad with extra crunch.
Serves four

Ingredients :

Firm, ripe plantains (nendran pazham) – 2
Shallots, big sized – 10 to 12, finely sliced
Green chillies, chopped – 2
Vinegar – 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Roasted peanuts – 2 tbsp, optional
Coriander or mint leaves, chopped – for garnish, optional

Method :

Quarter the ripe bananas lengthwise. Cut into one cm thick chunks. Mix the sliced shallots, green chillies, vinegar and salt in a bowl. Toss the cut banana pieces in this dressing. Mix till the banana chunks are well-coated. For a hint of crunch, add roasted peanuts. Stir well. If desired, garnish with freshly chopped coriander or mint leaves.

Soft Banana cookies

Naturally tasty ’n wholesome!
Makes a dozen…

Ingredients

Ripe bananas – 2 ,if small – 4
Fresh grated coconut – Quarter (measuring) cup
Cooking oats – One cup
Almonds, powdered – Quarter cup
Dates, finely chopped – 8 to 10
Cinnamon powder – Quarter tsp
Baking powder – One tsp
Vanilla essence – One tsp
Refined oil – One-eighth cup
Salt – Quarter tsp

Method :

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Grease a baking sheet or muffin tin.

Blend the ripe bananas to a smooth paste. Add the refined oil, vanilla essence, and stir well till well-blended. In a separate bowl, mix the oats, grated coconut, almond powder, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Combine the oat mixture with the banana paste. Stir well. Finally, add the chopped dates and stir till all the ingredients are well-combined.

Spoon the mixture using a tablespoon onto a greased baking sheet, spacing it an inch apart. Or alternatively, spoon into greased muffin moulds.

Bake at 160 degrees Celsius for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve warm.

Raw Banana Starters

A delicious and filling appetiser …

Makes a dozen

Ingredients

Raw banana – 2 nos

Big onion – 1 medium sized, finely chopped

Green chilli – 1 medium sized

Fennel seeds (perumjeerakam) – Three-fourth tsp

Coriander leaves, chopped – 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Refined oil – For deep frying

Method

De-skin and wash the raw bananas. Cut into small chunks. Boil the banana pieces in water till cooked, and till it’s firm. Once cooked, drain the water and cool the banana chunks.

Grind green chillies, fennel seeds (or half tsp garam masala powder) and coriander leaves without any water.

Process the raw banana pieces to a smooth paste, without adding water.

Combine banana paste and the green chilli-fennel seeds-coriander paste.

Add the finely chopped onion and enough salt. Knead into a smooth dough. Apply cooking oil to your hands and roll the banana dough into two-inch long fingers.

Deep fry the banana fingers in hot oil till golden brown.

Serve hot with ‘hot and sweet’ tomato-chilli sauce or green chutney.

Note: Mint leaves, if preferred, can be added with the coriander leaves.

I'm back

I know I haven't visited thsi space for almosta year now. But, that doesn' take away my love for good food. Thou' I'm not planning to come up with my own recipies atleast in the recent future. I'm planning to use this space to have a copy of my favourite recipies which I come across . Will put it up in my blog space as all of you can get enjoy trying it out as well :)

Pani Puri / Golgappa

Ingredients:

To make puri:

1 cup Semolina (Rava / Suji)

3 tblsp Fine Wheat Flour (Maida)

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

Oil to deep fry

To make pani:

1/2 cup Tamarind (Imli) Pulp

2 cups Water

2 tblsp roasted Cumin Seed (Jeera) Powder

2 tblsp un-roasted Cumin Seed (Jeera)

Coriander Leaves 3

Green Chilly (Hari Mirch)

2 tblsp Mint Leaves (Pudina Leaves) Chutney

1 tblsp Black Salt (kala namak )

2 tblsp Jaggary (Gur)

To make sweet Chutney:

1 cup Gud(jaggery)

1 cup tamarind pulp

1 cup Dates

1 cup water

1 teaspoon powdered JiraHalf

Half teaspoon red chilli powder

For filling the Puri:

Half cup sprout Mug Lightly cooked

Half cup Potatoes Boiled and chopped finely

Half cup boiled Black chickpeas(kale channa)

How to make pani puri:
To make pani:

Measure all ingredients.
Adjust spices and tangyness to taste.
Strain through a wire strainer to remove any rough bits.

To make puri:

Mix sooji, maida, baking soda, salt and enough water to knead a soft dough.
Stand covered with wet cloth for 15-20 minutes.
Make small sized balls.
With the help of some dry maida or sooji, roll into thin rounds.
Heat oil in a pan and deep fry puris till very light brown and crisp.
Drain in a paper towel for a while to dry out the oil.
Store in an airtight container when cool.

To make sweet Chutney:

Heat all the ingredients of the chutney and sieve to get a smooth chutney.Let it cool

To make the filling:

Mix all the ingredients given.

Usually the puri is available in most of the Indian grocery stores

Recipe # 2 - Soya bean and corn sundal

Soya bean with corn sundal is a healthy dish rich in protien , especially for vegetarians whose intake of protein is comparatively low.. A very colorful and tasty dish as well...

Ingredients
Soya beans - 1 cup

Sweet Corn kernels - 1 cup

Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup

Chopped onion - 1/2 cup

Salt - 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad Dhal - 1/2 tsp

Dry Red Chilly - 2
Curry Leaves

Asafetida - a pinch
Oil - 1 tsp

Procedure:

Wash and clean the corn and soya beans .

Cook in water or pressure cook.

Decant the water and let stand for a few minutes.

Heat up the oil and fry the mustard seeds, urad dhal, onion,chilly and curry leaves.

Now add the cooked soya bean and corn.

Add the coconut and salt and remove from heat.

Stir to mix well, till the coconut and salt are evenly distributed..

Recipe # 1 - Sambar

The state of Tamil Nadu occupies a distinct place in culinary map of the country... A large number of dishes from this state are savoured by one and all and have become a part of the national cuisine.Tamil Nadu offers a wide range of delicious food in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian category. The food is made spicy with the use of host of spices and condiments. Coconut, tamarind and asafoetida goes as a ritual in almost all vegetarian recipes. Use of garam masala is avoided in Tamilian cuisine. Coconut oil is normally used as the medium of cooking. Chutneys and mixed spice go with the tiffins (lunch) and enhance the taste of the meal. A typical meal in Tamil Nadu consists of rice (mostly steamed), lentils, grains and vegetables.

The first recipe I have put up is a typical South Indian dish (sambar) . This goes with Rice , Idli and Dosa ...

SAMBAR

To make Sambar (serves 6)

Ingredients needed:Tuvar dhal - 3/4 cup
Vegetables - 3 cups (like small onions, white pumpkin, drum stick, okra)
Tamarind - lemon size
Coriander leaves - 2 tablespoons
Curry leaves - 1 tablespoon
sambar powder - 2 teaspoon
Salt - 2 teaspoons
Sugar - 1 teaspoon (optional)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Green chillies - 2-4
SeasoningOil - 1 tablespoon
Red chilli - 1
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
methi - 1/2 teaspoon
asofetidia -1/2 tea spoon

Method 1:

Pressure cook dhal with one and a half cups of water for ten minutes. When cold mash well. Soak tamarind in one cup of water, for five minutes, squeeze well and strain out juice.Cook vegetables in one and a half cups of water. When three-quarter cooked add slit green chillies, salt and sugar(if needed). Add tamarind water and simmer till raw smell disappears. Add mashed dhal, sambar powder and curry leaves. Simmer tillthick, add coriander leaves.Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, methi,asafetida(perungayam) and red chilli. When mustard seeds splutter, pour the seasoning over the sambar.

Method 2:
Instead of sambar powder you can add masala if you like.Masala IngredientsMethi (Fenugreek) 1 tsp. Chana Daal seeds 2 tbsp. Coriander Seeds 4 tbsp. Red Chillies 4-5 Asafoetida(optional) 1 tsp. Coconut (grated) 3 tbsp. Oil 3 tbsp. Masala Preparation• Roast methi, chana daal, and asafoetida. • Add chillies when daal starts getting red. • If using dry coconut, soak it in a little water and blend the daal mixture and coconut until the paste is fine. Keep aside. rest of the procedure is same but finally you should season it with mustard.

Araichi vitta Sambhar – Kerala style sambar

In a wide bottomed pan, add 1 tsp of oil and heat.
Add 3 tbsp of bengal gram
3 tbsp urad dal
5-6 red chillies
5-6 black peppers
asafoetida and fry on a simmered flame till the dals turn a little golden brown.Switch off flame and cool.Grind this to a powder.While making sambhar, reduce the sambhar powder to half,and make the sambhar in the conventional way.After you have added the dal to the sambar, add 2 tbsp of this powder, bring to boil and remove the sambhar from fire..Add seasoning, and garnish.. This sambhar needs no coconut as in the traditional kerala recipe.