Sunday, February 13, 2011

Hotel Vethal kuzhambu


serves 4

Ingredients:
Coriander seeds 1 tbsp
Coconut 2 tbsp
poppy seeds 1 tsp
Red chilli 4
Chana dal 1 tsp
Urad dal 1 tsp
asafoetida 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
curry leaves handful
small sambhar oinions 100g or one big onion
Manathakaali 1 tbsp
Tomato big 1
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
turmeric powder 1 tsp
Tamarind lemon size
salt to taste
 Sesame Oil

Method:
Soak the tamarind in water for 10 minutes and take the tamarind water extract for use.
Roast the redchili, coconut, coriander seeds and poppy seeds separately in a teaspoon of oil and grind it.
Take a vessel. add 2 tbsp of oil to it, Add mustard seeds and asafoetida and allow it to splatter.
Add Urad dal and chana dal and fry it till light brown. Add curry leaves and Manathakaali to it .
Add sambhar onions to it and fry it till transparent.
Add tomato to  it and fry it till the tomato is completely mashed.
Add coriander powder, red chilli powder and turmeric powder to it and fry for 2 minutes.
Add the tamarind extract and cook well till the raw smell of tamarind goes off.
Add the ground mixture to it and required salt to it and cook till the semisolid consistency is reached.

Note: Use of Sesameoil enhances the taste and aroma of the dish. If not available any other oil can be used.
Manathakaali ( Withania somnifera) are dried southindian berries, with lot of medicinal properties.  The use of this berry enhances the taste alternatively this vethal kuzhambhu can be prepared without it, by adding the rest of the ingredients.

Coconut Rice

serves 4

Ingredients:
Grated Coconut 1
Urad dal 1 tsp
Chana Dal 1 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Green chilli 2
Ginger 1 inch
Red Chilli 1-2
Ground nut 2 tb sp
Curry leaves handful
Cooked Rice 250g
Oil 2 tbsp
salt to taste

Method:
Take a pan. Add oil to it, add mustard seeds and allow it to splatter.
Add chana dal and urad dal to it, and fry it till golden brown.
Add curryleaves, green chilli, red chilli and ginger to it and fry it.
Add groundnuts to it and fry it till light brown.
Add the grated coconut to it and fry it till light brown.
Add salt to it.
Add cooked rice and mix well. Serve hot with chips.

Note. Instead of fresh coconut , dry dessicated coconut can be also used.  Fry it till light brown.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Pasta pesto

Ingredients:

Pesto Sauce
Basilikum leaves 100g
Grano padano cheese 2 tbsp
Cashew nut 10
Pine seeds 1 tbsp
Black pepper seeds 1 tbsp
Garlic 2-3 pearls
Olive oil 4 tbsp
Salt

pasta
Cream 2tbsp
green Chillis 2 
Garlic 1-2 pearls
Italian herb mix

Method:
Boiling the pasta
Take a big vessel with water. Add 1 tsp of olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt.
Bring it to boil.
Add the pasta and allow it to cook.
When it is 3/4 th cooked, remove it from heat, filter it through a sieve and show it under running cold water and drain it.

for the sauce
Give all the ingredients for the sauce in a grinder and grind it. Add the oil in intervals while grinding.

Final mixing
Take a  pan, add 2 tbsp of oilve oil.
Add the well chopped  chilli and garlic and fry for 3 minutes.
Add the herbs mix and cook it.
Add 2 tbsp of the above given sauce and saute.add the boiled pasta and mix well.
Add the cooked pasta and mix well.
Add cream to it and mix well.
Garnish with Pepper powder and Serve hot.

Note:  The sauce can be stored for more than 10 days in an air tight container and should be refrigerated.
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