Sambhar sadham

Ingredients:

Tur dal                                     : 1/2 cup
Raw rice                                  : 1/3 cup
Shallots                                    : 10 nos.
Tamarind                                  : amla size
Asafoetida  pdr                         : a large pinch

Turmeric pdr                            : 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Sambhar pdr                            :  2 tbsp
Ghee                                        :  2 tbsp
Curry leaves                            : 1 sprig
Coriander leaves chopped       : 2 tbsp


Method:

Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of water for 30 mins and extract the juice and keep aside. 
Wash & cook  rice & dal together in a pressure cooker adding 4 to 5 cups of water keep aside.
Heat a tsp of oil in a kadai and saute the pearl onion(shallots) for 3 mins and keep aside.

Open the cooker, add the pearl onions, tamarind powder, salt, asafoetida pdr and the tamarind juice and allow this to boil. The sambhar sadham tends to get thick when it is cooled, so the consistency should be loose while cooking.

Finally add the sambhar powder and mix well, aloow to boil for 3 maore mins. Add ghee  to this, garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves. Serve it hot with kondattam or potato chips.

Capsicum Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati rice                 : 1 cup
Green capsicum           : 1 chopped

Onion                           : 1 chopped
Green chillies               : 1 chopped
Cumin seeds                 : 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil                                 :   2 tbsp


Method:

Wash basmati rice and soak it for 10 mins.
Cook it adding one and a half cup water, a little salt and 1 tsp of oil or ghee.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a kadai, add cumin seeds. When it pops up add onion chopped ,green chilli choppe and saute for 1 min. The add the chopped capsicum and saute for 2 mins and finally add the cooked rice and mix well. remove from fire and serve hot!

Peas pulao

Ingredients:

Basmati rice               : 1 cup
Fresh peas                  : 1/2 cup

Onion                         : 1 small
Cumin seeds              : 1/4 tsp
Green chillies            : 1 chopped
Salt to taste
Oil as required

Method:

Wash and soak basmati rice for 10 mins. Cook it in a rice cooker adding one and a half cup of water, little salt and tsp of oil or ghee. Keep aside.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a kadai, add cumin seeds. Then add the chopped onion & the green chillies chopped and saute a while , the add the shelled peas to this. Add a little water and little salt. Let it cook till the water got absorbed.  The add the cooked rice and mix well. Remove from fire and serve hot!

podiyari upma

Ingredients:

Podiyari (broken matta rice)              : 1 cup
Shallots                                              : 6 no chopped finally
Green chillies                                     : 2 chopped

Ginger                                                : 1/2" pc chopped
Mustard seeds                                    : 1 tsp
Urad dal(split)                                   : 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Water                                                 : 2 cups
Curry leaves                                      : 1 sprig
Grated coconut                                  : 1/4 cup
Oil as reqd


Method:

Wash podiyari well, drain it and keep aside.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds, when it splutter add urad dal, chopped onion, green chillies, ginger and saute it for a few seconds. Add curry leaves to this. Add water and salt, let it boil. Add the broken rice and stir it well till the water got absorbed.   Add the grated coconut and mix well.                                                                       

           

Veg Fried Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati rice                              : 2 cups
Carrot                                        : 1 finely chopped

Beans                                         : 6 nos finely chopped
Capsicum                                   : 1/2 finely chopped
Sweet corn                                 : 2 tbsp
Soya chunks                               : 5 nos
Spring onion                               : 2 finely chopped

Garlic                                          : 2 cloves 
Green                                          : 2 nos
Ginger                                         : small piece
Soya sauce                                  : 1 tbsp
Vegetable oil                               : 2 tbsp
Salt to taste                              
Vinegar                                        : 1 tsp


Method:

Soak rice for 20 mins in water.
Chop green chillies, ginger and garlic finely and keep aside.
Soak soya chunks in hot water for 10 mins and squeeze it, wash again and cut very finely.
Cook rice adding salt and 3and a half cups of water in a rice cooker and keep aside.
Heat oil in a kadai add chopped garlic, green chilli and ginger and saute for 1 min. Then add chopped capsicum and saute for 1 more min and add the chopped vegetables, chopped soya,sweet corn and saute again for 2 to 3 mins adding salt.
Then mix the cooked rice with this and fry for 2 mins. Add vinegar and soya sauce mix well. Garnish with finely chopped spring onion and serve.

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients:

Grated carrots                      : 2 cups
Milk maid                            : 1 cup
Sugar                                    : 1 cup

Cashews(broken)                 : 6 nos
Cardamom pdr                     : 1/2 tsp
Ghee                                    : 2 tbsp


Method:

Heat the ghee in a pan and add the cashews and fry it till golden brown and remove from the pan and keep aside.
Add grated carrots in the same pan and  saute for 2 mins and add the condensed milk , mix well. Cook it in a low flame till the milk got evaporated. Add the sugar now and mix well. Stir it well till it leaves the sides of the pan.
Sprinkle cardamom pdr over it, mix it.
Garnish it with fried cashews.
  

Payasam (idichu pizhinjathu)

Ingredients:

Broken rice( raw)                       : 1/4 cup
Jaggery (vellam)                        : 1/2kg
Coconut milk (thin)                   : 2 cups
Coconut milk (thick)                 : 1/4 cup

Ghee                                          : 1 tbsp
Cashew & Raisins                     : 1 tbsp



Method:

Wash and pressure cook the rice adding 1 cup of water.
Melt the jaggery in 1/2 cup of water and strain it to remove the impurities.
Either you can extract milk from fresh coconut or use the ready made coconut milk. 
Grate 1 coconut and adding 2 tbsp of warm water, mix well and extract the milk from it and keep aside. This is the 1 st coconut milk or thick milk.
Put the extracted residue in a mixer and add 1/2 cup warm water and blend it  and squeeze the milk from it. This is the 2nd milk or thin milk.

Open the cooker and slightly mash the cooked rice and add the jaggery syrup to that and mix well. Keep it in stove and boil for 2 mins, then add the thin coconut milk. Let it boil for 3 to 4 mins. When it is becoming  thick add the thick coconut milk and remove from fire.
Break the cashews into small pieces. Heat the ghee and and fry cashews and raisins and pour this on the payasam and serve it.