Biscoff Crumbs Frosting

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter - 250 g
Condensed Milk - 195 g
Biscoff spread - 1/4 cup
Biscoff biscuits - 5 

Method:

• Crush the biscuits and set aside.
• In a bowl add in butter and biscoff spread.
• Whisk till creamy.
• Now add in condensed milk and whisk for a min.
• Add in cookie crumbs.
• Whisk well.
• Use this in cake of your choice.

Taiwanese Castella MiniCake / Kasutera Cake

 

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 40 g

Unsalted butter - 29.5 g

Milk - 30 ml

Vanilla Esc - 1 tsp

Egg - 2

Sugar - 45 g

Method:

• Take flour in a bowl.
• Separate egg whites and yolk.
• Refrigerate egg whites till usage.
• Now add milk and butte to a pan.
• Cook it low flame and let it be warm.
• Add this to flour and mix well.
• Use a hand whisk.
• Add in egg yolk and whisk well till creamy.
• Add in esc and mix well.
• Now take egg whites and whisk in medium speed(app 3-4 mins).
• Whisk till you get stiff peak consistency.
• Don't overbeat.
• Now add the yolk batter to this and gently fold with spatula.
• Don't over mix.
• There are two methods in which we can do.
• I followed method 2.

Method 1:

• Line a loaf tin or a 6 inch rectangular pan.
• Line in such a way that cake can be pulled out easily.
• Now pour the batter to this and dap it.
• Use a tooth pick and make swirl patterns.
• This helps to remove air bubbles.
• Now place this in other bowl.
• Fill this bowl with hot water.
• Bake this in a preheated oven at 150 for 45-50 mins.
• Place in lower rack and bake.
• Remove it by lifting with the help excess lined paper.
• You can mix a tbsp of honey with 1/2 tbsp water.
• Brush the cake with this.
• Slice once it is cool.

Method 2:

• Pour the batter in readymade cupcake liners.
• Dap it and use toothpick and make swirls in each cupcakes
• Bake this in preheated oven at 160 for 18-20 mins.
• This can be baked in middle rack as usual.

Paurpu Thuvayal/Thogayal #2

 

Ingredients:

Thoor dal - 100 g

Dry red chilly - 4 + 2

Garlic - 4-5

Tamrind - Small piece

Hing - a pinch

Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Salt, Oil, Water - As reqd

Method:

• Dry roast dal in low flame till color changes to mild brown.
• Add in garlic, 4 chilly, tamrind and curry leaves and saute.
• Curry leaves will turn crisp.
• Now add in hing and turmeric powder and mix it.
• Turn off range and let it cool.
• Add little water and blend it.
• Transfer to bowl.
• Heat oil in pan, add in mustard seeds.
• Deseed and add chilly.
• Add in curry leaves and add this to thuvyal.
• Goes good with idly/dosa/rice.

Parupu Urundai Kuzhambu #2

 

Ingredients:

Small onion - 15-20 (fine chop)

Garlic - 8-10 (crushed)

Tomato - 1 

Dry Red Chilly  - 2 (deseed)

Green Chilly - 1

Tamrind - 30 g

Water - 75 ml 

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Sambar thool - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp

Curry Leaves - a sprig

Coriander Leaves - Little (fine chop)

Salt, Oil, Water - As reqd

For Urundai:

Kadala parupu - 125 g

Dry Red Chilly - 5

Fennel seeds  - 1 tsp

Salt - Little

Coconut Paste:

Coconut - 1/2 cup 

Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:

• Soak channa dal, dry red chilly, fennel seeds for 1-2 hours.
• Then drain the water and add it to blender.
• Add little salt and blend it coarsely.
• To this add curry leaves and little fine chopped onions and mix well.
• Make small balls out of this.
• Grease idly plates and place these balls.
• Steam cook for 10-12 mins.
• Set this aside to cool.
• In a blender add in coconut and fennel seeds.
• Blend this to fine paste and set aside.
• Soak tamrind in water.
• Strain and set aside.
• Heat gingely oil in pan.
• Cook in medium flame.
• Add in mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves.
• Add in dry red chilly, green chilly and saute.
• Add in garlic and saute for a while, till color changes to mild brown.
• Add in small onion and saute well in low flame.
• Add in tomato and mix well.
• Add in turmeric powder, sambar thool and salt for gravy.
• Add little water and let it boil.
• Add in tamrind water and little water and let it boil.
• Boil till raw smell goes.
• Add in jaggery and boil for 2 mins.
• Add in coconut paste and mix well.
• Let it boil.
• Now add the steamed and cooled urundai.
• Let it boil for 2 mins.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Pottukadalai/Roasted Gram Chutney

 

Ingredients:

Pottukadalai - 1/2 cup
Coconut - Little (app 1 tbsp)
Green Chilly - 2
Garlic - 4
Ginger - small piece
Tamrind - small piece
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Dry Red Chilly - 1
Curry Leaves - a sprig
Salt, Water, Oil - As reqd

Method:

• In a blender add in roasted gram, coconut, chilly and ginger.
• Add in garlic, salt, tamrind and blend it.
• At this stage, you can add one small onion (shallots/chinna vengayam).
• Add requried water and blend it.
• This chutney will be of thin consistency.
• Heat oil in pan.
• Add in mustard seeds, urad dal and dry red chilly(deseed and add).
• Add in curry leaves.
• Add this to chutney.
• Goes good with idly/dosa/upma.

Milagu Kuzhambu

 

Ingredients:

Small onion - 10-15 or 75 g
Garlic -  8-10 
Tomato - 1 (small, fine chop)
Dry Red Chilly - 2
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Jaggery - Little (app 10-12 g)
Tamrind - 38 g
Water - 100 + 175 ml
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - a sprig
Salt, Gingely oil - As reqd

To Grind:

Dry Red Chilly - 5
Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
Channa dal - 1 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 3/4 tsp
Black pepper corns - 1 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - a sprig

Method:

• Soak tamrind in 100 ml hot water and set aside.
• Dry roast dry red chilly (5) and coriander seeds in medium flame.
• Once color changes transfer to plate.
• Heat oil in pan and add other items under "to grind".
• Add in channa dal and saute till color changes.
• Add in fenugreek, cumin seeds, pepper corns, curry leaves.
• Cook in medium flame.
• Turn off range and add hing.
• Add in roasted chilly and coriander seeds and mix well.
• Let it cool and blend it to fine paste.
• Add required water while blending,
• Heat gingely oil in pan.
• Add in mustard seeds, dry red chilly and curry leaves.
• Add in crushed garlic and saute.
• Once garlic color changes, add in onion and saute.
• Add in tomato and cook till it turns mushy.
• Add in turmeric powder, salt and jaggery.
• Mix well.
• Add in strained tamrind water and 175 ml water.
• Let it boil in high flame till raw smell goes.
• Now reduce the flame to medium.
• Add in blended paste and mix well.
• Cook in medium flame till it thickens.
• Drizzle oil and turn off range.
• Goes good with rice/idly/dosa.

Paneer Pepper Masala

 

Ingredients:

Paneer - 200 g

Onion - 2

Tomato  - 1

Ginger - small piece

Garlic - 3

Green Chilly - 1 1/2

Cumin seeds - 1/8 tsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp

Kashmiri Chilly powder - 1/4 tbsp + 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/4 tbsp

Black pepper powder - 1/2 tbsp + 1 tsp

Kasoori methi - Little

Cashew nuts - 8

Butter - 1 1/2 tbsp

Salt, Oil, Water - As reqd

Method:

• First, roughly chop one onion and fine chop the other.
• Set this aside.
• Heat a pan.
• Add in roughly chopped onion, tomato.
• Add in ginger, garlic, chilly, cumin seeds.
• Add in cashew nuts and add required water (app 1/4 cup).
• Cook this in low flame for min 20-25 mins.
• Once done, strain the content and add to mixer.
• Blend this without adding water, set this aside.
• Heat oil in pan.
• Add in fine chopped onion and saute in low flame.
• Add in ginger garlic paste and saute.
• Add in spice powders and salt and mix well.
• Add in blended paste and required water and let it boil.
• Add in butter and crushed methi leaves.
• Once gravy semi-thick add in paneer cubes.
• Mix it
• Add in pepper powder and mix well.
• Let it boil in low flame for 2-3 mins.
• Add in butter and fine chopped coriander leaves.
• Mix well and serve hot.

Kaara Seeyam - Chetinaad Style

 

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup

Urad dal - 1  cup

Onion - 1 (fine chop)

Green chilly - 2

Coconut - 3 tbsp (grated)

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry Leaf - a sprig (fine chop)

Coriander Leaf - Little(fine chop)

Hing - a pinch

Salt, Water, Oil - As reqd

Method:

• In a bowl, add in rice and dal.
• Add water and let it soak for 2-3 hours.
• Strain water and add it to grinder.
• Add in salt, green chilly.
• Add water and blend it to semi-thick batter.
• Transfer to bowl.
• Heat oil in pan, add in mustard seeds.
• Add in onion, curry leaves and saute.
• Add in hing and mix well.
• Add this to batter.
• Add in grated coconut, coriander leaves and mix well.
• Heat oil in pan.
• Add in dollops of batter and fry in low flame.
• Server hot with chutney.

Kaara Chutney #4 - Madurai Style

 

Ingredients:

Small onion - 100 g

Onion - 1

Ginger - 12.5 g

Garlic - 7

Green chilly - 3

Dry Red Chilly - 5

Hing - a pinch

Chilly powder - 1/8 tsp

Coriander Leaves - Little

Curry Leaf - Little

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Salt, Oil, Water - As reqd

Method:

• Heat oil in pan and add garlic and ginger and saute.
• Add in green chilly, 4 red chilly and hing.
• Add in small onions, big onion and saute.
• Add in spice powders, salt and curry leaf.
• Add in coriander leaf and mix well.
• Cook in low flame.
• Let this cool and blend it.
• Add in little water and blend it.
• Heat oil in pan.
• Add in mustard seeds, curry leaves and one dry red chilly.
• Add this to chutney.
• Goes good with idly/dosa.

Brinjal Poreyal/ Thokku #3

 

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 (fine chop)

Tomato - 1 (fine chop)

Garlic - 8 (crushed)

Brinjal - 250 g

Ginger garlic paste - 1 1/ 2 tsp

Dry Red Chilly - 1

Tamrind - 1/4 lemon size (soak in water

Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp

Chilly powder - 1/4 tbsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

Curry Leaf -  a sprig

Salt, Water, Oil - As reqd

To grind:

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Channa dal - 1 tbsp

Coriander seeds - 1/2 tbsp + 1 tsp

Dry Red Chilly - 2 1/2 

Curry leaves - a sprig

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

Groundnuts(with skin) -1 tbsp

Black pepper corns - 3/4 tsp

Coconut - 1 tbsp(grated)

Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

• Heat a pan and add in urad dal, channa dal and coriander seeds.
• Saute in low flame.
• Add in chilly, curry leaves, cumin seeds.
• Add in groundnuts, pepper corns and saute.
• Add in coconut and saute
• Now add oil and roast in low flame.
• Transfer to plate and let it cool.
• Blend it coarsely and set aside.
• Heat oil in pan add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilly.
• Add in crushed garlic and saute.
• Add in onions and saute.
• Add in curry leaves and mix it.
• Add in ginger garlic paste and saute well.
• Add in tomato, turmeric powder, coriander powder and chilly powder.
• Add little water and mix well.
• Add in brinjal and mix well.
• Let it cook for 2 mins(half cooked).
• Now add salt and tamrind water.
• Mix well and cover and cook till brinjal is cooked 90%.
• Add blended paste and mix well.
• Top with coriander leaves and cook for 2-3 mins.
• Serve hot.
  
  

Idly Pakoda

 

Ingredients:

Idly - 4

Onion - 1 (fine chop)

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Curry Leaves - a sprig (fine chop)

Coriander Leaves - little (fine chop)

Red Chilly powder - 2 tsp

Fennel powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Besan flour - 70 g

Hot oil - 1 tbsp

Water, Salt, Oil - As reqd

Method:

• Add in idly to blender and blend it.
• If it is sticky add in a tsp of rice flour and blend.
• I made idlies and refrigerated for 5 hours.
• This is optional.
• Now transfer it bowl.
• Add in onion, curry leaves and corinader leaves.
• Add in spice powders, salt and besan flour and mix well.
• Add very little water and mix it.
• Add in hot oil and mix it.
• Heat oil in pan and fry these pakodas.
• Fry them in medium flame.
• Serve hot.

Beetroot Poreyal

 

Ingredients:

Beetroot - 1 (fine chop)

Onion  - 1 (fine chop)

Dry Red Chilly - 1

Coconut - 2 tbsp (grated)

Sambar powder - 1 tbsp

Sugar - a pinch

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad dal - 1/2 tsp

Curry Leaves - a sprig

Salt, Water, Oil - As reqd

Method:

• Heat oil in pan and add in mustard seeds.
• Add in cumin seeds, curry leaves.
• Deseed and add in dry red chilly.
• Add in onion and saute in low flame.
• Add in beetroot and sugar and saute in medium flame.
• Sprinkle very little water and cover and cook till beetroot is cooked.
• Once dry add in sambar powder and salt and mix well.
• Cook for a min.
• Add in grated coconut and mix it.
• Cook for a min and serve hot.
• Goes good with rice.

Healthy Soup/Kashayam

 

Ingredients:

Moong dal - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Black pepper corns -  1 tsp

Cinnamon stick - small piece

Cloves - 2

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Garlic - 6

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Water - 750 ml

Salt - As reqd

Method:

• In bowl add in all ingredients and mix well.
• Pressure cook in medium flame for 10-15 mins.
• Or cover and cook in pan in medium flame.
• If cooking in pan add in extra water, app 500 ml.
• Cook for min 30-35 mins.
• Now mash well and then strain,
• Enjoy the hot soup/kashaayam.
• You can sprinkle little pepper powder if needed.
• This helps in fighting cold and body pain.
• Can make and keep and warm and serve.

KovaKaai / Ivy gourd poreyal

 

Ingredients:

Ivy gourd - 20-25

Onion - 1 (fine chop)

Dry Red Chilly - 1 

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Sambar powder - 3/4 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad dal - 1/2 tsp

Curry Leaves - a sprig

Salt, Oil, Water - As reqd

Method:

• Heat oil in pan and add mustard, cumin seeds and urad dal.
• Cook in low flame.
• Deseed and add in dry red chilly and curry leaves.
• Add in onion and saute in low flame.
• Add in ivy gourd and saute in low flame.
• Add in turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt.
• Mix well and sprinkle little water.
• Cook till kovakaai turns soft and should also shrink in size.
• Turn off and server hot with rice.

Tomato garlic Thokku #2

Ingredients:

Tomato - 3
Garlic - 75 g
Dry Red Chilly - 2
Tamrind - small piece 
Kashmiri chilly powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - a sprig
Mustard - 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Gingely Oil - 3 tbsp

Method :

• Heat a pan and add 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.
• Dry roast in medium flame till color changes.
• Transfer to plate and let it cool.
• Crush it to fine powder using mortar and pestel.
• Set this aside.
• Heat oil in pan add in garlic(reserve few) and saute in low flame.
• Once color changes add in tomatoes and cook till it turns mushy.
• Add in tamrind piece, chilly powder and turmeric powder.
• Add in salt and cook till all blends together.
• Let this cool and blend it to fine paste.
• Don't add water while blending.
• Now heat oil in pan and add mustard seeds.
• Add in curry leaves, dry red chilly(deseed and add).
• Crush the reserved garlic and add in.
• Saute in low flame.
• Add in curry leaves, blended paste and mix well.
• Cover and cook in low flame.
• Cook till oil oozes out.
• Finally add the crushed powder and mix well.
• Cook for a min.
• Goes good with idly/dosa/poori/chapathi.