Kothavarangai (Cluster Beans) Paruppu Usili

INGREDIENTS :
Kothavarangai - 250 gms
Big Onion - 1
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Mustard seeds - 1 tspn
Urad dal - 1 tbspn
Cooking oil - 4 tbspn

TO GRIND :
Channa Dal - 1/2 cup
Thoor Dal - 1/2 cup
Green Chilli - 1
Red Chilli - 4
Cumin Seeds (jeera) - 1/2 tbspn
Coconut - 2 pieces
Asafoetida - 1/2 tbspn
Salt as needed

PREPARATION :
1.Wash the cluster beans and chop them and keep it aside.
2.Wash and soak the dal for 1 hour. Then in a mixer grinder add green chilli, red chillies, soaked dal, coconut, cumin seeds, salt, asafoetida and grind them coarsely.

3. Now transfer the ground paste to a vessel, add the chopped kothavarangai to it and mix them all.
4. Then in a pressure cooker pour 2 cups of water, place the vessel inside the cooker and cook them. Keep them for 1 whistle and switch off the stove. Now allow it to cool.
5. Now in a pan add oil, temper mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and add the chopped onions. Fry them to a golden brown colour.

6. Now add the cooked mixer to the fried onions and cook them until it is roasted. Fry them in low flame and stir it occasionally. Once it is roasted remove from the flame and transfer it to a bowl.
Serve it with rasam or sambar rice. It tastes good with kaara kuzhambu too.

Tomato Chutney (Hotel style)

INGREDIENTS :
Big Onion - 3
Riped Tomato - 5
Green chilli - 4 or 5
Curry leaves - 5 or 6 sprig
Mustard seeds - 1 tspn
Cooking oil - 3 tbspn
Salt as needed

PREPARATION :
1. In a pan add oil, temper mustard seeds, add the chopped onions, green chillies and saute it.
2. Once it is half cooked add the cut tomatoes, curry leaves and saute it.

3. Once all of them is cooked switch off and allow it to cool. Then transfer it to a mixer grinder, add salt and grind them little bit coarsely. Now transfer it to a bowl.
Serve it with idli or dosa.

Mushroom Briyani

INGREDIENTS :
Mushroom - 1 pack
Big Onion - 2
Pepper Powder as needed
Salt as needed
Chilli powder - 1/4 tbspn
Curd - 2 tbspn
Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Water - 3 cups
Cooking oil
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tbspn
Ginger garlic paste - 3 tbspn
Garam masala - 1/4 tbspn

PREPARATION :
1. In a pressure cooker, add oil, chopped onions and fry them to a golden brown colour.
2. Now add the cut mushroom, ginger garlic paste, saute it.
3. Now add turmeric powder too and saute it.

4. Now add garam masala, chilli powder, curd and saute it for 2 minutes. Then add pepper powder, salt too and saute it.
5. Now add the washed basmati rice and saute it for 2 minutes. Now add the required amount of water and cover it with a lid.

6. Keep for 1 whistle and then keep it in low flame for 5 to 7 minutes. Allow it to cool. Remove the lid and stir it. Serve it hot. It tastes good with onion raitha.

Pirandai (Veldt Grape) thovaiyal

INGREDIENTS :
Pirandai - 2 handful
Gooseberry (Big Amla) - 5
Mint leaves - 1 bunch
Coriander leaves - 1 handful
Curry leaves - 1 handful
Green chilli - 8
Ginger - 1 piece
Coconut - 3 pieces
Tamarind - a small lemon size
Salt as needed
Cooking oil

PREPARATION :
1. First clean the pirandai and cut them into small pieces.
2. In a pan add 3tbspn oil, add cut pirandai's and fry them in a medium flame until it turns golden brown, then keep it aside.
3. Then in a pan add oil, cut gooseberries & fry them to a golden brown and keep it aside too.
4. Again in a pan add oil, green chillies, ginger and fry them and keep aside.

5. Now in a pan add oil, mint leaves, coriander leaves, curry leaves, fry them and keep aside. Then in a pan add oil fry tamarind, coconut separately and keep aside. Allow all of them to cool.

6. Now in a mixer grinder put all the fried items, add salt and grind them to a fine paste. Then transfer it to a bowl. Serve it with white rice along with gingely oil. It tastes good with curd rice also.
HINT : It is very good for health. It helps in digestion. Eating this thovaiyal once in a month is very good for health. It can be used upto three to four days from the day of making.

Milagu ( Pepper ) Kashaayam ( FOR COLD)

INGREDIENTS :
Pepper corns - 2 tbspn
Jaggery - 3 tbspn
Water - 2 cups

PREPARATION :
1. Crush the pepper corns and put them in a bowl.
2. Add the crushed jaggery to it.
3. Add the water to it and keep them in a medium flame. Allow it to boil for 10 minutes.

4. Now allow it to cool. Then filter it and drink them for two times a day for 2 days.
HINT : It will give quick recovery from cold. It will give quick relief for throat pain too.

Dhaniya Podi ( Coriander Podi )

INGREDIENTS :

Coriander Seeds - 1 Cup
Urad Dhal - 3/4 Cup
Channa Dhal - 3/4 Cup
Red Chillies -  25 to 30 ( According to your taste )
Tamarind - A small lemon size
Salt - As needed
Peeled Garlic - 10 cloves
Cooking Oil - As needed
Asafoetida - As needed

PREPARATION :

1. In a pan, add oil, coriander seeds and fry them untill it becomes golden brown in colour and keep it aside. ( Once the coriander gets fried, it will create some flavour ).
2.  Again in a pan, add oil, red chillies and fry them untill it gains a golden brown colour and keep it aside.
3. Again in a pan, add oil, Urad dhal, Channa dhal and fry them till they gain a golden brown colour and keep it aside. Before removing the pan from the flame, add asafoetida.

4. Now in a mixer grinder, add the fried coriander seeds, red chillies and grind them coarsely.
5. Now add tamarind, salt, and then grind them into a fine powder and keep aside.

6. Now in a mixer grinder, add the fried urad dhal, channa dhal and grind them coarsely and then add the garlic cloves and grind them. ( like Idli podi ).

7. Now add the ground coriander powder to the dhal powder and grind them to make them mix completely. ( Just one run ).
8. Allow it to cool and then store it in a bottle. Serve it with hot white rice along with gingelly oil.
It tastes good with raw onion.