Valaipoo Vadai (no onion no garlic)

Ingredients

• Channa Dal (Or Pattani Dal) - 1 cup
• Green Chillies - 3
• Red Chillies- 2
• Ginger - 1 inch piece
• Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Valai Poo (Banana Flower) - 1 cup chopped
• Coriander Leaves + Mint Leaves - 4 tsp finely chopped
• Buttermilk - 1 tbsp
• Salt to Taste
• Oil for Deep Frying

Preparation

*Soaked channa dal- Soak the channa dal for 1 hour. After this drain the water. Keep 1 tsp of channa dal separately.

• 1 cup channa dal (or pattani dal)

*Valaipoo - Remove the individual flowers from the valaipoo. Rub the top gently and remove the stamen. Now finely chop the leftover flower and soak in buttermilk water to keep the flowers from going black.

• valaipoo (banana flower)- 6-8
• 1 tsp buttermilk

Procedure

Dry grind the ginger, red chillies, green chillis and fennel seeds. Grind these coarsely. Now add the *soaked channa dal and grind once more. Note: The reason I grind twice is because if everything is ground together, the ginger, fennel seeds and chillies will remain as chunks and might fall out of the vadai when put into oil.

• 1 inch ginger
• 3 green chillies
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 red chillies
• *soaked channa dal

Mix the chopped valaipoo, the paste made in the earlier step, the separately kept soaked channa dal, chopped coriander & mint leaves and salt. Note: Here you can add garlic and finely chopped shallots if you would like.

• *chopped valaipoo (banana flower)- 1 cup
• *1 tsp soaked channa dal that was kept aside
• ground paste from previous step
• 4 tsp coriander and mint leaves finely chopped
• salt as per taste

Heat oil in a kadhai for deep frying. Make sure the heat is on medium. To check if the oil is hot enough put a pinch of the batter in the oil and it should rise instantly. To make the vadai make small round balls with the batter using wet hands. Now flatten the ball gently with your palms. Reduce the flame and drop the uncooked vadai into the oil. Slowly increase the flame to medium and cook until the vadai is golden brown. Note: Each time you drop the uncooked vadai into the oil reduce the flame so that it doesn't get burnt on the outside and remain uncooked on the inside. Slowly bring the flame back to medium each time and wait until the vadai is cooked.

• oil for deep frying

The valaipoo vadai is ready to be served! These can be a side dish to add crunchiness to a meal or can be devoured just as is :)

Bell Pepper Sambhar

Ingredients

• Bell Pepper - 1 large sized
• Tomato - 2 large sized
• Sambhar powder - 1.5 tsp
• Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Cooked toor dal- 3 tsp
• Salt to Taste

For Seasoning

• Mustard - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 10
• Asafoetida (Hing) - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp

Procedure

Heat oil in a wide thick bottomed kadhai and add the ingredients under seasoning. When the ingredients crackle, add the bell pepper and saute for 2-3 minutes.

• 1 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
• 10 curry leaves
• 1 large sized bell pepper

Add the tomato and continue sauteing until the tomatoes become mushy.

• 2 large sized tomatoes

Add sambhar powder, red chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Once they are mixed in, add 1 glass of water. Let it boil until the raw smell evaporates.

• 1.5 tsp sambhar powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• salt as per taste

Stir in the toor dal. Leave to boil another 5 minutes.

• 3 tsp cooked toor dal

The bell pepper sambhar is ready to be served hot with rice!

Bell Pepper Masala (No Onion & No Garlic)

Ingredients

• Bell Pepper - 2 medium sized
• Tomato - 3 large sized
• Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
• Sambhar Powder - 2 tsp
• Gram Flour (besan) - 2 tsp
• Salt to Taste

For Seasoning

• Bay Leaves - 2
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Oil - 2 tsp

Procedure

Heat oil in a wide thick bottomed kadhai and add the ingredients under seasoning. When the cumin seeds crackle, proceed to the next step.

• 2 tsp oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds

Add the bell pepper. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Now add the tomato and continue sauteing until the tomatoes become mushy.

• 2 medium sized bell pepper
• 3 large sized tomatoes

Add the red chilli powder, sambhar powder and salt. Once they are mixed in, add 1 glass of water. Let it boil for about 5 minutes.

• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• salt as per taste

Mix the gram flour (besan) with a little water to make a paste and stir it into the cooking vegetable. This is done to thicken the vegetable curry. Cook until the raw smell of the gram flour disappears. Take the kadhai off the stove. The curry is ready.

• 2 tsp gram flour (besan)

The bell pepper masala is ready to be served! Eat this delicious side dish with hot rotis, parathas or dosas :)

Bajji

Ingredients

• Carrots - 2
• Milagai (mirchi)(ooty bhajji chilly) - 4
• Assorted Vegetables- Potato (peeled and and thinly sliced), Onion (sliced)- 1 cup
• Bread Pieces - 2 cut into halves
• Gram Flour (Besan) - 1 cup
• Rice Flour - 1/4 cup
• Corn Flour - 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder - 1.5 tsp
• Ajwain (omam) - 1/2 tsp
• Hing - 1/2 tsp
• Salt to Taste
• Oil for Deep Frying

For Masala Paste

• Toor Dal - 2 tsp
• Green Chilli - 2
• Fennel Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
• Hing (asofoetida) - 1/4 tsp
• Garlic - 2 cloves (optional)

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Preparation

To make the *Masala Paste- Soak the ingredients for 15 min and grind to a paste.

• 2 tsp toor dal
• 2 green chillis
• 1/4 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger
• 1/4 tsp hing
• 2 garlic cloves (optional)

Procedure

In a wide mouthed bowl mix together the gram flour (besan), rice flour, corn flour, ajwain, chilli powder, hing, salt and the *masala paste along with water. Try and make the batter to dosa batter consistency just thick enough to coat the vegetables. Note: This prepared batter should be of the consistency shown. If its too thin, the vegetables will not get coated and too much oil will be absorbed. If the batter is too thick, the ingredients will not be cooked properly.

• 1 cup gram flour (besan)
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1 tsp corn flour
• 1/2 tsp ajwain (omam)
• 1/2 tsp hing
• *masala paste
• water as required
• salt as per taste

Heat oil in a kadhai for deep frying. Make sure the heat is on medium. Dip the milagai, carrots and assorted vegetables one by one in the batter and put it into the oil. Note 1: The flame should be kept on medium. If it is high, the bajji will become black and if it is low, the bajji will absorb more oil. Note 2: To make the bajji crisp and less oily, add 1 spoon of hot oil into the batter before dipping the veggies.

• 2 carrots
• 4 milagai (ooty bhajji chilis)
• 1 cup assorted vegetables (potatos (peeled and and thinly sliced), onions (sliced))
• batter from previous step
• oil for deep frying

Fry the bajjis until they turn golden brown.

The bajji is ready to be served! Eat these with tomato ketchup or coconut chutney. Perfect for a rainy day with hot tea :)

Avarakkai (Broad Beans) Podi Poriyal

Ingredients

• Avarakkai (Broad Beans) - 1 cup chopped and boiled
• Cooked Toor Dal - 1 tbsp
• Salt to Taste

For Masala

• Whole Red Chilli - 1
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal (Split) - 1 tsp
• Channa Dal - 1 tsp
• Pepper Corn - 12-15 nos
• Coriander (Dhaniya) Seeds - 1/2 tsp

For Seasoning

• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal (Split) - 1/2 tsp
• Hing - 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 5
• Oil - 1 tsp

Preparation

To make the *Masala- Dry roast the ingredients and coaresely grind.

• 1 whole red chilli
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1 tsp channa dal
• 12-15 pepper corns
• 1/2 tsp coriander (dhaniya) seeds

*Boiled avarakkai - Boil the chopped avarakkai in water for five minutes with the required salt and drain the water. It should look like the picture below.

• 1 cup chopped avarakkai
• salt as per taste

Procedure

Heat oil in a wide bottom kadhai and add the ingredients for seasoning. Once the ingredients crackle move to the next step.

• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp urad dal
• 1/2 tsp hing
• 5 curry leaves

Now add the *boiled avarakkai, the coarsely ground *masala and cooked toor dal. Stir for 2 minutes. Check for the salt.

• *boiled avarakkai
• 1 tbsp toor dal
• *masala

Now add the grated coconut. Turn off the flame.

• 2 tbsp toovar dal
• 2 tbsp grated coconut

The avarakkai podi poriyal is ready to be served! Eat this delicious side dish with hot dosa or roti :)

Akathikeerai Poriyal

Ingredients

• Akathikeerai - 1 cup
• Cooked Toor Dal - 2 tbsp
• Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp
• Salt to Taste
• Sugar - a pinch

For Masala

• Parboiled Rice - 1 small cup
• GroundNut - 1 handfull
• Whole Red Chilli - 6

For Seasoning

• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Urad Dal (Split) - 1 tsp
• Hing - 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 4
• Oil - 1 tsp

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Preparation

To make the *Masala- Dry roast the ingredients and coaresely grind.

• 1 small cup parboiled rice
• 1 handfull groundnuts
• 6 whole red chillies
• salt to taste

Procedure

Boil 1 glass of water in a kadhai and add the akathikeerai. Add the required salt and a pinch of sugar so that the leaves don't lose their color. After the leaves are cooked, strain them out.

• 1 cup akathikeerai

Using the same kadhai, heat some oil and add the seasoning ingredients one after another. Once they start to crackle, add the akathikeerai and the coarsely ground *masala. Keep the flame low.

• 1 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp hing
• 4 curry leaves
• cooked akathikeerai
• *masala

Now add the toovar dal and the grated coconut. Check for salt.

• 2 tbsp toovar dal
• 2 tbsp grated coconut

The akathikeerai poriyal is ready to be served! Eat this delicious side dish with hot rice, sambhar & garlic rassam :)

Avial

Ingredients

• Mixed Vegetables - 4-5 cups (ash gourd, plantain, carrot, beans, drumstick, brinjal, potatoes, cluster beans, chow chow)
• Coconut Oil - 3 tsp
• Thick Curd - 1 small cup(optional)
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 8-10

For Masala

• Green Chillies - 4
• Coconut - 1/4 cup
• Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Rice - 1 tsp

For Garnishing

• Coriander - 1 handful finely chopped

Preparation

To make the *Masala- Soak the ingredients for 10 minutes and grind them into a fine paste using very little water.

• 4 Green chillies
• 1/4 cup Coconut
• 1/2 inch Ginger
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp Rice

Procedure

Cut the vegetables into long thin pieces and boil all of them except raw banana and brinjal with just enough water in a broad pan. 5 minutes into the boiling add banana and brinjal. Note: If boiling the vegetables in the cooker put in all the veggies and cook until 1 whistle.

• 4-5 cups mixed vegetables(ash gourd, plantain, carrot, beans, drumstick, brinjal, potatoes, cluster beans, chow chow)

Once the veggies are soft (about 80% cooked) and most of the water has evaporated, add the *masala. Stir and add the coconut oil and curry leaves. Leave the stove on for 2 minutes more and then switch it off. Wait for everything to cool a litte for 5 minutes.

• *masala
• 3tsp coconut leaves
• 3-5 curry leaves

After the ingredients in the pan have cooled a little, add curd and mix well(optional).

• 1 small cup of thick curd

Season with cumin seeds and some curry leaves.

• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 4-5 curry leaves

Garnish with coriander(optional).Our Avial is ready to be served! Adai and avial is a fabulous combination. Today I am just having it with hot rice :)