Garlic Podi, Poondu Podi

          A typical South Indian meal is incomplete without podi specially when combined with Ghee or sesame oil. There are various varieties of podi's used with breakfast and rice. It's always helpful when you are lazy to prepare curry or sambar. I love Garlic podi which we buy from Homefoods at my home town. I always think to prepare such kind of podi by my own. Here is the similar kind which i prepared.    

Ingredients :

Garlic - 1 Cup( More garlic more the flavor)                    Preparation Time : 15 Minutes

(You can even increase Garlic quantity as much as you want)

Toor Dal - 1/2 Cup

Fried Channa Dal - 1/2 Cup                                              Approx Quantity : 1 1/2 Cup

Red Chilly - 6-8

Curry Leaves - 2 Strands                                                  Best For : 2-3 Months

Asafoetida - 1/2 Tsp

Salt - 1 Tsp

Sesame Oil - 1 Tsp

Poondu Podi

Method :

Remove the skin and clean the Garlic. Chop it well.

Measure the toor dal and keep it in a separate bowl.

Measure the Fried channa dal and keep it in a separate bowl.

Heat a pan and dry roast the toor dal for 10 minutes until you get nice aroma.

Once you get nice aroma from the toor dal, add fried channa dal. Keep stirring until both turns nice golden color. Watch carefully so that it doesn't burn. Add Red chilly and curry leaf and fry together.
Add it in a large bowl.

Add 1 Tsp sesame oil to the same pan and add garlic, keep stirring it until it turns golden brown. Turn off the stove. Cool the garlic well. Finally add it to the dal left in the large bowl.

Let all the ingredients cool well before grinding. Add salt and asafoetida powder to it.

Make sure the mixer jar is well dry. Add it in the mixer jar and grind it to smooth powder. It may take sometime to blend it smooth. For Idly's you can grind to coarse powder and for rice you can grind to nice fine powder.

Once done, transfer it to a good air tight container. It is best for 2-3 months or for longer refrigerate it.

Serve with Hot idly's, Dosa or Rice. Add oil or Ghee to mix. Enjoy your breakfast.

Thank You. See you in next post.

How to Clean and Cook Tapioca

The Tapioca which i get from the Asian store is coated with wax. It has to be peeled before cooking.

Here i'll show you how to clean it.

Method :

Soak the Tapioca in warm water for 2-3 Hrs. 

Using a knife slice the skin from top to bottom.

Just unwrap the skin using the knife holding it at one end.

The skin is usually thick to scrape it. So try removing it completely.

Wash it properly. Add 2 Cups water in a pressure cooker and place it. Add salt to it. You can even add sugar to it. I like the combination of both salt and sugar. Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.

Once its cooked nice puffy, Remove it from the water.

Sprinkle some crushed pepper on it before eating.

Thank You. See you in next post.

Chicken 65, Chilly Chicken

              Chilly Chicken is one of a common simple non-veg recipe loved by everyone. Here is my recipe.

Ingredients :

Chicken - 250 gms                                                                Cooking Time : 15 Minutes
Sakthi chicken 65 masala - 1 Tbsp
Ginger/Garlic Paste - 1 Tsp                                                   Marinating Time : 30 Minutes
Egg - 1
Salt - 1 Tsp                                                                            Serves : 2 people
Cornflour Powder - 1 Tbsp
Oil - for Frying

Chilly Chicken

           Cut the chicken into small pieces. Clean and drain the water. Add Chicken 65 masala powder, Ginger/Garlic paste, Salt, Cornflour Powder, Egg, Salt and mix all the ingredients well.

Marinate the chicken for atleast 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan. Start dropping chicken pieces one by one in the oil. Adjust your temperature accordingly.

Keep stirring until it cooks well and turns nice crispy.

Drain out the oil and place it in a paper towel to remove excess oil from it.

Spicy tasty Chicken 65 is ready, serve hot. Enjoy your lunch.

Thank You. See you in next post.

How to make Home-Made Paneer

Ingredients :

Milk - 1 Litre
Lemon Juice or Vinegar - 2 Tbsp

To Filter :
Muslin Cloth
Rope to tie

Method:

Boil the milk well in a pan.

Once done pour Lemon juice or Vinegar to it. And keep stirring it with a laddle. 

You'll note Milk start curdling up faster.

Wet the muslin cloth and squeeze out the water. Place the cloth on a filter. Once the chunks separates from water, pour the curdled milk slowly in the muslin cloth.

Once you're done completely, make it has a bundle and tie it tightly. Hang it in the water pipe without disturbing it for almost 1 hour, by then rest of the water will get drained away from it.

After an hour untie it, you'll find a nice hard Cheese ball. Place it in a air tight container. Refrigerate it for at-least 2 hr before using.

Nice fresh Home-made Paneer is ready.

Thank You. See you in next post.

Idly & Dosa Batter (Akki Ettu) Maavu

     Idly and Dosa is a important South Indian breakfast.

Ingredients : 

Idly Rice - 5 Cups
Urad Dal - 1 1/2 Cup
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 Tsp
Salt - 2 Tbsp

Method : 

Soak Idly rice separately and Urad dal, Fenugreek seeds separately for atleast 4 hrs. Wash Urad dal and Idly rice well and drain the water thoroughly.

                           

                     Urad Dal + Fenugreek seeds                                            Rice            

 At first add Urad Dal in the grinder and grind well until fluffy. Add good cold water for grinding. Pour it in a large bowl.

                          

Then add rice and some water to the grinder and grind it smooth. Once it is done pour it with Urad Dal batter in the large bowl.

                          

Mix both the batters well using your hand. Add 2 Tbsp salt to it and mix it well.

                         

Fermentation :

       Fermentation process is very important to get soft and tasty idly's. 

        

Cover the grinded batter and leave it for 9- 12 Hrs. Use a large bowl for the batter so that its good enough for the batter to rise. It depends on the temperature. If its a cold weather it takes longer time. Once it rises well, mix it well. Pour the fermented batter to small bowls and place it in a refrigerator. 

                            

Tips :

I have used mixer grinder to make this batter. 

Use cold water to grind Urad dal, so that you'll get more fluffy batter.

This batter can be used for a week refrigerated.

If you are using wet grinder, proportion may vary 4 : 1 ratio.

Thank You. See you in next post.

Ghee (Thuppa) Clarified Butter

Ghee is the most essential ingredient used widely in Indian cuisine. It is used in sweets, rice, gravy's etc., to enhance the flavor of the food.

Ingredients :

Butter (Unsalted) - 1/2 Kg                                     Preparation Time : 20 min
Salt - A pinch                                                              
Drumstick Leaves - Optional                                Calories : 112 / 1 Tbsp

Method :
Step 1 :
Take a heavy large bowl and place 1/2 kg butter. Gently melt the butter in medium temperature.

Step2 :

The butter will start melting slowly.

                        

                          Step 1                                                  Step 2

Step 3 : 

 As it melts you will find a layer like a froth or foam appearing at the surface. Reduce to low flame.

Step 4 :

Stir it continuously. The froth will start reducing. Add a pinch of salt.

                        

                          Step 3                                                  Step 4

 Step 5 & 6 :

The froth will keep on reducing and butter will get simmer than the previous stage.

                        

                          Step 5                                                  Step 6

Step 7 : 

Once the foam is reduced you'll find milk solids below which is golden brown in color.

Keep stirring.

Step 8 :

You'll get foams increasing top.

                       

                         Step 7                                                  Step 8

Step 9 &10 :

Stir pour it, so that you can find color changing yellow to golden. Switch off the flame once color changes

as below. You can see brown solid milk residue at the bottom of the bowl. Just leave the bowl for a while, the brown residue will start settling down. Finally filter the ghee to a empty dry container. 

                        

                         Step 9                                                   Step 10

Ghee is ready for use. 

Tips :

If you are using butter directly taken from butter milk, rinse properly with cold water.

Ghee doesn't spoil, so no need to refrigerate. 

You can add drumstick leaves to the ghee at the final stage to enhance the flavour.

Use can even use the brown milk residue mixed with hot rice. 

Thank You. See you in the next post.