Page 7 – Authentic Kongunadu recipes and daily bites from my kitchen

Spicy Fried Lentil Curry / Dal Fry

Cook Time :40 Min | Servings : 3 Persons

Dhal fry is a very famous north Indian dish. Normally called as, ‘Tadka dhal Fry’ meaning seasoned lentil fry, seasoning the cooked dhal. It is served in most of the Indian restaurants. Any dhal varieties can be used to cook this dish. In a typical south Indian family, dhal will be cooked at least once a week. Dhal is rich in nutrients. When I was a kid, I remember harvesting dhal from our farms. They will be mixed with red soil and kept covered in the floor ( not sure, why ) for 1 or 2 days, cleaned thoroughly and cooked. Dhal with shells on is rich in fiber, my grand mother never split them before cooking.
If the cooked dhal turns out too thick, add little hot water to get your required consistency. Season the cooked dhal 5 min before serving, for a better taste. Add a little ghee to give it that extra taste. I became a fan of dhal fry since I started working.

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Khao Phad Sapparot / Thai Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice

Cook Time :15 Min | Servings : 2 Persons

Fried Rice will be cooked at least once a week in a typical Thai home. Usually fried rice combination will be made on the fly with the ingredients available at hand. Also, fried rice is easy to make with the left over rice and perfectly suited for parties of all sort.
Thai Curry paste can be bought in stores and refrigerated, since I didn’t have it, I made the curry paste myself. I also made my own combination of veggies and meat. Instead of Chicken, shrimp can also be used or it can be cooked only with vegetables.
When it’s this easy to make at home, who says no to try it out !!!

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Flat bread stuffed with sweetened lentils / Opputu / Puran Poli

Cook Time :40 Min | Servings : 3 Persons

One of the authentic ways of cooking Obbutu at Kongunadu. Opputu is how we call it at my house, first time hearing is it ? During local festivals at temples, when we all get together we used to make this at my granny’s place. I am not sure how this name came about, but I will surely enquire. We often make it with channa dhal filling, but sometimes we do replace them with coconut sugar fillings. Both tastes good, but I am an avid fan for coconut stuffing than channa dhal.
I used to bug my mom to prepare this very often at home, since it required some process my mom used to buy me from a famous shop near my house. I am crazy about it. At least 4 times a month I bug my mom to get it for me. Sometimes I finish it all without leaving the traces.. he he he…. Later on they closed that shop.I was very much disappointed, after all it was a great loss for me. Never had the coconut stuffing after that. Should ask my mom to start the quest to find the best shop, when I go home next time, I would bug her to get me every day. he he he ….

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Curd Semiya / Thayir Semiya

Cook Time :20 Min | Servings : 3 Persons

One of the Kongunadu recipes. These days there are very few marriages at my place without curd semiya, quite famous among kids too. Some people add rice to it and some cook semiya in the normal procedure and add curd to it. We use home made curd which we freshly prepared from the milk we get from our farms. It would be thick, creamy and with slight natural sweetness. Curd with white rice would be our last meal in our lunch for sure. I miss the fresh homemade ones here .. We add pomegranate to curd rices and semiya. In this procedure, tempering can be skipped. It can be severed as it is or cold. You can see the tips to make home made curd in US here.

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Ghee Lentil Rice / Nei Paruppu Sadam

Cook Time : 35 Min | Servings : 2 Persons

Ghee Yellow Lentil Rice / Nei Paruppu Sadam
This is a simplified version of bisibelabath. Hang on, I didn’t mean the authentic one, it’s my version. When you feel lazy to cook, this would be an easier recipe with a quick cook time. Of course, dhal with ghee tastes heavenly and you can add any vegetables of your taste. Though it is sort of an instance recipe, it vanishes from the plate pretty fast.

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Whole Wheat Indian Flat Bread / Chapati

Cook Time :20 Min | Servings : 3 Persons

Making chapathi is an art but very simple though. It took a little while for me to learn how to make it soft. Lots of trial and error with various combination, finally, here I come with useful tips which I learnt in the process. Chapathi is less in calories, so when u want to diet what else could be the best substitute. Chapathi pretty much goes well with any curry or gravy.

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Mutton Biryani / Aatu Kari Biryani

Cook Time : 50 Min | Servings : 2 Persons

Say Kongunadu style Mutton biryani. Well, not exactly but this is how all type of biriyani’s are cooked at my home since I remember. But the marination part has never been done, since I get tough meat here I started marinating. Meat tenderizer can also be added while marinating, but I skipped that step.
Hmm… Sunday with biriyani cooked at home for lunch, who would say no. I normally skip breakfast on Sundays and I start counting the minutes as soon as my mom starts preparing. The aroma spreads the house makes u to feel more hungry. When my mom says it’s done, yes that’s the moment I have been waiting for and I eat more than usual. I should say biryani with some non-veg gravy and raitha is the great combo I have ever had.

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