Vatha Kulambu is a very famous brahmin side dish. This is a chettinadu special vatha kulambu. This is normally prepared with vathal ( sun dried vegetables ). Applam can be replaced with dry broad beans / dry ladies finger etc. Thick tamarind sauce with sun dried vegetables cooked in sesame oil tastes heavenly with steamed white rice.
Specials
Chana Masala / Chole Masala
Channa masala is a very tasty Punjabi side dish for roti varieties from North India. It’s severed mostly with the breakfast items. Makes a very tasty combo with roti’s, adding few raw finely chopped red onion enhances the taste.
Pepper Chettinad Chicken
Chettinad cuisine is one of the famous south Indian cuisines. It’s famous for it’s spiciness and the aroma. Pepper Chetinad chicken is a very famous spicy recipe in restaurants.
Tamarind Rice / Iyengar Kovil Puliyodharai / Puli Sadam
I’ve always loved the puliyodharai served in temples and always wanted to make it at home to have it when ever I feel like. This is the closest I could getto that temple one.
The key is the masala powder and roasted peanut added to the recipe. At my home they never used to add the podi but I like it with the podi. it gives the nice aroma.
Tamarind Rice / Iyengar Kovil Puliyodharai / Puli Sadam
Author:
Ingredients
- Tamarind – big lemon size
- Rice – 4 cup
- Sesame oil – 4 tsp
- Mustard seed – 1/4 tsp
- Channa dhal – 1 tsp
- Asafoetida – 1 pinch
- Red chili – 7 nos
- Curry leaves – 1 strand
- Peanut – 1/2 cup
- Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
- To fry and grid :
- Red Chili – 5 nos
- Channa dhal – 2 tsp
- Coriander seed – 2 tsp
- Fenugreek seed – 1/4 tsp
- Sesame seed – 1 tbsp
Instructions
PREP:
- Extract tamarind juice to not more than 1- 1.5 cups.
- Fry the items given in to fry in a pan with little oil until golden brown and the sesame seed starts crackling. Grind this to fine powder.
COOKING:
- Heat oil – 4 tbsp in a pan, when it’s hot, add mustard, channa dhal, asafoetida, red chili, peanut, curry leaves and fry this for a minute.
- Remove the fried peanut at this stage if you like it crunchy which is the way I do it. But it’s optional step.
- Add tamarind juice extract, turmeric and salt. Allow this to cook till oil separates in medium flame and stir often, it going to take around 20-30 mins.
- Add ground powder – 2 tsp and mix well. Keep it on the stove for about 5 minutes in low flame.
- Add the rice and mix gently. Taste for salt and add if required.
- Add the remaining ground powder if any now and allow the rice mix to stay for 30 min before serving.
TIPS:
- Use the whole batch of ground powder if needed for enhanced taste.
- Peanut enhances the taste
- Cashew nuts can also be added to enhance the taste.
- You can grind the podi in bulk and save it in refrigerator for future usage upto 2 months.
(*) Serve with Pappads, Applam, Vadam.
Kadai Paneer
This is a very famous restaurant Punjabi recipe for naans and parotas. When you have friends gathering for parties mark this for sure, every one would like it. Store bought paneer can also be used, since paneer preparation is easy I prepared it at home and given the procedure below. Do not waste the leftover water drained from milk while making paneer, it can be used for kneading chapati or paratha dough. It makes them soft.
Tandoori Chicken
I should say this as a best Tandoori Chicken south Indian recipe. I have been trying out lot of recipes for Tandoori Chicken, this turned out to be the best I have ever tasted.
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The initial marination and the second step marinations makes it very juicy and tasty to the core. Cooking it in the broiler pan in oven gave the best result.
Vegetable Biryani – Method 1
Vegetable biriyani prepared in dum method. Well, this turned out little messy as I over cooked the rice. When preparing rice for dum method, it shouldn’t be cooked more than half done.
