Chickpea Salad (Channa Salad)

After a year long break, I'm writing a post... Got really busy with hectic schedule between office and home.... And with my son's schooling which started this year, absolutely no time for posts as every weekend I'm busy with his school projects... Lol..... 

Wanted to post something light, quick and healthy... So why not a salad ?? And yes, this is one of my favorite salad and quite easy to make too... I make this when ever I soak channa overnight for some other dish... I would keep some channa specially for this salad. Try it.... and you will love it....

Ingredients :

Chickpea / Channa - 1 Cup (soaked overnight)
Potato Cubes - 2 tbsp (boiled in microwave for 2 mins)
Onion  - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
Tomato - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
Green Chili (finely chopped) - 1/2 tsp
Finely chopped coriander leaves - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Chat Masala - 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp

How to make:

1. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together and set aside for 5 mins.

2. Transfer in the serving bowl and garnish with lemon and coriander leaves.

Thengapal Murukku

This is one more post which was pending on my list for a long time. I had made this for last Diwali, clicked this pic while i was making one side. Since then somehow this recipe got skipped. The coconut milk in this thengapal murukku gives a unique mild subtle taste to it. 

Ingredients:

Rice Flour - 2 Cups

Urad Flour - 1/4 Cup

Salt - 3/4 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

Jeera - 1 tbsp

Butter/Ghee - 1 tbsp

Coconut milk - 1 Cup

Oil - for frying

How to make:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and, the butter to it  and mix well.

2. Add coconut milk little by little make a soft dough. Stuff the dough in the murukku kuzhal and in a plastic sheet grease it with oil, and squeeze out the dough to make small small murukku.

3. Once the oil is hot, drop each murukku into the oil slowly. Fry in medium heat for 8-10 mins. Keep turning side every 2-3 mins, so that both sides are well cooked. 

P.S: If the oil is very hot, it will turn brown.... So make sure you cook in medium low heat so that the colour is retained.....

Channa Masala

Channa masala  / Chole masala a superb combination with batura  / poori / roti / rice varities... I'm going to share a simple way to make this chole masala.... Generally people make with ready to use chole masala, but i'm making it without chole masala.....  

Ingredients:

Channa / Chole (Soaked for 8-10 hrs) - 2 Cups

Onion (finely chopped) - 1 Cup

Tomato (finely chopped) - 1 Cup

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Green Chili (slit) - 2 no.s
Jeera / cumin - 1 tsp

Bay leaf - 1 no.
Cloves - 4-5 nos.
Cardamom  - 2 nos.
Cinnamon - 1/4 inch bark
Corriander powder - 1 tbsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Chat Masala - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Corriander leaves - for garnish
Oil - 3 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp

How to make:

1. In pressure cooker heat oil and ghee, add bay leaves, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. Now add jeera. Once jeera spluters, add onion and saute for 3-4 mins.

2. Add green chili and ginger garlic paste to it... Saute till the onion turns golden brown. Add tomato and satue for 2 mins.

3. Now add all dry masala's (corriander pwd, cumin pwd, garam masala, chat masala) and salt. Blend well and saute for 3-4 mins.

4. Add chole to the cooker. Blend well and close the pressure cooker. Cook it for 4-5 whistle (20-25 mins).

5. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with corriander leaves.

Rasam Powder

Home made powders are always much more flavorful an tasty when compared to the packed ones. Last time while i posted Sambhar powder i wanted to post Rasam powder. But some how got dealyed... and now time has come to post it.... Here is my version of Rasam powder....

Corriander Seeds (Dhaniya) - 1 Cup
Red Chili - 1/4 Cup
Toor Dhal - 2 tbs
Channa Dhal - 2 tbsp
Pepper Corns - 1/4 Cup
Jeera / Cumin - 1/4 Cup
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Asafoedita - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tbsp

How to Make:

1. Dry roast all the ingredients in  simmer for about 5-6 mins except asafoedita and turmeric powder. Allow it to cool.

2. Grind to fine powder along with asafoedita and turmeric powder.

Masala Vada

One of the most popular item which is made during every occasion in Tamil nadu. BE it festival or marriage or just a get together gathering lunch, this will be definitely be part of the menu... Relishing snack too. 

Ingredients:

Channa Dhal - 1 Cup
Toor Dhal - 1 tbsp
Onion (Finely chopped) - 1/2 Cup
Red Chilli - 3-4 nos.
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Corriander leaves (finely chopped) - 2 tbsp
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Asafoedita - 1/4 tsp
Oil - To fry

How to make:

1. Soak the channa dhal, toor dhal and red chili for minimum 3 hrs.

2. Grind it coarsely without any water.  Add salt, asafoedita, curry leaves, onion and corriander leaves  to this mixture and blend well.

3. In a kadai heat oil, fry the vada's in medium flame. Fry till it turns golden brown.

Poori Bhaji

Isn't everyone's favorite dish poori and bhaji ? Generally we make poori with potato onion masala.. But in north they make bhaji... with some tomato and peas added to it along with some masala... I made a fusion version of both south indian and north indian where instead of any masala i just added sambhar powder.... Try it out and see...

Ingredients:

Potato (boiled and roughly mashed) - 1 Cup

Onion (finely chopped) - 1 Cup

Tomato (finely chopped) - 1/2 cup

Green peas - 1/2 Cup

Ginger (finely chopped) - 1 tsp

Sambhar powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Salt - 3/4 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Corriander leaves - for garnish

Mustard - 1 tsp

Channa Dhal - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

How to make:

1. In a pan, heat oil and add mustard and channa dhal. Once the mustard splutters, add onion and saute till it turns transparent.

2. Now add the ginger and curry leaves. After 2-3 mins add the chopped tomato. 

3. Add the sambhar powder and salt to it and cook for a min. Now add the green peas to it and sprinkle water and cook until the peas are cooked.

4. Add the mashed potato and blend well. Add half cup water and cook for 2-3 mins until all blends well together.

5. Garnish with corriander leaves and serve it with hot pooris......................

Andhra Mutton Curry

Long long time since I posted any non veg recipe.  So I have decided to post something which my husband likes so much... Andhra mutton curry... Spicy curry which is neither too gravy nor too dry with very few ingredients.... 

Ingredients:

Mutton - 1/2 Kg
Onion (sliced) - 1 Cup
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Green chili (Slit) - 4 nos.
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Corriander powder - 1 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Water - 1 Cup
Oil - 3tbsp

How to make it:

1. Wash the mutton nicely and Keep aside.

2. In a pressure cooker add oil & add the sliced onions. Once it turns transparent, add the ginger garlic paste.

3. Once the raw flavour goes, add corriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, chili powder, pepper powder, salt and curry leaves. Blend well.

4. Add the mutton and mix well so that the masala is coated all around. Add water and close the pressure cooker,

5. Cook for 5-6 whitles (30-40 mins), so that the meat is well cooked.

Tomato Soup

Wanted to post soups for a long time... But some how it got skipped...  Better late than never... So posting first soup recipe now... Starting with favorite of all, Tomato soup.....Lot more to come........

Ingredients:

Ripe Tomato - 3-4 nos

Onion (roughly chopped) - 1/2 cup

Garlic clove - 2-3 nos.

Bay leaf - 1 no. (optional)

Water - 3 Cups

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp

Cream - for garnish

Oil - 2 tsp

How to make it:

1. In a pan, add oil and saute garlic and onion till it becomes transparent. Remove it keep aside. Saute tomato for 2-3 mins. Allow it to cool.

2. In a mixer add onion garlic, tomato and 3 cups of water and grind it smoothly.

3. Strain it and add it back to pan. Add bay leaf and and allow it to boil for 4-5  mins.

4. Now remove the bay leaf and add salt & pepper powder.

5. Serve in soup with cream garnish...!!

Sakara Pongal

Pongal is celebrated across the nation in different names. Pongal / Sankranti / Uttarayan / Lohri / Maghi etc...  Basically its a festival dedicated to nature and praying god before harvesting..  In south Sakara Pongal is a mandatory sweet made on this day... Tomorrow being pongal, I thought it will be nice to share the recipe of sakara pongal with you all...

Ingredients:

Rice -  1 Cup

Moong Dhal - 1/2 Cup

Jaggery - 1 Cup

Water - 2 Cups

Milk - 1 1/2 Cup

Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Cashewnut / Almond / Raisins - 3 tbsp

How to make:

1. Wash the rice and moong dhal nicely under water and drain. Add the Rice and moong dhal to the pressure cooker.

2. Add water and milk to it and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.

3. In a separate pan boil half cup of water and add jaggery to it. Once the jaggery is completely dissolved, strain it and keep aside.

4. In a small kadai, heat little ghee and roast nuts and raisins and keep aside.

5. Once the pressure is released, open the cooker lid and add the jaggery to it  and cook  for 8-10 mins until most of the water content is evaporated.

6. Finally add cardamom powder, ghee and roasted nuts and give it a nice blend.

7. Hot hot Sakara Pongal is ready...!!

P.S. I have added few strands of saffron. Its absolutely optional.