VIRUNDHOMBAL

Pumpkin Sambar for Idly/Dosa/Pongal Pumpkin sambar is the most common mainstay of South Indian breakfast. It is usually served for Idly, Dosa and also for Vadas. This sambar is also served in a small bowl with mini idlies. Yellow pumpkin is a perfect ingredient for idly sambar because even though it softens, it will enhance the sambar taste. The freshly ground sambar powder for idly sambar will add more flavour than other powders. We use small onions most often in sambars rather than the big onions for their unique taste. There are some varities of dals that are similar to toor dal, but we use most often is unpolished toor dal. If you soak the toordal for 20 to 30 minutes before pressure cooking helps to cook fast and soft. Pumpkin sambar is made best with the harder pumpkins. Even though there is a natural sweetness in the pumpkin we add a tiny piece of jaggery to balance the flavour. Similar side dishes for Idly and Dosa Tiffin Sambar Kathirikkai Kichadi Peerkangai Sam

Paneer Methi Masala(Paneer and Methi leaves in onions,tomatoes and cashew nuts paste) Any side dishes made with paneer is always a welcome dish in our family. One day I got some fresh methi leaves which are tiny in size. These tiny methi leaves have very less bitterness and also the flavour was very nice. I also had some homemade paneer also in hand so I have decided to prepare a healthy side dish with paneer and methi leaves. This masala goes well with chapathi, nann and pulav.This requires less preparation work and you can finish it within half an hour. For gravies or masalas usually the onions and tomatoes are sauted in oil and then made into a smooth paste. In this masala I have cooked the onions, tomatoes and cashew nuts in pressure cooker and then made it to a smooth paste. This method helps to cook quickly and you can prepare with less oil. You can add badam instead of cashew nuts. Try this healthy masala for your family.

Bottle gourd/Suraikkai Aviyal (Bottle gourds in Coconuts and Curd) Bottle gourd aviyal is a good healthy side dish for South Indian meals. Eating  bottle gourd once in a week has so many health benefits. This simple vegetable is full of minerals and water. For a healthy side dish with bottle gourd, try this simple aviyal with simple ingredients in your kitchen. I learnt this recipe from my grandmother. This bottle gourd aviyal has simple flavours and made colourful with the addition of chana dal. The spice level of this dish will vary a bit depending on the variety of green chilly you use. For any type of aviyals try to use medium hot chillies. Try to use young, firm bottle gourd for best results. Follow these simple instructions and prepare this tasty aviyal for your family. This bottle gourd aviyal is utterly delicious for sambar, rasam combo and also for chapathi. 

Mint leaves (Pudhina) Pulikuzhambu (Mint leaves in tamarind sauce)  If you have so much mint leaves that you couldn't use up, then try this tasty mint pulikuzhambu and you will definitely enjoy the taste. I learned this recipe from a TV cookery show during my college days. This dish takes only 20 minutes from start to finish and it gives you a healthy dish. The kuzhambu flavor comes from  browning the mint leaves, small onions and garlics well in medium flame. If you saute them in high flame it gets lots of burnt bits which are not so nice. Varying the amount of sambar powder can make your kuzhambu to thick or thin consistency. You can also replace sambar powder with red chilly powder or vathakuzhambu powder. The addition of roasted sesame seeds, urid dal powder gives a nutty flavour to the kuzhambu.This kuzhambu is meant to be enjoyed with warm rice. I also like to serve this kuzhambu with simple potato fry and some papads.

Now a days corn cheese balls, french fries, nuggets, tarts, are very popular and endearing snack items for kids. This corn cheese  balls have three different tastes in each bite - crunchy, cheesy and savoury. These balls have a nice blend of flavours and your kids will ask you to prepare frequently. These balls may be small, but they are packed with good flavours.

This kuzhambu is light and at the same time quite filling. The perfect combination for this kuzhambu is raw banana fry and fried gram thuvaiyal. This kuzhambu has a smooth texture and a lovely pale green colour. Make sure to choose a big, firm brinjals for this recipe.The small onions, green chillies and asafoetodia powder give a consistent flavour to the entire dish so please don't avoid those ingredients. Make sure to use fresh brinjals for this kuzhambu because the refrigerated or old brinjal skin gets tough and it is not getting roasted completely. If the brinjals are not roasted well, it won't give a dense puree that makes it ideal for the kuzhambu. If you follow these simple steps and try this recipe definitely it will be truly satisfying kuzhambu. Let's see how how to prepare this Brinjal Kothsu with step by step photos.

Corn Pulav  This pulav is so easy and delicious too. It's the perfect pulav for lunch boxes, potlucks and get togethers. There are so many different ways you could do this pulav, but this recipe is a healthy one with less oil. This corn pulav is from the cookbook 300 recipes for diabetes by Chef. Mallika Badrinath. I have used only corn kernels in this pulav. Add excitement to your pulav with roasted nuts or pan fried capsicum pieces or tossed paneer cubes. If you do not like the strong flavor of the saffrons then leave it. I have used spring onions for garnishing if you do not have in your hand replace it with chopped coriander leaves.

Snake gourd is a wonderful vegetable with many health benefits.Snake gourd includes a large amount of water as well as fiber, only a number of calories. It makes the cooling effect within the body. Cooking the snake gourd with little techniques will give you a tasty dish. If you choose a tender snake gourd it will take less time to cook and it tastes amazing.  There are many variations for this poriyal but my favourite is this recipe. One day we went to a short picnic trip to Karaiyar Dam, Papanasam. We had lunch in a small restaurant.They served this colourful, tasty poriyal for sambar. We all enjoyed the poriyal very much. Then we went to the hotel kitchen and asked them about the recipe details. They were friendly and told us the ingredients for the ground coconut paste and the method of preparation. From that day onwards I have started preparing this poriyal by this method. The best part about these poriyal was their texture. They were crunchy on the outside,but so light. This ta

Carrot and green peas kurma