VIRUNDHOMBAL

Cauliflower Kurma  Kurmas usually involve the whole spices, onions, tomatoes and the coconut paste. This Cauliflower Kurma also includes the same ingredients, but lots of chopped small onions and chopped garlics which add a unique taste and flavor in this dish. This Kurma pairs well with poori, roti, parotta, aapam and dosas. It even tastes good for ghee rice and vegetable pulav. This kurma is one of my all time favourite dish. The preparation work and the ingredient lists are very simple. The only thing that takes time in this dish is chopping the onions and garlics finely. If you do not have small onions, replace it with the regular onions. For this Kurma choose cauliflowers which are tightly packed. The thickness of the kurma is also similar to many kurmas but the taste of the cauliflower kurma is more unique than many other kurmas. The cauliflower florets are precooked for few minutes and then you have to cook them well in the coconut paste. With a perfect combination li

Amla/ Nellikai/Gooseberry Pickle Amla Pickle - perfect a ccompaniment for curd rice, parathas and rotis. My mother makes this easy and delicious Amla pickle whenever she finds good amlas. For pickles she always prefers fresh amlas without any black spots or dull skin. The amlas are thinly sliced and then deep fried in oil. The deep fried amla slices or further seasoned with chilly powder, asafoetida powder, tamarind extract, jaggery and fenugreek powder. I frequently prepare this amla pickle because the entire recipe takes less than 30 minutes with minimal processing. You can feel the flavour of amlas in every bite. This pickle packs a lot of flavour using the simplest ingredients. 

Populary known as Thenga(Coconut) manga(mangoes) pattani(white peas) sundal. This sundal can be prepared in a variety of ways. In this version, the white peas, are cooked in pressure cooker and seasoned with mangoes, ginger, green chillies and coconuts. You can use coriander leaves for garnishes. As I mentioned earlier in my posts, soaking is the most important process for any type of sundals. This white peas must be soaked for 8 to 10 hours and then cooked for perfect results.

Rava kesari is a well known dessert which can be easily prepared within 20 minutes. As compared to other desserts rava kesari is easy to learn and easy to make, especially for beginners. My Uncle (Periyappa) is an expert on preparing this rava kesari. He shared his useful tips and techniques with me for the perfect consistency. He said that we have to roast the rava well in ghee and then the rava must be cooked well in the water (for 1 cup rava, 3 cups water). He always prefers any dessert with sharp sweetness, so he usually add 3 cups sugar for 1 cup rava. And finally the other important tip for the recipe success is the ghee. The ghee must float on the sides of the kesari. This kesari is absolutely delicious when it's hot.Follow the above instructions and try this easy rava kesari for this Navarathiri poojas. 

Moong dal/Green gram/Pasipayaru Sweet Sundal This moong dal(green gram/pasipayaru) sweet sundal is prepared with just 3 ingredients within 15 minutes. My mom prepares this healthy moong dal sweet sundal for Navarathiri poojas. Whole moong dals are simple and easy to cook for poojas. This moong dal sweet sundal is best suitable for kids to include iron, protein and fibre for them. One of the best method to cook them uniformly is we have to soak them for 6 hours. By allowing the dals to soak in plenty of water, gives the perfect texture for any dishes made with green moong dal. So follow the simple instructions and do try this easy and healthy Moong dal with jaggery and coconut for this Navarathiri poojas. 

Kootanchoru is a popular lunch dish from Tirunelveli. This is our family favourite rice and it is rich in nutrients as it contains lots of vegetables and dals. We prepare this rice frequently for special events and family get togethers.  In most of Tirunelveli dishes we use small onions, garlic, coconut and generous amount of jeera. In this dish also we have used coconut small onion paste and good amount of fresh vegetables. We add commonly used vegetables such as raw banana, brinjals, drumsticks, carrots, beans and potatoes. I have learned this recipe from my grandma. She taught me with her some useful tips and techniques about how to cook, when to add the ingredients and how to choose the correct vegetables. My son named as Tirunelveli biriyani for this rice.  Now let's see how to prepare this kootanchoru with step by step photos.   Here is a short video for Tirunelveli Kootanchoru

Paneer Butter Masala - Side dish for roti, nann, kulcha. Restaurant style gravies such as paneer butter masala, vegetable kurma, chenna masala etc are all-time favourite gravies for us. These gravies can be easily prepared in your home with simple cooking methods. This restaurant style Paneer butter masala requires some preparation work like grinding the tomatoes and cashews, but the cooking time is very less. You can easily prepare this masala within 30 minutes.  Follow these simple instructions and prepare restaurant style Paneer butter masala for your family.

Pidi karunai kuzhambu (Yam) provides all the important nourishment to the body which not only improves the immunity system, but also brings a glow in the body. It is used as an Ayurvedic medicine to cure piles. It is high in Vitamin B6, and contains Vitamin C and A, potassium, phosphorous and magnesium. This pidi karunai masiyal is easy to make and tamarind juice is added to remove itchiness. A healthy and low calorie dish which goes well with rice. I learnt this recipe from my mom. For pulikuzhambu we prepare this masiyal as a side dish. Try this easy and healthy masiyal for your family. 

Masala macaroni - macaronis flavoured with masalas, mint leaves, garlics and sauted with vegetables, is enjoyable for kids. This masala macaroni is easy to make for evening tiffin for your kids. Before tossing with the vegetables the macaronis are cooked in plenty of water and drained well. You can add any vegetables as you wish and any macaronis. For this masala macaroni the mint leaves give some unique flavour and taste. Cooking the macaronis can take a few minutes, so cooking them in advance allows minimal work when your kids arrive you can prepare within a couple of seconds. 

In most of our houses we prepare either coconut chutney with red chillies or green chillies as an accompaniment for idlies and dosas. Sometimes these two chutneys are really boring on regular rotations. One day my Chithi(aunt) taught me this different tomato chutney with green chillies. Normally for tomato chutney we add dried red chillies or red chilly powder, but in this dish the tomatoes are cooked along with green chillies and then made into a paste. The paste is further sauted with onions and flavoured with little sambar powder. The combination of the green chillies and tomatoes pair each other perfectly and perfect side dish for idly, dosa, pongal and upma.    Checkout my other recipes with tomatoes.  Tomato Onion Thokku Tomato  Rasam Tomato Sabji Tomato Pasta Tomato Thokku Tomato Millet rice Tomato Jam  Spicy Tomato Rice  Tomato Dosa  Tomato Coconut Chutney   Tomato Kurma  Tomato Rice   Tomato chutney  Here is a short video for Tomato green chilly chutney

Pepper dosa - easy and healthy breakfast dish. In South India major types of dosa are prepared using  rice and urid dal. This pepper dosa is also prepared with rice and urid dal but instead of white urid dal i have used black split urid dal.The dosa is flavoured with black pepper powder and to add some extra taste I have added finely chopped onions, fresh grated coconuts, curry leaves and cooked with coconut oil. The consistency of the batter should be thin like rava dosa batter. After grinding the batter you can immediately prepare the dosa and no need to ferment it. The black urid dal and black pepper powder are the main ingredients which give a unique taste for this dosa. The perfect accompaniment for this dosa are coconut chutney or curry leaves chutney. 

Collection of side dishes for lunch Here is a collection of vegetable side dishes like thuvaram, kootu, aviyal, pachadi, puttu etc for your everyday lunch. All the dishes are very easy and healthy.

Potato puttu - the perfect side dish for sambar, rasam and rice varieties. This is similar to vazhaikkai puttu recipe and the only difference is the potatoes are gently mashed instead of grating. This potato puttu is very simple to prepare, so flavourful in each and every bite. Everyone has a favourite potato recipes such as potato fries, mashed potatoes and countless recipes are there based on this friendly vegetable. For me and my husband this potato puttu is an all time favourite side dish for lunch. The main thing you have to follow while preparing this puttu the potatoes should not be overcooked or undercooked. If they are perfectly cooked the end result will be fantastic.  Here is a short video for Potato Puttu  

      A simple moth dal sabji  that is easy to cook without much effort. The cooking method is very simple, fast and suitable for beginners too. This moth dal sabji is great for roti, poori and with a bowl of warm rice. I always like to eat these kinds of mild dals with roti for dinner and it is good for people of all ages. You don't have to grind any masalas and there is no need for any spice powders. You can do the same dal with whole green moong dal. If you are using whole green moong dal, soak the dal 5 hours and then pressure cook for uniform cooking. In this dish, I have added combination of two dals but you can use any one variety. Let's see how to prepare this Easy moth dal sabji with step by step photos.

Idi Sambar recipe with full video and step by step instructions. I learnt this recipe from my Grandma. My Grandma prepares several sambar recipes and each sambar has a unique taste. Each slightly different. All of her sambars are delicious.  This Idi sambar is one of my favourite recipe from her. The aroma in the house was mouth watering when she cooks this sambar. For my Grandma this Idi sambar and aviyal are quick and easy lunch dishes. Give it a try when you want something special but quick and easy. An important first step to note when making this sambar is to bring the frying pan up to the required heat and fry the spices for about 3 minutes or until fragrant. All the ingredients are handy and it is easy to prepare your own sambar powder. I always like sambar with mixed vegetables. The concept of adding different vegetables to make sambar was common in every household. I have used drumsticks, ladies finger, brinjals and mangoes. In addition, you can add potatoes, Indian beans, b