VIRUNDHOMBAL

Aapams are easy and tasty tiffin dish with soft texture in the centre and slightly crisp around the edges. It can be served with red coconut chutney ,  white vegetable kurma , kumbakonam kadapaa , kadalai curry, cauliflower kurma or any other varieties of kurma which have mild flavours. I always prefer coconut milk for aapam. Tips to get soft aapams To make these aapams, I have used idli rice, raw rice, urid dal, fenugreek and grated coconut. You can grind the batter either in mixer grinder or wet grinder. Grinding the batter in a wet grinder gives you soft aapams. If you are grinding in a mixer jar, try to soak the rice for 4 to 5 hours and then grind it smoothly.The batter ferments at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours. After fermentation, add fresh coconut water  and cooking soda. You can also add tender coconut slices while grinding.The fenugreek acts as a natural softening agent and makes aapam soft and fluffy. So don't leave it or forgot to add when soa...

Kadala Curry - easy and healthy curry that is full of flavours. This kadala curry is best when served with aapam or puttu. I learnt this recipe from Girijashree aunty. We both met at Jeya TV for Adupangarai cookery show. She is from Kerala and she prepared a delicious payasam with samba rava for the show. She taught me this kadala curry which is their traditional method in her hometown. She explained me clearly with proper measurements and steps. Very easy to prepare with simple cooking methods and the taste was so nice with aapam. This kadala curry is perfect for a weekend breakfast because you can enjoy the taste leisurely without any tensions.This kadala curry includes very few ingredients that are easily available in your kitchen. We need small onions, red chilly powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder, tomato and coconut & coconut oil. The final tempering which is made with coconut oil enhanced the taste. You can use either white or black chick peas for this curry...

Sweet corn pakoda - yummy evening snack for your kids. Usually we prepare masala corn for them with a very few ingredients and it is a favourite snack for kids. Now a days sweet corns are available throughout the year, so you can prepare this easily without much effort. This pakoda is also a great starter for family get togethers and potlucks. I prepared this dish for 30 varieties Potluck dishes for the Aval Vikatan magazine . The sweet corn kernels are cooked in a pressure cooker for 10 minutes. Then the cooked sweet corn kernels are grounded in a mixer jar. I have tested the recipe without cooking the corns but this method tastes good. You can also steam the corns in a steamer. For this pakoda, just a little effort like cooking and grinding works are required, but you will get a tasty pakoda with different taste and flavours. After grinding the corns you have to mix all the remaining ingredients and then start preparing the pakodas. I have not used any other addi...

Karupatti Samba Aval - prepared with red poha, grated coconut and palm jaggery. Just 3 ingredients are required to prepare this healthy breakfast. I prepared this recipe for 30 varieties easy and healthy dishes with few ingredients for the Aval Vikatan magazine. For this dish you can use either thick aval or thin aval. One of the common mistake that why dishes made with aval gets soggy is due to over soaking the aval which turns mushy. If you are using thick aval, soak the aval in warm water for 15 minutes and then drain the water completely. If you are using thin aval, just rinse the aval and drain the water completely. Make sure that you don't soak it for more the 15 minutes. To prepare this dish, you have to grate the palm jaggery and prepare a thick syrup. Then the syrup is strained to remove the impurities and add it to the soaked aval. Finally, a handful of fresh grated coconuts is added. If you want to prepare even more ahead of time, you can prepare the palm jaggery...

Badam(Almond) Katli - delicious sweet prepared with badam, sugar, saffron, milk powder and ghee. As I have told you before, for any dessert first you need patience. Especially for katlis, if you prepare it with interest and patience you will get perfect results like store bought sweets. The procedure for badam katli is similar to kaju katli with a  few variations. To sweeten the katlis I have used powdered sugar. When I made this recipe for the first time, I have mixed the badam paste with the sugar syrup but it was tasted like badam halwa . After that,  I tested the recipe twice with powdered sugar and the results were good. How to prepare Badam Katli To make this katli, first you have to soak the badam in hot water 30 minutes. Then remove the skins and soak it in the warm milk for 15 to 20 minutes and then grind it nicely. Once the badam has grounded nicely, transfer it to a heavy bottomed non - stick kadai along with the powdered sugar, milk powder ...