VIRUNDHOMBAL

White pumpkin(ash gourd) in Tamil it is called as thadiyangai or vellai poosani. White pumpkin is popular in South Indian foods and widely used in kootu, sambar and patchadi. This white pumpkin kootu is a traditional dish in Tirunelveli. White pumpkin kootu is cooked with coconut paste and chana dal.   This kootu is a best choice to pair with sambar and pulikuzhambu . Just like my other kootu varieties, I recommend to cook in a deep vessel with frequent stirs. This method gives you the perfect results rather than pressure cooking. Here are my other kootu recipes Here is a short video for White Pumpkin Kootu Raw papaya kootu Yellow pumpkin kootu Chayote kootu Paruppu keerai kootu Manathakkali keerai kootu

Coriander leaves/Kothamalli thuvaiyal is a simple condiment for curd rice with a unique taste. Flavourful and healthy thuvaiyal. Kothamalli thuvaiyal and curd rice is a favourite lunch for my father. It was such a great accompaniment for the curd rice. There are a few basics for this thuvaiyal that you must follow to achieve a tasty thuvaiyal. I prefer to use only the leaves for this thuvaiyal. So separate each leaf from the stem and then grind it. Just make sure to use fresh coriander leaves for this dish. The red chillies must be roasted for a second and then grind along with the fresh coriander leaves. Don't forget to add the tamarind because it helps to keep the thuvaiyal best for 2 to 3 days. After grinding the coriander paste do not saute them in the oil for too long because it will lose the wonderful flavours from the coriander leaves. You have to saute them in the oil just for a few minutes. Now let's see how to prepare this coriander leaves thuvaiyal. Checkout ...

Kaju katli (Cashew nut Fudge) - a delicious sweet made within 15 minutes. For this kaju katli you just need 3 ingredients that you already have in your kitchen. They are the fresh whole cashew nuts, sugar and a tbsp of ghee. And the best part is the cooking method is very simple. For this sweet I recommend to prepare with the whole cashew nuts for the texture and the flavour. When grinding the cashew nuts, it is very important not to over grind it. As the grinding exceeds, the natural fat in the nuts start to release and it will change the texture of the sweet. The 2nd most important thing in this sweet is the sugar syrup consistency. You should add the cashew nuts powder when you get the one string consistency. After adding the cashew nuts powder, it will take only 3 minutes to complete the process. Do not do other things when preparing this sweet, focus entirely on the katlis and definitely you will get an amazing result. Here is my other similar dessert recipes Kesar peda ...

Seepankizhangu varuval is a spicy roast with flavours from red chilly powder and garlics. The seepankizhangu (taro root) are cooked in an open vessel and cut into small circles and mixed with chilly powder, gram flour, rice flour to roast it. The mixed taro roots slices  are deep fried in oil and then they are sauted with chopped garlics and curry leaves. The pressure cooking method for taro root gives you a mushy dish so I cook the taro roots in an open vessel. You can also steam the taro roots for 7 to 10 minutes. For kids we usually prepare tamarind rice or lemon rice or coconut rice for their lunch boxes. Some side dishes made with potatoes are best suitable for those kind of rice varities. We can prepare different varieties with any potatoes and the methods are endless. This seepankizhangu (taro root) varuval is the best side dish for kids lunch box.

This is a simple vegetable kurma with a combination of vegetables made with coconut paste and little garam masala powder for the flavours. There are no other extra spices or some other special ingredients like fresh cream, cashew nuts or poppy seeds. Dinner plays an important role for a good sleep. Sometimes it is uncomfortable for us to have a kurma with lots of flavours for dinner.This kurma works well because there is no additional flavours and five different vegetables with fiber which helps in digestion. This kurma is also suitable for elderly people and people who have heartburns and also for your kids. Make sure to include carbohydrates (dosa, chapathi or idiyappam) along with this vegetable kurma to have a balancedv dinner. Here is my other kurma recipes Hotel vegetable kurma Cauliflower kurma Mushroom kurma Paneer and capsicum kurma Soya beans kurma Soya chunks and green peas kurma

Millets toor dal dosas are simple dosas made with millets, toor dal, red chillies and a small piece of tamarind. It is an easy recipe and can be made with any millets as you wish. In this dish I have used proso kodo millets. This dosa makes a great dinner without any much effort. The secret to this crispy dosas is in the grinding the batter in correct consistency. After grinding the batter, I have added finely chopped onions and curry leaves. These dosas require no fermenting, so simply add the onions and any other chopped vegetables or greens and start preparing the crispy dosas. You can serve this dosa with any chutney or sambar. The combination of millets with toor dal is perfect for dosas plus this recipe is easy too.

This coconut chutney with red chillies are also similar to the coconut chutney with green chillies. For this chutney also we use tamarind and small onions. This chutney is a very good side dish for idly, wheat dosa, upma and also good for travel foods. If you are packing this chutney for a long travel, saute the ground chutney in the kadai after tempering until the moisture in the chutney evaporates. You can also use one onion vadagam for tempering.