Rasam

This is a very quick rasam...i hardly takes 10 mins to prepare this rasam. I am not a great fan of rasam and Selvam likes to have it, so i have just tried to cook this for him. This is one of my own recipe.

Ingredients:
1 big Tomato,
crushed garlic 2-3,
Rasam powder(i use the readymade Shakti masala) - 1 tsp,
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp,
Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp,
Pepper powder/crushed black pepper - 1/2 tsp,
tamarind paste(i use a little of it),
Little cooked toor dhal or just the water used to cook the toor dhar(optional),
salt to taste,
oil,
corriander.

For Seasoning
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp,
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp,
Dry red chilly - 1,
curry leaves

Preparation:
1) First fry all the ingrediants for seasoning and then add the garlic and fry for a minute.
2) Add the tomato (cut into very fine piceses or crush them) to it and fry them and then add all the spices to it and let it cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomato softens.
3) Add the tamarind pulp to it and let it cook for another 5 mins.
4) Add the cooked dhal/thick dhal water to it and let it come to a boil and stop it.
5) Add some corriander leaves to it and server it with rice.

Golden Fried Baby Corn

Golden Fried Baby Corn would make a nice evening snack. I have tried it a few times and has come out well. Selvam liked the snack very much.

Ingredients:
One small packet of babycorns (approx 8-10),
oil for frying,
Vinegar - 1tsp.

For batter:

Maida 4 tbsp,
Cornflour 3 tbsp,
Chilli powder - 1 tsp,
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp,
Ginger - garlic paste - 1 tbsp,
a pinch of Baking powder,
a pinch of ajinomoto (Optional, i never use ajinomoto),
Salt to taste,
Water.

Preparation:
1) Mix all the ingrediants for batter of medium consistency.
2) Cut and clean the baby corn into 2/3 pieces each.
3) Marinate the babycorn in the vinegar, half portion of the ginger-garlic paste and little salt for about 10-15 mins.
4) Add the marinated baby corn into the batter and mix them well.
5) Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the baby corn few at a time.

This makes a nice saturday evening snack when served with hot and spicy tomato sauce. You can enjoy this with a cup of hot Tea.

Tomato Pappu

It is an easy recipe which can be made very quickly. It also tastes good. We can have this with rice or pulka. I learnt this from mu aunt who is an excellant cook.

Ingredients:
1 cup toor dal
2 big onion(if you prefer small onion and have got the patience to peel the skin for atleast 15 numbers you can go ahead)
6 big juicy tomatos(mostly use the country tomatos to get the tangy taste)
Haldi - 1 tsp
a pinch of Asafoetida/Hing
5 pods of garlic
3-5 green chillies(depends on your taste bud)
salt to taste
lime (Optional)

For Seasoning
Mustard - 1 tsp
bengal gram dal - 1 tsp,
curry leaves,
jeera - 1 tsp,
Corriander leaves,
oil/ghee to fry,

Preparation:
1) Fry the onions (Optional, generally people dont fry the onions, use them directly, but i like the onions to be fried well)
2) Add all the other ingredients after you fry the onions - garlic, chilly, turmeric, hing, tomato and mix them and add the toor dal to it.
3) Add required amount of water and pressure cook them.
4) Once done take them and smash them well with a smasher until the tomatoes are well blended and simmer it on low heat in the stove. Add salt to the dal.
5) Meanwhile fry all the ingredients for seasoning and add this to the dal mixture let it cook for 2 mins and switch it of. (If you like it more tangy, then you can add a pinch of lime juice to it).

Now the Dal is ready to eat.

Sura(Shark) Puttu

Selvam got Shark one day and I have never cooked it before. He had eaten it in my cousin's house and he liked that, so I called her up and asked her how to cook.

I tried it out and it came really well.

Ingredients:

Shark 500gms,
Large onions/Small Onions (almost 400 gms),
Garlic flakes 5-6,
Ginger/Garlic paste 1 tbsp,
Green Chilly 2-3,
Turmeric powder 2 tsp,
Red Chilly powder - 1 tsp

For Seasoning
Mustard 1 tsp,
Few Curry leaves ,
Few Coriander leaves
Oil 1 tsp

Preparation:

1) Clean the shark pieces well.
2) In a vessal add the shark pieces, turmeric powder and little salt and let it cook well, (Approximately 10-15) until the shark is cooked well.
3) Once the shark is cooked well, you can peel the outer black & white hard skin easily.
4) Squeeze the water out of it and grate it well and make a mixture by adding turmeric powder, chilly powder.
5) In a tawa add oil and add the ingredients for seasoning and add the garlic flakes, green chillies, ginger/garlic paste and saute well.
6) Once the onion is fried well, add the shark mixture to it.
7) Let them blend well for sometime and get cooked together. (approx 10 mins).
8) Garnish it with coriander leaves.