February 28, 2015

Easy to make Mullu Thenkuzhal

A popular and common snack liked by all is this crispy mullu murukku. There are so many versions of making this popular snack and here is the simplest one with available ingredients at home, no need for processed rice flour and no compromise in taste...

February 27, 2015

Yam Shallow Fry (Senai Kizhangu Poriyal)

Yam Shallow Fry with the sprinkle of mild spices tastes yummy and no doubt that it will tickle your taste buds. The Yam curry is one of the best side dish for Sambhar rice and Rasam rice. This Yam shallow fry is easy to make and tasty to eat...

February 25, 2015

Tip#87: Handy Problem Solving Cooking Tips

Everyone has experienced that dreadful moment in the kitchen when we taste test our recipe and it's too salty. Or when we reach for the next ingredient... and it's not there. Fear no more. Try these handy problem-solving tips to make your cooking experience a success.

Sutta Kathirikkai Masiyal (Grilled and Mashed Eggplant Gravy)

The hot, spicy and tangy grilled and mashed eggplant gravy is the serves as the excellent side dish to any type of tiffin like Pongal, Arisi Upma Idli and Rice. I have made slight variations from the traditional version to make it more spicy....

February 24, 2015

Tip# 86: Why an Apple a day, Keeps the Doctor Away?

Do you really know what makes an apple so special? Why is it that we never hear an orange or a banana a day keeps the doctor away? Apples have properties that no other fruits have and its benefits have been proven overtime. We will be able to get the benefits of these properties individually with other fruits, but an apple combines everything and makes it simpler.

Vazhaikkai Podi Curry (Spicy Raw Banana Curry)

Vazhaikkai Podi Curry is made with freshly roasted spices and it serves as the tasty accompaniment for rice. This is the traditional way of making Vazhaikkai in Tamil Brahmin families...

February 23, 2015

Tip# 85: Recipe for the Naturally Clean Kitchen

Nothing could beat the feeling of clean and fresh Kitchen. Kitchen is heart of our home isn't it? And by using simple, natural homemade cleaners, we can eliminate many other toxins that could otherwise leach their way into our systems.

February 22, 2015

Tip# 84: Amazing uses of Hot water

The simplest recipe that anyone could make is the Hot water! Do you know that this simplest hot water has unbelievable uses in the kitchen and helps us in many ways.....

Ridgegourd Spicy Chutney for Rice and Rotis

My cousin gave the recipe of this different chutney and after making it, the chutney has become our favorite one. From kids to elders everyone likes this. Once you make it, you can have it with rice and also with idli, dosa and Rotis...

February 21, 2015

Tip# 83: Quick Evening Snack For kids (Recipe 2)

Kids love to munch this crispy and crunchy onion rings. It can be made very easily with easily available ingredients at home. I changed the recipe a little bit from the original version according to Indian Flavour....

Poricha Kootu (Vegetables and Lentils gravy with Roasted Spices)

Poricha Kootu is slightly different from the regular kootu we make. It is made with freshly ground spices. It tatses great as side dish to have with hot rice and Vatha Kuzhambu. Here is the recipe of the simple and comfort side dish....

February 20, 2015

Tip# 82: Useful and Clever Kitchen Tips

Here are some useful tips to make cooking more creative and interesting.

February 19, 2015

Mullangi Sambar (Radish Sambar)

The most flavorful sambars are Shallots Sambar, Drumstick Sambar and Radish Sambar. Each one has its own unique flavor and tastes and dominates the gravy. The Hot radish sambar rice with potato curry tastes delicious. Here is the recipe for the radish sabar without coconut.

February 18, 2015

Traditional Idli Milagai Podi (Gun Powder / Idli Chilli Powder)

The unbeaten side dish for idlis is Milagai podi, irrespective of eating hot idlis at home or taking it in lunch box or carrying it for travel. The correct proportion of the ingredients roasted in right way yields a perfect hot and red coloured Milagai podi. Though it is made by adding different ingredients i am today giving the perfect traditional Milagai podi recipe...

Palak Paneer

A Popular North Indian Side dish for Rotis made of the Spinach Puree, Paneer and Spices with a Thick Indian Curry Sauce. The soft white paneer cubes in vibrant green spinach puree tastes delicious.

February 17, 2015

Simple recipe of Lemon Pickle (Elumichai Oorugai)

Lemon pickle is the most common pickle that goes well with both rice and parathas. The unique flavour of lemon and its sourness blended with the spices gives wonderful taste. If it is made with care following the right method, it can be stored and used for a long time...

Samai Pongal (Little Millet Pongal)

An easy to make, healthy and tasty breakfast is Little millet Pongal. This little millet is very rich in fiber and phosphorous and can be substituted for rice. Why can't we start our day healthy by having this Healthy & Light Breakfast?

February 16, 2015

Tip #18: Ten Tips to make Perfect and Delightful Sambhar

Sambhar is in fact the identity of Tamil people and is the inevitable food item of our cuisine. Though it is our traditional and usual recipe, it becomes more delightful when done with proper ingredients and method. Here are some Smart Samayal Tips for the Perfect Sambhar:

February 15, 2015

White Vegetable Kurma

In hotels usually two types of Kurma (Gravy) are served yellow and white. The white coloured vegetable kurma tastes mildly spicy, soft and goes well with any Indian bread variety and also with Idiyappam and Aappam...

February 14, 2015

Tip# 81: Creative and Awesome Food Tips

There are plenty of food hacks shared in the web and i found most of them are creative, interesting, ridiculous and useful. By following these hacks you can make eating more fun and interesting.

February 13, 2015

Lemon Ragi Vermicilli - A simple and healthy evening tiffin

This is a healthy and tasty tiffin for diabetic and old people. Apart from usual upma varieties it gives a sort of break and change to them.

February 12, 2015

Tip #80: Quick evening snack for Kids (Recipe 1)

It is not a difficult task to make the snack time as fun time for kids every evening when they return from school. The snacks should be kids friendly and at the same time could be done with little effort. Let me start the series with Quick Bread and Cheese Stick....

Thengai Thogayal (Traditional Spicy and Tangy Coconut Chutney for Rice)

This Thengai Thogayal is the traditional chutney that substitutes kuzhambu as the companion to rice. When we are bored of making kuzhambu for lunch daily, this Thengai Thogayal gives a welcoming break. It tastes hot, spicy and tangy to mix with hot rice with a tea spoon of coconut oil or ghee and any vegetable kootu and Pappad. This thogayal also tastes very good as a side dish to curd rice.

February 11, 2015

Tip #79: Who, Why and How to eat Pulses?

How could we forget all the dietary advice we got while growing up? 'Eat your pulses' or to put in simple way 'Have a bowl of dal every day.' Pulses include chickpeas, peas, lentils and beans. Pulses are members of the legume plant family which are grown for us to eat.

February 10, 2015

Tip# 78: How to Utilize Leftover Food Efficiently?

The most expensive food is the food that we throw away. Are you fed up of reheating the left overs and using them again and again? There are bunch of creative ways to make use of the common extras in the kitchen.

Aval Kesari (Poha Kesari)

Aval / Poha Kesari is an awesome and delicious sweet that is very easy to make and can be made in no time. No complicated procedure for making this and can be made perfect even at the first try...

February 09, 2015

Special Rasam / Kalyana Rasam

Recently I attended a marriage and had the opportunity of tasting a sumptuous flavourful Rasam . I couldn't resist myself from meeting the chef and getting the recipe. I made this rasam today and it came out exactly like the one I had in the feast. Here is the recipe for you....

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients for making Special Rasam:

Tamarind a small lemon size
Ripened tomatoes of normal size 2
Turmeric powder 1/4 tea spoon
Salt to taste
Well boiled Thur dal from 2 tb spoon of thur dal 1 cup

For Rasam Powder:

Coriander seeds 2 tb spoons
Thur dal 1 tea spoon
Bengal Gram 1 tea spoon
Red chillies 3 or 4

Dry roast the above items till they become hot and slightly change the colour. Powder them coarsely and keep aside.
Take 1 tea spoon of pepper and 2 tea spoons of jeeragam (Cumin seed). Powder them separately without roasting to a coarse powder and keep aside.

How to make Special Rasam?

Extract 500 ml of juice from tamarind and boil it with a chopped tomato, salt and turmeric powder. Add a small piece of jagerry to it.
Wait till the juice becomes half in quantity.
Now add the Rasam powder and mix well. Allow it to boil for 2 minutes.
Now mix 2 cups of water with boiled thur dal and add to the boiling rasam.
Chop the other tomato to small pieces and add to it.
Wait for the rasam to give out bubbles.
In a sauteing pan add 2 tea spoons of ghee. Add mustard seeds. After it splutters add 1/4 tea spoon hing powder and the pepper, cumin seed powder. Transfer it to the rasam.
Add chopped curry leaves and Coriander leaves.

Note:

Use freshly ground powder for original taste.
Cumin seeds must dominate the flavour than the pepper flavour.
Sauteing should be done in ghee.
After adding the boiled thurdal water, the rasam should not boil for long time.

Oothappam - Variety 1 (Dosa with Toppings)

The regular dosa better serves as the base for this dish and it is the most sought item in most of the restaurants in down south of Tamilnadu. Varieites of Oothappam can be made with the variations in the ingredients used as toppings.

February 08, 2015

Methi Leaves Tangy Gravy (Venthaya Keerai Kuzhambu)

Try this tangy gravy when you get fresh Methi leaves and discover the fantastic taste it gives when you have with hot steaming rice. It can be kept Qfor two or three days and used.

February 06, 2015

Tip# 77: Clever Kitchen Tips

For a change, today's Smart Samayal Tips are Pictures hand picked for you depicting clever kitchen tips which will be very useful to all...

Vermicelli Veg Upma (Semiya Upma)

Vermicelli Upma is a popular and perfect Tiffin of South India. It is a feast to eyes and tummy. An easy way to consume more vegetables and comes in hand to prepare in large quantity easily when we have more guests…

February 05, 2015

Foxtail Millet Dosa

We all are aware about the health benefits of gluten free millets and no doubt that we try our level best to add them in our regular food as often as possible. I tried this Foxtail Millet sa last week and it came out crispier and tastier than the regular dosa.

February 04, 2015

Tip #76: 10 Delicious Ways To Use Tomatoes in Indian Cooking

Tomatoes contain a good dose of vitamin C, and the cooking process doesn't destroy this important nutrient. Tomatoes are a good source of lycopene, which is an antioxidant. The cooking process brings out more of the lycopene in tomatoes and it also contains other antioxidants, such as beta-carotene. Let us see the different ways of using Tomatoes in cooking from our Smart Samayal Tips….

Basundi (Creamy and Nutty Dessert)

Basundi is a rich,creamy, nutty and delicious dessert made out of thickened whole milk. Basundi is a real treat to your taste buds and Festive Time Favorite....

February 03, 2015

Tip #75: STOP ASKING.."Why Healthy foods are not Tastier?"

Preparing food that tastes delicious and is good for health is not a magic trick.A simple planning and preparation tips will help you to produce healthy, delicious food that your family will love. Hope these Smart Samayal Tips will help you for that...

Radish Chutney(Mooli Chutney)

I bet you, whoever tastes this chutney couldnot findout that it is made of radish. Such a delicious, healthy and spicy chutney that goes very well with rice, dosa, idli and parathas. It is a very low calorie root vegetable that has many nutrients.....

February 02, 2015

Tip # 74: Some Interesting Cooking Tips

Though I have posted many cooking tips in my Smart Samayal Tips series here are some more tips for you to make the cooking more enjoyable and delicious.....

Methi Aloo Paratha

Methi Aloo Paratha is a Delicious and Quick tiffin suitable for breakfast, dinner and Lunch box. It remains soft for a long time and goes very well with any pickle, raitha or chutney varieties....

Ingredients for making Methi Aloo Paratha:

Whole wheat Flour 3 cups

Fresh methi leaves 1 1/2 cups

Boiled and well mashed potatoes from 2 potatoes

Green chillies 3

Cumin seed powder 1/2 tea spoon

Crushed garlic heads 4

Oil 2 tb spoons

Salt to taste

How to make Methi Aloo Paratha?

Wash the methi leaves well by rinsing in water and chop them and keep aside.

Run the green chillies in the mixie jar for few seconds and crush them.

Add all the items to the wheat flour now with oil and mix gently.

Add water little by little and make a dough like usual chappathi dough.

Now take required size of balls from the dough and roll them to rotis and cook them in tawa on both sides with oil or butter or ghee as you prefer. The yummy and spicy parathas are ready to eat...

February 01, 2015

Tip # 73: How to make cooking of greens more interesting?

Cooking Greens can be tricky, but the benefits of eating them are great, including improved health and reduced risk of certain diseases. When cooked properly, they taste great too! Really its a challenge for us to make kids to love greens. Here are some Smart Samayal Tips to cook them delicious...

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