Spinach Chappathi/Spinach Roti/Pulka Fulka /Indian Soft bread

Ingredients

1.Wheat flour/Chappathi flour - 1 cup

2.Salt -as required

3.Warm water-1 cup

4.Oil - 2 drops
5.Spinach / any greens /vegetables- 1 bunch

6.Garlic- 4 (optional)

7.Chili powder- 1/4 tsp (optional)
8.Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp (optional)


Preparation

1.Heat  1/2 cup water in a pan and cook spinach by adding little salt ,cumin powder ,crushed garlic and chilly powder.
2.Grind it well in the food processor/mixer.
3.Get the puree from the mixture using a sieve /sifter.

4.Mix wheat flour and salt in a vessel.

5.Add the spinach puree and knead into a smooth dough .If spinach puree is not enough to knead the dough ,you can use hot water also.

6.Refer this link to get tips on chappathi making http://annshealthykitchen.blogspot.com/2012/02/chapathichapati.html

7.Make chapathi's as shown in the above link.

Chapathi/Chapati/Roti/Pulka Fulka /Indian Soft bread

Ingredients

1.Wheat flour/Chappathi flour - 1 cup

2.Salt -as required

3.Warm water-1 cup

4.Oil - 2 drops 

Preparation

1.Add salt to 1 cup of  water and microwave / heat for 2 minutes.

2.Pour water little by little to the wheat flour and mix well.
3.Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about  5 - 10 minutes.
 [Tip: If your dough is really hard ,at this stage pour 2 drops of oil  to the dough  and  keep kneading.
   Sprinkle little amount of flour and make it to a ball.] optional

4.Cover the dough and let it rest for 10- 30 minutes.Because by then it will be soft, easy to handle and it will cook perfectly and form little bubbles as soon as you put it on the heat.
[Tip 2:If your dough is still dry ,roll the dough in to long ropes,rub with oil and coiled them in to rounds and roll them out.] optional
5.Divide the dough into small balls.

6.Dust a clean surface lightly with flour.
7.Lightly coat one ball in dry flour
8.Put 1 ball of dough on the surface, keep the other balls covered.
9.Flatten the dough using a rolling pin.

10.With each roll,rotate the dough one -quarter and turn to keep it in an even circle
11.Flip the dough over once or twice and dust it with flour to prevent sticking.
12.To get chapati that are soft and flexible it is crucial that the skillet is very hot, so that they are done in under 30 seconds per side.

13.When you see bubbles on one side of chapathi,gently press and rotate it , then turn it and do the same.

14.Keep the chapathi in a container and close with the lid

[Tip 3 :Its better to keep the chapathi covered in a wet cloth or napkin so that the chappathi will be soft and will not be dry.]

How to make Fulka

When the chapati is placed over flame and it puffs up it is known as fulka. To eat it apply butter or ghee.

Cook both sides of the chapati on a hot tawa for 30 seconds and then put directly on the flame (eg: gas stove, electric stove) using a  locking tong[see the below image] .Turn quickly and let the other side puff up.

If you are using an electric stove place a wire mesh on the stove [something like the following image] and put the chapati on the wire mesh to puff up. 

To keep the chapatis warm and fresh apply some ghee on top of the chapati ,rotate and spread the ghee using another chapati.Keep chapatis one over the other .In this way the ghee will spread on both sides.[optional]

Uzhunnu Vada

Ingredients

Uzhunnu parippu (black gram) - 1 cup

Shallots/Kunjulli/Red onions chopped -1 cup

Green chilly chopped - 7

Ginger finely chopped - one piece

Curry leaves crushed/chopped - 1 spring

Salt -to taste

Oil- for deep frying

Baking soda -1/4 tsp 

Preparation

1.Soak dal in water for 6 hours
2.Grind  dal in to a very fine smooth  paste by adding a few tablespoons of water ,if required.
   It would be better if you could grind it without adding water.
   Adding too much water will make it difficult to  get the vada in round shape.
   You can use the food processor or mixer.But the mixture should be well ground and thick.

3.Keep aside for 3 hours or until the batter became soft and puffy.
4.Add  chopped shallots(kunjulli), curry leaves,green chillies, chopped ginger, and salt  to the above mixture and mix well.

5.If the batter became loose refrigerate it for better consistency.Refrigerating makes the batter thick so that it will be easy for you to roll the vada.
5.Heat oil in a pan,put it on a medium flame.
6.Wet your palm with cold water and take a small portion of the dough and roll it into a ball.Slightly flatten it and make a hole in the center using your finger.Slip this into hot oil.Cook until it turns golden brown.
7.Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Upma /Upmavu

Ingredients

Rava/Sooji/Semolina -2 cup
Oil -4 tbsp
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
Ginger root -1 tsp, grated
Green chillies -3-5 med, chopped
Chopped onions 1 med, chopped
Salt to taste
Vegetables of choice: Green peas,beans, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, capsicum, etc
Grated coconut -3-4 tbsp, optional
Egg-2 (optional)
Lemon juice (2 tsp, optional)

Preparation

1.Heat oil in a pan
2.Add mustard seeds and wait for them to splutter.
3.Add cumin seeds,ginger ,green chillies and chopped onions.Fry until onions caramelise.
4.Add vegetables and saute for 3-4 minutes.Depends on the vegetables the cooking time may vary.
   I have added 1 handfull of chopped beans,1 handfull of green peas and 2 grated carros.
5.Add 2 eggs and saute until it dry well.
6.Add rava and dry roast until it just begins to turn brown.
7.Add grated coconut and salt.
8.Boil 2-3 cup of water in a sauce pan.
9.Keep a slow fire and add boiled water little by little to the rava stirring continuously.
10.The upma is done when all the water is absorbed by the rava.
11.Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves and lemon juice.


Another way to prepare upma

1.Dry-roast rava until it just begins to turn brown, then keep aside.

2.Do steps from 1 to 7.

3.Add 2 cups of water and bring to boil(for 1 cup rava,2 cup water)

4.Add the roasted rava ,turn down the heat, and mix quickly to avoid lumps forming.

5.Continue step 10 and step 11.

Fruit Salad

Ingredients

1.Mango pulp -1 can
2.Cream of coconut -1 can
3.Sweetened condensed milk - 1 can
4.Fresh fruits,cut in to cubes.I used some canned fruits also

Preparation

1.Whisk mango pulp,cream of coconut and sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl
2.Mix the fruits to above mixture
3.Refrigerate and serve cool.

Fish Curry /Meen Curry

Ingredients

1.Fish - 1/2 kg
2.Ginger - 1 cup (Thinly sliced)
3.Garlic - 1 cup (Thinly sliced )(please see the below  picture)
4.Small Onion -1 cup (Thinly sliced)
5.Onion -1 cup (Thinly sliced)
6.Fenugreek(uluva) -1 tsp
7.Kashmiri Chilli powder - 2tsp
8.Chilly powder-3 tsp
9.Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
10.Coriander powder -11/2 tsp
11.Fish masala -2 tsp (optional)
12.Kudam puli -3 nos
13.Oil-4 tsp

Preparation
Usually manchatti is used to prepare fish curry.
1.Clean and cut the fish in to medium sized pieces.For some kind of fish (eg:sravu/shark)you may need to peel off the skin.
2.Soak the kudampuli in 1/2 cup water

3.Heat oil in a vessel/manchatti
4.Splutter 1tsp fenugreek seeds

5.Add ginger,garlic,small onions and saute well for 4 minutes.
6.Add thinly sliced onions and stir till the oil separates from it .
7.Mix 3tsp chilly powder ,2 tsp kashmiri chilly powder and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and fish masala with a little water
Add the masala to the sauteed onion and stir till the oil seperate from the masala.
8.Now add the soaked kudampuli and water.
9.Bring the gravy to boil and then simmer.
10.Add enough salt.
11.Gently add the fish and curry leaves to this gravy.The fish should immerse in the gravy.
12.Cook till the fish is done and the gravy become thick
13.Keep this fish curry aside for 10-12 hrs before using it.

Carrot Puttu

Ingredients


1.Rice flour/Arippodi/Samba wheat puttu podi/ Any kind of puttu podi - 2 cup
2.Salt- as required
3.Water-as required
4.Carrot -1 grated
5.Cumin seeds/Jeerakam -1tsp(optional)
6.Curry leaves -1 spring (optional)
7.Coconut- 5 tsp

Preparation


1.Crush 1tsp cumin seeds and 1 spring curry leaves together.Add this to the puttu podi and mix well.
2.Mix salt with water and sprinkle this to the powdered flour  just to make the powder wet.
Do not pour a lot of water
3.Finally add 1 grated carrot to it and mix well.(Add carrot  last otherwise its difficult to mix the powder )
4.You need puttukudam to make puttu.
5.Put a hand-full of grated coconut  in the puttu kutty and then put puttu podi.
  If you like coconut you can add coconut in the middle section and top of puttukutty.
6.Close the lid and steam it for 5 minutes
7.Serve puttu hot.

Kalan/Moru curry/Curd Curry

You can use raw bananas or slightly ripened bananas for making kalan.I like the sour-sweet combo very much.

Ingredients
Ethakka/Plantains/Banana - 2 nos
Oil -2 tsp
Turmeric powder -3/4 tsp
Green chilies-3 sliced vertically
Chilly powder -1/2 tsp
Coconut- 1 cup (1/2 of a grated coconut or less as required )
Fenugreek/cumin seeds/jeerakam-1tsp (or more as required)
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
Red chilies-3-4
Curry leaves- 1 spring
Salt-as required

Preparation
1.Wash and peel the banana,cut in to cubes.
2.Cook the plantains in water by adding 3/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp chilly powder ,salt and green chilies.

3.Grind 1 cup of coconut and 1tsp cumin seeds well to get a fine paste.
4.When the bananas are almost done add the above ground paste .Close the lid and cook for 2 more minutes.
5.Beat one cup yogurt and add to the above mixture.Switch off the flame before the curd boils.
6.Finally,heat 2 tsp oil in a pan.Splutter mustard seeds and fry dry chilly and curry leaves.Add this to the kalan.

Avial

This recipe is usually made with leftover vegetables.So even  if you don't have all the below vegetables available,still you can make this with the leftover vegetables in your refrigerator.

Ingredients
1.Yam(Chena)-1  cup
2.Plantains/Raw banana(Ethakka)-1 cup
3.Carrot -1 cup
4.String beans -1 cup
5.Drumstick(Muringakka)-1 cup
6.Cucumber(yellow) -1 cup
7.Brinjal(Vazhuthananga) -1 cup
8.Snake gourd(Padavalanga) -1 cup
9.Pumpkin -(1 cup)
9.Raw mango - as required for sourness
10.Green Chilies -6-7(cut in to half)

11.Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
12.Salt-as required

13.Grated coconut- 1/2 of one coconut
14.Cumin seeds-1 1/2 tsp
15.Kunjulli -6 nos
16.Coconut oil-4 tsp

Preparation

1.Slice the yam in to thin long pieces and place it in water
2.Slice all the other vegetables in to thin long pieces and place it all in water in another vessel.

3.Crush  together grated coconut and cumin seeds  and keep aside.Crush  it without adding water so that you will get a thick paste.Do not grind it.

3.Heat 2tsp coconut oil in a pan and add 2 stem curry leaves
4.Add the vegetables,green chilies, 3/4 turmeric powder ,1/4 tsp chilly powder salt and stir.

5.Close the vessel with a lid and cook in a low flame .
(Tip:If you cook the vegetables in a low -medium flame, you don't want to add water to the vegetables).
When the vegetables are half cooked add the raw mango and keep the vessel closed.

6.When it boils,add the crushed coconut and cumin seeds .Close the lid and cook for 2 more minutes.

7.When all the vegetables are cooked,open the lid and make a small hole in the centre of the vegetables.

8.The water that collects in this hole should be scooped out with a big spoon and poured over the vegetables.

9.Add curry leaves mix it all well together.
10.Now add 2tsp coconut oil to this and heat it all well and remove from the flame.
11.Serve warm with Chappathi/Rice

Tip:

Usually we are using raw mango to get sourness to the curry.
But some people prefer to skip raw mango or substitute it with curd or tamarind pulp.
So if you prefer to use  tamarind pulp or curd ,you can add it after step 5.