Vazhai poo Paruppu Usili

Ingredients:

• Vazhai poo - 1
• Toor dhal - 1 cup
• Red chillies - 2 nos
• Hing
• Urad Dhal - 1 spoon
• Mustard - 1/4 spoon
• Refined Oil - 1 spoon

Method:

• Soak Toor dhal for 2 hrs along with red chillies.
• Grind Toor dhal coarsely with out water.

• Pressure cook and spread it in plate to cool.

• Grind this in mixie for just 5 seconds. Now the paruppu would be in seperated (udhir) form.
• Add refined oil in pan and mustard seeds. When it splutters add urad dhal, when it turns golden brown add vazhai poo and cook for 10 mins.
• Add paruppu usili to vazhai poo and Vazhai poo paruppu usili is done!!!

Ven Pongal

Ingredients:

• Raw Rice - 2 cups
• Moong Dhal - 1 cup
• Water - 7 cups

Garnishing:

• Cumin seeds - 1.5 spoons
• Pepper - 1/4 spoon
• Cashew - 10 pieces
• Curry leaves
• Ginger piece - 1/4 spoon
• Ghee - 4 spoons
• Refined oil - 1 spoon

Method:

1. Wash rice and moong dhal. Add water and pressure cook.
2. After its cooked smash the rice and moong dhal mixture.
3. To this add cumin seeds, pepper, cashew, ginger pieces sauted in refined oil.
4. Add ghee, curry leaves and mix it well.
5. Can serve 4

Now the lip-smacking hot Ven Pongal is ready!!!

Traditional Vatha Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

• Sambar powder - 3 tablespoons
• Turmeric - 2 pinch
• Hing - 2 pinch
• Tamarind - one big marble size ball
• Channa Dhal - 1 tablespoon
• Rice flour - 1/4 spoon (dissolve rice flour in 3 spoons of water)
• Jaggery (gud) - small piece
• Water - 1 cup

Garnishing:

• Fenugreek - 1/4 spoon
• Red chilli - 2 nos
• Mustard - 1/4 spoon

Method:

• In one cup add sambar powder, turmeric, hing & Channa dhal with water to soak.
• In another cup add tamarind with water to soak.
  
• Pressure cook the contents in both the cups. After its cooked mix both. (note: With additional 1/2 tumbler water take out the tamarind pulp and remove its impurities).
• Add 1/2 cup water, jaggery, rice flour and heat for 5 mins.
• Splutter the mustard seeds in oil, in low flame add fenugreek, red chilli and pour this over kuzhambu. At the end add curry leaves to it. Can serve 4 people.

Traditional Aracha Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

• Sambar powder - 2 tablespoons
• Turmeric - 2 pinch
• Hing - 2 pinch
• Tamarind - one big marble size ball
• Vegetables - any sambar vegetables
• Toor dhal - 1 tumbler (add water till the dhal soaks)

Paste Ingredients:

• Coriander seeds - 1 tablespoon
• Channa Dhal - 1 tablespoon
• Fenugreek - 1/4 spoon
• Cumin - 1/2 spoon
• Red chilli - 2 nos
• Grated coconut - 3 spoons

Dry roast coriander, kadalai paruppu, fenugreek, cumin, red chilli. After it cools grind this along with coconut by adding water.

Method:

In one cup add sambar powder, turmeric and hing with sufficient water. In another cup add tamarind along with water. In another cup add toor dhal with water. Pressure cook all these items along with the vegetable. After its cooked, grind thoor dhal in mixie so that it will be fully mashed. Mix the pressure cooked items, grinded paste and add 1/2 tumbler water(Note: Take out the tamarind pulp and remove its impurities). Boil for 5 mins and add curry leaves to it. Splutter the mustard seeds in oil and add it to kuzhambu. Now the hot arachu kuzhambu is ready. Can serve 4 people.

Tomato Thokku

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes - 4
• Chilli powder - 1/2 spoon
• Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
• Salt to taste
• Refined Oil - 8 spoons
• Hing
• Mustard - 1/4 spoon

Method:

Heat the oil in pan and put mustard seeds. After it splits add the tomatoes and turmeric powder and cook for 5 mins. Then add chilli powder & salt. Cook till the water drains and oil oozes out from the sides. After the thokku cools, store it in a air tight container. It will stay for 5 days.