Recipe Fundas!-Simple,Tasty, Healthy Vegetarian recipes for a Vibrant Living!

I got very big gooseberries in market lastweek. I soaked these in salted water and added a spoon of turmeric powder. After a week, when the gooseberries are soaked well in salted water, I cut the gooseberries into small pieces and removed the seed. In a pan, add 2 tbsp of oil, 1 tbsp of mustard seeds, 1 tbsp of chilli powder. Mix well, so that the chilli powder is fried in oil. Now, add the gooseberry pieces and add salt. Cook simmer for 2 mins.

Soak 1 cup of parboiled rice separately. Soak 1 handful of urad dhal and 1 handful of channa dhal separately. Mix and grind these two and add salt. You can make dosas instantly with this batter. If you cook in low flame and make thin dosas, this will taste great!

Hi, I just learnt this from my mom. Soak equal quantity of parboiled rice and Puffed rice for about 1-2 hours. Grind them in a blender, add salt and you can make thin dosas. This dosa can be prepared instantly and you can serve it with any of the chutneys in my blog!

This can be had with Rice & a spoon of gingelly oil. Ingredients: 1. Grated coconut- 1 cup 2. Urad dhal- 2 tbsp 3. Red chillies- 5 In a pan, add oil and add urad dhal, grated coconut and red chillies and grind (sprinking water). This needs to be thick in consistency. Add salt. This can be had with rice, and paapadam

In Tamilnadu, a very common dish is thogayal. It is mostly prepared of things of medicinal value. (No wonder, Tamil meals are often balanced with all supplements). Curry leaves- 2 handful Ginger- 1 big piece Green chillies- 1-2 Grated coconut- 2-3 tbsp Salt Grind all the above ingredients. No need to fry any of the ingredients or to roast. Some people, add a small piece of tamarind while grinding. Hope you all like this!

This is a very common side dish for Chapathi. Ingredients: 1. Channa dhal- 1 cup 2. Tomatoes-2,Onion- 2-finely chopped 3. Green chilli- 1 (slit longitudinally) 4. Jeera- 1/2 tbsp 5. Lime- 1/2 6. Garam masala-1 pinch 7. Chilli powder- 1 tbsp 8. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tbsp 9. Salt- as required 10. Channa dhal powder (Besan)- 1-2 tbsp 11. Coriander- for garnishing Procedure: 1. Soak channa dhal for more than 5 hours 2. Pressure cook, adding turmeric powder for 4-5 whistles 3. In a thick bottomed pan, add oil, jeera, green chilli, onion and tomatoes. 4. When the onion+tomato is getting fried, add chilli powder, garam masala and add 1/2 cup of water. 5. Let the onion tomato mixture cook well in masala. 6. Now add channa and salt, let this boil. 7. Mix 1 tbsp of besan in water and add. 8. Once the mixture is cooked well, switch off, and add lemon juice and garnish with freshly chopped coriander.

This is a typical TamilNadu dish. Ingredients: 1. To Saute: Mustard seeds (1/2 tbsp), curry leaves, Hing- Asaefoetida (1 pinch), fenugreek- 1/2 tbsp 2. Toor dhal- 1 cup soaked in water for about 30 min 3. Tamarind- 1 small lemon size (soaked in water) and juice extracted 4. Red chillies- 4 5. Sambar Powder- 1.5 tbsp to 2 tbsp 6. Salt How to make: 1. Grind the soaked toor dhal (aft.filtering water) and the red chillies coarsely. 2. In a pan, add oil and add this grounded mixture and stir well for 2-3 minutes. 3. Then, make balls of this mixture, before it gets cool 4. In a pan, add oil and add all the ingredients to saute. When the mustard starts splattering, add tamarind juice and sambar powder. 5. When the sambar is boiling, add the lentil balls one by one and let this boil for 3-5 minutes. 6. This can be served with Rice.

1. Wash 1 cup of Rice flakes (Aval) 2. Soak it in tamarind juice extracted by soaking 1 small lemon size tamarind for about 10 minutes. 3. In a pan, add oil, mustard seeds (1/2 tbsp), curry leaves (few), green/red chillies (1-2) and let this splatter. 4. Then add the soaked mixture, and add turmeric powder (1/2 tbsp) and salt. 5. Let this cook. You can add lil gingelly oil in the end.

Some quick home remedies: 1. For stomach pain, you can try applying gingelly oil in the tummy. Drink buttermilk with 1 tbsp of Fenugreek. 2. For sore throat and dry cough, boil 1 cup of milk and add 1/2 tbsp of turmeric and 1/2 tbsp of pepper powder. This will not taste good, but is a good remedy for dry cough. The other remedy is by having cinnamon powder/ chitharathai powder, mixed in honey (just 1/2 tbsp). 3.For Head aches, apply dry ginger powder paste and the pain will subside. 4. For acidity related gastric issues, chewing few pieces of grated ginger will help to sooth the pain. 5. For pain in the gums: Take a small pinch of tamarind and a lil salt and have it in the pain area. (dont swallow for a while). Repeating this procedure will help to reduce the pain.

This is another easier version of Indian Noodles. To Saute: Mustard-1/2 tbsp, channa dhal- 1/2 tbsp, curry leaves (few), hing-1/4 tbsp. Peas- 1/2 cup (optional). If the vermicelli is already roasted, you need not roast again. Else, use 1-2 tbsp of oil and roast 1 cup of vermicelli until color changes to brown. Set this aside. In the pan, add oil and all required to be sauted and once these splatter, add peas, 2 cups of water and salt. When the water starts to boil, add the vermicelli and let this cook well. Once the water is fully evaporated and the vermicelli has been cooked, remove from the stove and serve with curd/pickle or chutney

I have tasted this dish only in the houses and this is not available in hotels. Very simple to make, some may really love this taste. Ingredients: 1. Rice flour- 1 cup 2. Butter milk- 1.5 cups 3. Curd chilli- 1-2 4. Mustard and channa dhal- 1/2 tbsp each to saute. 5. Gingelly oil- 3 tbsp Procedure: Mix Rice flour, butter milk and salt. Now in a deep bottomed pan, add oil mustard, channa dhal and curd chillies Once they splatter add this rice flour mix and cook in low flame. Add gingelly oil and mix well so that there are no lumps. If you cook, adding oil you will see good roast in the bottom of the pan. This goes well with pickle!

This upuma is recommended for Diabetic patients. Ingredients: 1. Onion- 1 nicely chopped, Fresh peas- 1 cup, carrot chopped- 1 cup 2. Green chiiles- 2 nicely chopped 3. To saute: 1 tbsp of mustard, 1 tbsp of channa dhal, curry leaves and hing(asaefoetida). 4. Oil & salt as per required. I use 1:3 ratio of Sooji and water while making this. Procedure. 1. In the same tava, add oil, all the items mentioned to saute. Once they start splattering, add onion and fry until the color changes. Add peas, carrot. 2. Now add 3 cups of water and add the required amount of salt. 3. Once the water starts boiling, add sooji slowly (sim the stove now) and keep stirring in all sides to avoid lumps. 4. You still need to pressure cook this for 1-2 whistles. 5. Once pressure cooked, Add 2 tbsp of ghee and mix well. Leave the upuma to cook for 2 min Serve hot with pickle/curd or chutney/sambar.

Most common of all S.Indian Upuma is made of Sooji. This can go anywhere from bad to good, depending on how you make it :)- Ingredients: 1. Onion- 1 nicely chopped 2. Green chiiles- 2 nicely chopped 3. To saute: 1 tbsp of mustard, 1 tbsp of channa dhal, curry leaves and hing(asaefoetida). 4. Oil & salt as per required. I use 1:2 ratio of Sooji and water while making this. Procedure. 1. In a tava (which is deep bottomed), add 2-3 tbsp of oil and add 1 cup of sooji and roast for 2-3 minutes. 2. Then, remove it from the stove and keep it in a plate. 3. In the same tava, add oil, all the items mentioned to saute. Once they start splattering, add onion and fry until the color changes. 4. Now add 2 cups of water and add the required amount of salt. 5. Once the water starts boiling, add sooji slowly (sim the stove now) and keep stirring in all sides to avoid lumps. 6. Add 2 tbsp of ghee and mix well. Leave the upuma to cook for 2 min Serve hot with pickle/curd or chutney/sambar.

Ingredients: 1. 1/2 cup of grated coconut 2. 1 cup of cooked rice 3. Urad dhal -1 tbsp, 4 red chillies, curry leaves mustard- 1 tbsp 4. Coconut oil- 2 tbsp to saute 5. Salt- as required. Procedure: 1. In a pan, add coconut oil, mustard seeds, urad dhal and red chillies,curry leaves. 2. Once these start splattering, add coconut and fry until the color changes to light brown. Add salt and mix with Rice. 3. Serve with Pappadam

I am not sure on its exact English name, but its a kind of Yam. (Picture Credit- Dinakaran.com) This cures Piles. This can cause itchy feeling in the tongue. When you buy it from Indian stores, check and make sure that the yam is not soft. Cut them into two. Use the water that you got from rinsing the rice and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Then, in a pan add 1-2 tbsp of oil, mustard seeds, some curry leaves. Once they start splattering, add 1-2 chopped green chillies, 1/2 tbsp of turmeric and add the cooked &mashed yam. Add 1 glass of water and mix well. All this will mix and start boiling. Add salt and mix well. After switching off the stove, add lemon juice of 1 full lemon. Goes well with Vathakuzhambu rice. செய்முறை - அரிசி களைந்த கழுநீரை எடுத்து வைத்துக்கொள்ளுங்கள். கருணைக்கிழங்கை இரண்டாக வெட்டி, அந்த தண்ணீரை சேர்த்து, மஞ்சள் பொடி துளி சேர்த்து, மூன்று விசில் சத்தம் வரும் வரை வேகவையுங்கள். பின்னர், தோல் நீக்கி, ஒரு மரமத்தினால் நன்றாக மசித்துக்கொள்ளுங்கள். ஒரு க

Though there are a lot of parattas, Most common of all is the Aloo Paratta. 1. Pressure cook 4 potatoes for 3 whistles and peel them off and mash nicely. Add 1 tbsp of turmeric powder, 1 tbsp of chilli powder and 1-2 chopped green chillies, 1-2 tbsp of grated ginger, salt to the potatoes and mix well by hand. 2. Now, make chapathi balls and spread them. Keep a small portion of this potato mixture in the center and close the chapathi and knead again. 3. Cook in the tava in both sides adding oil. Served with Curd and pickle. Gobi Paratta: 1. Cut the cauliflower and chop them into very fine florets (Shredding). 2. Mix cauliflower, 1/2 tbsp of salt, 1/2 tbsp of cumin seeds and 1 handful of coriander leaves and 1 finely chopped green chilli and set aside for 5 mins. 3. Now try to squeeze the excess water from the mixture. Use this as a filling to make parattas.

There are several ways to make softer chapathis. 1. By adding oil. I add 2-3 tbsp of gingelly oil and I get very soft rotis 2. Alternately, if you knead the dough for a longer time and if you add the right quantity of water while kneading, you would get softer rotis.

Honey has very high medicinal value. It has been in use for several thousands of years in medicines like Siddha (India). We use Honey in Panchamirtham- Fruit desert (Mix of cut bananas, grapes, oranges, dates and jaggery). Honey creates a sense of alertness and keeps you agile. In a cup of lukewarm water, add 1 tbsp of honey and squeeze few drops of lemon. If you have this as a drink in the morning, instead of coffee/tea, this helps to maintain/reduce weight. You will definitely not gain weight. Honey also improves the texture of the skin. Alternately, for those who want to gain weight, you can soak dates in honey and have that in the morning. It will have the reverse effect, adding weight.

For Thiruvadhirai, its a usual practice to make a special food called Kali, and its served with 7 vegetables kootu (curry). I was told my one of music teachers that Thiruvadhirai signifies that God does not discriminate people by caste. In the olden days in Chidambaram, people from lower caste were not allowed in the temple. There was a very pious man by name Sendhanaar. He was upset of not allowed to have a darshan and he prayed at home offering God with Kali and 7 veg curry in his house. On Thiruvadhirai day, Chidamabaram car festival is conducted. But, the temple car did not move an inch. The priests and the crowd gathering were shocked. There was a noise in the sky that said that only if Sendhanaar comes and sings the temple car will move. Sendhanaar came and sang Thiruppallandu. (9th Thirumurai) and the temple car procession continued. When the priests opened the temple next morning, they found Kali and 7 veg curry in the Lord's mouth. So, with devotion, we continue to s

When you dont have time to make dosa batter, you can try this variation also. 1. Rice flour- 1/2 cup 2. Sooji- 1/2 cup 3. Channa flour- 1/2 cup 4. Green chilli- 1 grated 5. Buttermilk- 1 glass 6. Salt- as required. Mix all of the above ingredients by hand, so that there are no lumps. Add lil more water to get to a dosa batter consistency. Pre-heat the tava, and start making dosas. This will taste like Adai!. I tried this last weekend.