Bissi Bele Bhath

 Ingredients

Main	Spices	Generic
2 cups Sona Masoori Rice	1 pinch Hing	Ghee
1/2 cup Tur Dal	1 pinch Turmeric	Salt
1 cup Squash cubes	1 tbsp Jaggery
1 small Bell Pepper	3 tbsp Dhania Seeds
1 medium Tomato	6-8 Dry Red Chillies
2-3 Drumstick pieces	1 tbsp Chana Dal
1/2 cup peas	1/4 cup Coconut
1 small Eggplant	1 tsp Methi Seeds
1 medium carrot	1 tsp Mustard Seeds
3-4 medium Okra	6-8 Curry leaves
1 small Onion

Method
Chop all vegetables into 1-inch pieces.
In a small skillet, roast the dry red chillies, dhania seeds, methi seeds and chana dal until golden.
Grind this into a fine paste along with the coconut and 1/2 cup water.
In a pressure cooker pan, add 2 tbsp of ghee and let the mustard seeds and curry leaves splutter.
Add the onions and saute for about 3-5 mins before adding the rest of the vegetables.
Cook for about 10 mins or until all the vegetables are half cooked.

Add in 2 cups of Sona Masoori rice, 1/2 cup Tur Dal and 9 cups of water.
Add the turmeric, hing, salt, jaggery and coconut chilli paste.
Close the cooker and cook for about 4 whistles.
Garnish with Ghee and serve.

Paruppu Thogayal

Ingredients

Main	Spices/Tadka	Generic
1 cup Tur Dal	6-8 Dry Red Chillies	Til Oil
1/2 cup Chana Dal	1 pinch Hing	Salt
1/4 cup Coconut	4-6 Curry leaves
	1 tsp Mustard Seeds
	3-4 pcs Tamarind

Method
In a skillet, heat 2-3 tsp oil and roast the dals until golden.
Remove the dals and let them cool.
In the same skillet, saute the dry red chillies, hing and tamarind for a few minutes on low heat.
Grind the coconut, dals, tamarind, chillies and hing into a thick paste and mix in some salt.
Splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves in Til oil and add the tadka to the thogayal.
Serve hot with Rice/Roti…

Coconut Thogayal

Ingredients

Main	Spices/Tadka	Generic
1 cup Grated Coconut	6-8 Dry Red Chillies	Oil
1/2 cup Urad Dal	1 tsp Mustard Seeds	Salt
1/2 cup Fresh Dhania	6-8 Curry Leaves
	1 pinch Hing
	4-6 pcs Tamarind

Method
In a skillet, heat 3-4 tsp oil and roast the urad dal and dry red chillies until gonden.
Add the fresh Dhania and tamarind and saute for a minute or so.
Turn the heat off and add the grated coconut and saute it in the heat of the pan for a minute.
Grind this mixture dry without adding any water to get a moist to semi-dry chutney.
Splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves with some hing.
Garnish the thogayal with this tadka and serve with hot rice.

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients

Main	Spices/Tadka	Generic
1 cup Grated Coconut	4-6 Green Chillies	Oil
1/4 cup Dalia (OR)	1 pinch Hing	Salt
1/4 cup Chana Dal	1 tsp Mustard Seeds
	4-6 Curry Leaves
	2-3 pcs Tamarind

Method
Roughly chop the green chillies.
This recipe can be made with either Chutney Dal(Pottu Kadalai) or Chana Dal.
In a small skillet, heat 2-3 tsp oil and add the Dal and green chillies..
Lightly roast them for 1/2 a minute and add the tamarind pieces.
Saute for a minute on low and then remove from heat.
Blend the coconut, roasted dal, tamarind and chillies into a thick fine paste in the blender using 1/2 cup water.
Remove this into a dish and add salt.
In the skillet, heat a tsp of oil and splutter the mustard seeds, curry leaves and hing.
Add this tadka to the chutney and serve with hot idlis/dosas…
Notes
Making the chutney with chana dal increases its shelf life.

Avial

Ingredients

Main	Spices/Tadka	Generic
Squash	1 cup Grated Coconut	Coconut Oil
French Beans	8-10 Green Chillies	Salt
Carrots	2 tsp Mustard Seeds
Drumsticks	8-10 Curry Leaves
White Pumpkin	1 tsp Hing
Peas	1/2 tsp Turmeric
Yam
Snake Gourd
3 cups Yoghurt (OR)
4 cups Buttermilk

Method
Avial is a stew of melon-family and winter vegetables in a coconut/yoghurt base.
This can be made with any or all of the vegetables listed above.
Cut the vegetables into 1 inch pieces to yeild about 6 cups of vegetables
Boil them with salt and turmeric and 4 cups water covered on medium heat.
Grind the coconut and green chillies into a fine paste and add it to the vegetables when they are about half done.
Blend yoghurt with 1 cup water.
Do not add water if using buttermilk.
Once the vegetables are well done, add the yoghurt to the pot and cook for a few minutes. Do not boil.
Turn the heat off as soon as bubbles start to foam.
Splutter mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves in coconut oil.
Garnish the avial with this tadka and serve.

Cabbage Kootu

Ingredients

Main	Spices/Tadka	Generic
1 head Cabbage	1 tsp Mustard Seeds	Ghee
	1 tbsp Urad Dal	Oil
	4-6 Curry Leaves	Salt
	1 pinch Turmeric
	1 pinch Hing
	4-6 Dry Red chillies
	1/4 cup Grated Coconut
	Jeera

Method
Finely chop the cabbage.
Boil the cabbage with 3 cups water, turmeric and salt.
Grind the red chillies and coconut with 2 tbsp Jeera and 1/2 cup water into a fine paste.
Once the cabbage is half cooked, add this coconut paste to it and conitue to cook until well done.
Splutter the mustard seeds, 1 tsp Jeera, urad dal, hing and curry leaves in ghee and add this tadka to the kootu.
Serve hot with Rice/Roti…

Mysore Rasam

Ingredients

Main	Spices/Tadka	Generic
1/2 cup Tur Dal	2 tsp Dhania Seeds	Ghee
2 medium Tomatoes	1 tsp Tur Dal	Salt
Tamarind	3 tsp Grated Coconut
	1 tsp Jeera
	1/2 tsp Black Pepper
	5-6 Dry Red Chillies
	1 tsp Mustard Seeds
	1 pinch Turmeric
	1 pinch Hing
	4-6 Curry Leaves
	1 tsp Jaggery
	Fresh Dhania

Method
Roast the dhania seeds, tur dal, jeera, pepper, red chillies, coconut in ghee until they lose their raw smell.
Grind this into a very fine thick paste using 1/2 cup water.
Finely chop the tomatoes and crush them lightly by hand in 1 cup warm water.
Make an extract of a lemon sized ball of tamarind in about 6 cups of water.
Boil the tomato in the tamarind water with turmeric, jaggery and salt.
Add the ground paste and simmer on medium heat until it reduces to about 5 cups.
Pressure cook the Tur Dal in 2 cups water and mash lightly.
Add the tur dal to the rasam and turn off the heat.
In a skillet, splutter the mustard seeds, jeera, hing and curry leaves in ghee.
Add this tadka to the rasam.
Garnish with Fresh Dhania and serve.

Maambazham Morkuzhambu

Ingredients

Main	Spices	Tadka	Generic
1/2 lb Squash	1 tsp Methi Seeds	1 tsp Mustard Seeds	Cooking Oil
1/2 cup Grated Coconut	6-8 Whole dry Red Chillies	1 pinch Hing	Coconut Oil
Yoghurt/Buttermilk	1 tbsp Chana Dal	Curry Leaves	Salt
1 tbsp Sour Cream	1 pinch Turmeric	Dhania Leaves
1 cup Mango Pulp

Method
In a skillet, roast the Chana Dal, Methi seeds, Dry Red Chillies in 1-2 tsp oil until medium dark.
Grind this along with the coconut and 1 cup water into a fine smooth paste.
Chop the squash into 1 inch cubes.
In a pot, add 1 tsp of oil and saute the squash for 3-5 minutes.
Add a cup of water and turmeric and cook until the squash is tender.
Add the coconut paste and boil for a couple minutes.
In a bowl, blend the 2 cups yoghurt and sour cream with 1 cup water to a smooth consistency.
If using buttermilk, use 3 cups and do not add water.
Add this yoghurt mix to the simmering coconut paste and cook for just a couple of minutes on a low flame.
This need to be stirred continously so the yoghurt doesn’t separate.
Switch the stove off as soon as small bubbles start to form. Do not boil. Add salt.
In a smaller vessel, heat the mango pulp until it boils for a couple minutes and add this pulp to the yoghurt.
In a skillet, add 3 tsp of coconut oil and let the mustard seeds splutter.
Add curry leaves and Hing.
Add this tadka to the morkuzhambu and season with finely chopped Dhania and serve.

Coconut Rice

Ingredients

Main	Seasoning	Generic
2 cups Cooked Rice	1 tsp Mustard Seeds	Oil
1 cup Grated Coconut	1 tsp Urad Dal	Salt
	2 tsp Chana Dal
	2 tbsp Peanuts
	3-4 slit Green Chillies
	4-6 Curry leaves
	1 pinch Hing
	1 tsp Grated Ginger
	Fresh Dhania

Method
Heat 2-3 tsp of oil in a wok and splutter the mustard seeds.
Add the Urad Dal, Chana Dal and Peanuts and roast on medium flame until golden.
Add the Green chillies, Hing, Curry leaves and Ginger and saute for half a minute.
Add the grated coconut and salt and cook open for 3-5 minutes on a low flame.
Turn the heat off and add in the rice and toss gently without getting it too mushy.
Garnish with Fresh Dhania and serve.

Mendiya Morkuzhambu

Ingredients

Main	Spices/Tadka	Generic
1/2 lb Okra	1 tsp Methi seeds	Cooking Oil
1 small Tomato	4-6 Dry red Chillies	Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Grated Coconut	1 tbsp Chana Dal	Salt
2 cups Yoghurt (OR)	1 pinch Turmeric
3 cups Buttermilk	1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tbsp Sour Cream	1 pinch Hing
	4-6 Curry Leaves
	Fresh Dhania

Method
In a skillet, roast the Chana Dal, Methi seeds, Dry Red Chillies in 1-2 tsp oil until medium dark.
Grind this along with the coconut and 1 cup water into a fine smooth paste.
Chop the tomato into 1 inch pieces.
In a pot, add 1 tsp of oil and saute the tomato for a couple of minutes.
Blend the smooth coconut paste along with 1/2 a cup of water and add to the pot.
Add turmeric.
Once it boils, set on a simmer.
In a bowl, blend the yoghurt and sour cream with 1 cup water to a smooth consistency.
If using buttermilk, do not add water.
Add this yoghurt mix to the simmering coconut paste and cook for just a couple of minutes on a low flame.
This need to be stirred continously so the yoghurt doesn’t separate.
Switch the stove off as soon as small bubbles start to form. Do not boil. Add salt.
Chop the okra into 1-inch pieces.
In a skillet, add 3 tsp of coconut oil and let the mustard seeds splutter.
Add curry leaves and Hing.
Add the okra and saute until well cooked and almost crisp.
Add this okra along with its seasoning to the yogurt.
Season with finely chopped Dhania and serve.
Notes:
This Morkuzhambu can be made with different kinds of winter vegetables like Squash, White Pumpkin, etc