French Fries

French fries reminds me of only Mc Donalds when I stayed in India. But later after moving to Canada, I wanted to try it out at home and it was a complete success. My son loves potatoes of all the veggies and if this the snack for that day he just stands beside me while I prepare and keeps monitoring. Please make this simple recipe at home and sweep off your loved ones’ feet!

Prep time: 1 hr

 Cooking time: 15 min

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Potatoes	4 big
Oil	For deep frying
Salt	As needed
Red chilly powder	2 tsp

Method:

• Wash the potatoes, Chop them length wise like sticks and freeze them for an hour. Alternatively, you can immerse them in ICE COLD WATER for 1 hour.

• Heat a wide pan and add oil for frying. When it’s hot, add the potatoes and fry till the shh sound ceases(it should not turn golden brown). Drain in kitchen towel. Let it cool. The potatoes would be soft.

• Again heat the oil and keep the flame medium high. Add the already fried potatoes until brown and crisp.

• Meanwhile, in a plate mix red chilly powder and salt .

• Drain The fries kitchen towel and gently toss in the salt mix and serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Notes:

• Immersing potatoes in cold water / freezing them extracts all the extra starch and also ensures that the potatoes don’t stick to one another.
• You can chop them before hand and keep them frozen until use.
• Always fry in low- medium flame for the first round.

Brinjal Pulippu Kootu

Pulippu kootu is an authentic Tam-Brahm Recipe . It is made on auspicious occasions and not only this kootu tastes good as a main dish but also goes well as a side dish. It is quick, easy to make and yummy to eat. Now here goes the recipe:

Cooking time : 15 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Brinjal	4 small
Tamarind	Small Gooseberry size
Salt	As needed
Channa dal	1/8 cup
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Water	1 cup
Turmeric	¼ tsp

To grind:

Channa dal	1 tsp
Urad dal	1 tsp
Red Chilly	2
Hing	1/4 tsp or 1 small piece
Oil	½ tsp

Method:

• Wash the brinjal, Chop into byte size pieces and keep immersed in water until use. Extract tamarind water (about 1 cup) from gooseberry size tamarind.
• Pressure cook channa dal in ½ cup water for about 5 whistles. Once pressure subsides mash it well with a ladle.

• Heat a pain, add oil and roast the ingredients mentioned under “to grind”until golden brown. After cooling down, grind to a smooth paste by adding little water.

• Heat a kadai, add oil and mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Now add chopped brinjal and fry for a minute.

• Add tamarind water and allow it to boil for about 3-4 minutes. Now add the cooked dal, salt and allow the brinjal to get cooked completely.

• Finally add the ground paste and boil in low flame for three minutes and switch off. Serve with hot rice.

Notes:

• You can use Chow chow (chayote)or white pumpkin(winter melon) instead of brinjal.
• If using solid hing(ketti perungayam), fry while roasting the other ingredients and grind.

Beetroot Karamadu

Beetroot is a vegetable that is rich in nutrients and also helps to increase blood heamoglobin levels . I was never really a fan of beetroot until I Joined college. After I realized the value of mom’s cooking skills, I was totally attracted this, and used to ask her to make this once in a while. My dad loves to have this with coconut but I like it the plain way. The mild sweetness in the vegetable is what I love ! Now here goes the recipe:

Cooking time : 15 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Beetroot	1 big
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Urad dal	1 tsp
Oil	1 tsp
Water	1/8 cup
Red chilly powder	½ tsp
Turmeric	¼ tsp
Salt	As needed

Method:

• Wash the beetroot, Peel the skin with a peeler and chop into small pieces (about ½ inch in length and breadth). Keep aside.
• Heat a pain, add oil and when its hot add mustard seeds. After it crackles, add urad dal and fry till it turns golden brown.
• Now add Beetroot and mix well. Add 1 tbsp of water and close the lid. Allow it to cook until water evaporates. Again add another tbsp water and allow the beetroot to get almost cooked.
• Add turmeric powder, salt and red chilly powder and give a good stir.

• Switch off flame once the beetroot is completely done. Serve with rice topped with ghee. Also tastes good with south Indian Kuzhambus and sathumadus.

Notes::

• You can add a tbsp of grated coconut and stir before switching off the flame.

Kalyana Sathumadu ( Chef's Sathumadu)

Whenever we go for marriages, the first thing that satisfies the guests is the food. Iyengar Kalyana Sathumadu has strong aroma of pepper and toor dal. In marriages, they serve all karam (snacks) while having sathumadu sadham . Now here goes the easy recipe of Kalyana sathumadu.

Cooking time : 15 min

Preparation time : 10 min

Makes:  2 to 2 &1/2cups

Ingredients:

Tomato	1 big or 2 small
Tamarind	Gooseberry size
Curry leaves	1 sprig
Coriander leaves	2 tbsp (chopped)
Toor dal	2 tbsp
Salt	As needed
Turmeric	¼ tsp
Hing	1/8 tsp
Oil/ghee	1 tsp
Mustard seeds	1 tsp

To grind:

Coriander seeds	¾ tbsp
Red chillies(long variety)	2
Cumin seeds	¾ tsp
Pepper corns	½ tsp
Toor dal	1 tbsp

Method:

•   Pressure cook the toor dal and mash it once done. Add 1 cup of water and keep aside.Extract 1 cup tamarind water and keep aside.(see Cooking tips on how to extract tamarind water ).
•  Roast all the ingredients mentioned under “to grind”  with 1 tsp oil and grind to a coarse powder after cooling down. 

• In a vessel add chopped tomatoes, tamarind water, salt, turmeric, hing and curry leaves and boil until tomatoes are mushy.

•   Now add the ground powder, toor dal water and boil until frothy.

•    Switch off flame and temper mustard seeds.Garnish with coriander leaves.

•  Serve with hot rice and ghee.

Raw Kuzhambu Podi

Raw Kuzhambu Podi ( We call it Pachai kuzhambu podi ) is one of the must have in my Kitchen. Though I use Varutha Kuzhambu podi for paruppu kuzhambu , I use this raw version for many others. Kuzhambu made using this version goes well as a side dish for dosa and also for rice. This kuzhambu podi is ground in mills in India, but I have used mixie to grind since we don’t have any mills here.

Cooking time : 15 min

Preparation time : 10 min

Makes: 1&1/2 to 2 cups

Ingredients:

Coriander seeds	1cup
Red chillies(long variety)	1 cups (40 numbers)
Methi seeds	1 tbsp
Pepper corns	1 tbsp
Channa dal	¼ cup
Toor dal	¼ cup
Turmeric	1 tbsp

Method:

·                     Take all the ingredients in a wide plate and dry under hot sun for 2 to 3 days. Alternatively, if you cannot sun dry, keep it in a pre-heated overn for 20 minutes. (remember not to change the color of the ingredients).

·                     Grind everything to a fine powder. It is better to grind in flour mill to get a finer and smooth texture. But I have used Mixer to grind the powder.

·                     Keep it in an airtight container for use. Always use a clean and dry spoon.