Theeyal Using 'Spizly' Roasted coconut powder

INGREDIENTS:

• Sliced shallots(Pearl Onion) - 20 nos or Diced onion - 1 cup
• Slit Green Chilly- 5 nos
• Drumstick cuts- 5 nos
• Potato / brinjal / okra (sliced) - 1 cup
• Turmeric Powder-¼ tsp
• Fenugreek Powder- a pinch
• Tamarind - A gooseberry sized ball
• Water - 1 cup
• Curry Leaves - a few
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Soak tamarind in ¼ cup of warm water and take the extract from it.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add sliced onions, green chilly and saute, till they turn light golden brown colour.
• Add Drum stick and vegetables, saute for 2 minutes in medium fire.
• Add turmeric powder, salt and water, allow to cook.
• Add tamarind juice and allow to boil.
• Add 50 gram ‘Spizly' roasted coconut paste into it and boil for a minutes.
• Sprinkle fenugreek powder and mix well.
• Remove from the fire and add curry leaves.

Rasam using 'Spizly' Rasam powder

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Soak tamarind (a goozeberry size) in 2 cup of water for few minutes.
• Extract the tamarind juice and keep aside. 
• Heat 1 tbsp gingely oil in a pan 
• Add mustard seeds and red chilly into it and allow to splutter.
• Add 1 large tomato (chopped) and curry leaves into the oil and saute well.
• When the tomato is cooked well (like a paste), add 1 tbsp “Spizly" rasam powder and tamarind juice  into it.
• Let it boil for 2 minutes, add coriander leaves to the rasam and remove from the fire.

Sambar using "Spizly" Sambar powder

Sambar is a common in South India a dish. Common vegetables used for Sambar are potato, onion, beans, carrot, brinjal, drumstick, okra,  tomato etc.

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Cook 1/ 4 cup  toor daal along with Shallot and Green Chillies in water.
• When the dal is cooked well, mash it.
• Add 1 cup sambar vegetables along withTurmeric powder, salt and water and cook well.
• Once vegtables cooked well, add 1½ tbsp “spizly" sambar powder and Tamarind syrup and allow to boil.
• Add tomato into it.
• Boil the Sambar for another 2 minutes and then remove from the fire.
• Heat oil in a pan and allow mustard seeds and Red chilly to splutter.
• Add Shallot and curry leaves into the oil and fry it.
• Add this seasoning into sambar.

Mushroom Pepper Stir Fry

INGREDIENTS:

• Onion (diced) - 1 small
• Capsicum (diced) -1 no
• Baby bella mushroom - 2 cup
• Garlic (crushed) - 3 pod
• Pepper powder - 1 tsp
• Gingely oil - 2 tbsp
• Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Clean and cut each mushroom into half and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add onion and garlic into it and saute for a minute.
• Add mushroom and salt into it and mix well.
• Let it cook for 5 minutes in medium heat.
• Add bell pepper into it and mix well.
• Cook all the ingredients together  for another 2 minutes (until soft and cooked, do not over cook the bell pepper).
• Add pepper powder and soy sauce and stir well.
• Cook for a minute and remove from fire and serve.

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with rice / chappathi.

Mango Halwa

This is a simple, tasty and easy recipe of mango halwa.

INGREDIENTS:

• Mango pulp - 2 cup (from 4 ripe alphonso mango)
• Sugar - 1- 1¼  cup (according to your taste)
• Corn starch - ½ cup
• Ghee - 3 tsbp
• Cashew nuts - 10 nos
• Almonds - 10 nos
• Cardamom Powder - 2 pinch

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Dilute the corn starch with ½ cup of water and keep aside.
• Heat a heavy bottomed pan and add little ghee and lightly roast cashew nut and almond.
• Remove the roasted nuts from ghee and let it cool.
• Crush the nuts and keep it aside.
• Add the remaining ghee into the pan.
• Add mango pulp into it and stir continuously.
• Let it boil in medium heat.
• Add sugar into it and stir continuously for 2 minutes.
• Gradually add corn starch mix into it and stir continuosly (to avoid making lumps).
• Add cardamon powder and chopped nuts and stir well.
• Stir continuously for 40-45 minutes, the mixture will change the colour and reduce in quantity.
• When the mixture begin to come from the side of the pan, transfer it into a greased plate.
• Let it cool for about 2 hours and cut them into desired shape and  serve.

Capsicum Masala Rice / Bell pepper Rice

This is a simple and easy to make rice recipe that is nutritious as well as tasty.

INGREDIENTS:

• Cooked basmati rice - 2 cup
• Chopped onion - 1 small
• Capsicum / Bell pepper (chopped) - 2 nos
• Peanut - 3 tsp
• Cumin seed - ½ tsp
• Urad daal - 1 tsp
• Chana daal (optional) - 1 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
• Red chilly - 1 no
• Fennel seed - ½ tsp
• Black pepper - ½ tsp
• Cinnamon – 1 inch stick
• Cardamom – 2 nos
• Cloves – 2 nos
• Turmeric powder - 2 pinch
• Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Cashew nut - 1 tsp
• Mustard seed - 1 tsp
• Red chilly - 2 nos
• Salt to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Dry roast 2 tsp peanut, cumin seed, red chilly, coriander seed, urad daal, chana daal, fennel seed, black pepper, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.
• Grind all the roasted ingredients together.
• Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan.
• Add mustard seeds and red chilly, let it splutter.
• Add 1 tsp peanut and cashew nut into it and fry them.
• Add chopped onion and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add chopped bell pepper, turmeric powder and salt into it and saute for a minute.
• Add cooked rice, ground masala and salt into it and mix well.
• Cook for a minute, turn off the stove and serve it.

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with raita.

Avocado Salad

INGREDIENTS:

• Ripe avocados - 1 big
• Chopped Tomato -1 no
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp
• Chopped Corriander leaves / Cilantro - 1tsp
• Pepper powder - ¼ tsp
• Salt - to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Cut avocados in half.
• Remove seed and scoop out avacado from the skin.
• Cut it into small cubes.
• Add tomato, lemon juice, corriander leaves, pepper powder and salt and mix it well. 
• Refrigerate before serving.

Green peas Masala

INGREDIENTS:

• Green peas - 1 cup
• Onion(sliced) – 1 no
• Tomato (chopped) – 1 no
• Green chilly(slit) – 2 nos
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - ¼ tsp
• Chilly powder – 1 tsp
• Fennel seed Powder - ½ tsp
• Garam Masala Powder - ¼ tsp
• Red Chilly -2 nos
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 stem
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 2 tsp

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Soak Green Peas in water for 4 hours .
• Cook soaked Green Peas with turmeric powder and water in a pressure cooker for 5-6 whistle.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add mustard seeds and red chilli and let it splutter.
• Add sliced onion, gingergarlic paste, green chillies and curry leaves.
• Sauté till onion turns translucent.
• Add chilly powder, corriander powder, garam masala,fennelseed powder and saute for a minute. 
• Add chopped tomato and salt, saute well and cook very well in medium heat.
• Add cooked greanpeas and mix well.
• Let it cook for 3- 5 minutes, then remove from fire and serve.

Cabbage Carrot Thoran

INGREDIENTS:

• Finely chopped Cabbage – 1 cup
• Grated carrot - 1 cup
• Finely chopped Onion – 1 no
• Roundly cut Green Chillies - 6 nos
• Grated Coconut –  1 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coconut oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Red chillies - 2 nos
• Curry leaves - A few
• Salt-to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add mustard seeds and red Chillies, allow to splutter.
• Add onions and green chillies , sauté until transparent.
• Add curry leaves.
• Add cabbage and carrot into it.
• Add turmeric powder and salt.
• Mix well, cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for 5 minutes.
• Add grated coconut in to it.
• Slow down the flame and let it cook for 2mins .

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Rice.

Paniyaram

INGREDIENTS:

• Dosa / Idli batter - 1 cup
• Chopped onion - 1 tbsp
• Chopped ginger - 1 tsp
• Chopped green chili - 1 tsp
• Chopped curry leaves - 1 tsp
• Oil 
• Unniyappam or Paniyaram pan

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Add onion, ginger, green chili and curry leaves into the batter and mix well.
• Heat the paniyaram pan. 
• Add little oil in each mould of the pan.
• Pour batter in each mould. (3/4 portion of the mould).
• Cook in medium heat. 
• When one side is cooked and turns golden brown, turn and cook the other side till it turns brown colour.
• Remove from the mould and serve.

Kumbalanga / Winter Melon Pachadi

INGREDIENTS:

• Chopped Winter melon / Kumbalanga- 1 cup
• Grated coconut - ½ cup
• Green chillies - 4 nos
• Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp
• Curd - 2 cup
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Red chilly - 2 nos
• Water - ¼ cup
• Fenugreek Powder- a pinch
• Curry leaves - A few
• Salt - to taste
• Coconut Oil -1 tsp

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Cook chopped winter melon / kumbalanga and green chilly in water along with salt.
• Grind the coconut and cumin seeds to a fine paste and crush ½ tsp mustard.
• Add this paste and crushed mustard to the cooked winter melon / kumbalanga and allow to boil.
• When it starts boil,turn off the stove and allow to cool.
• Add curd to the mixture and stir well.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add mustrard seeds and red chillies into it, allow to splutter.
• Pour the seasoning over the pachadi and add Curry leaves.
• Sprinkle fenugreek powder, add curry leaves and mix well.

Recommended Combination: Serve with Rice.

Spinach Chappathi

INGREDIENTS:

• Wheat Flour -  1 cup
• Green chilly - 2 nos
• Garlic - 2 pods
• Spinach - 3 cup
• Ghee - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Put spinach in boiling water for 2 mins, drain it.
• Add garlic, green chillies and spinach in a mixer and grind it into a fine paste.
• Add this paste, salt and ½ tsp ghee to the flour and mix well.
• Knead the dough with hands gently until it becomes soft and keep aside for 30 minutes.
• Make the dough into small balls and is rolled out into chappathi.
• Heat the tawa and cook both sides of the rolled Chappathi by smearing little ghee.

Mushroom Masala Dosa

For Dosa Batter

INGREDIENTS:

• RawRice -1 ½ cups
• Urad Daal - ½ cup
• Water - as required
• Salt to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Soak rice and Urad daal separately for 5 hours.
• Grind rice and daal separately with water very finely.
• Mix together rice, dal and salt.
• Keep it overnight to ferment. 

For Masala

INGREDIENTS:

• Mushroom (sliced) - 15 nos
• Sliced onion - 1 nos
• Chopped ginger - 1 tsp
• Chopped garlic - 1 tsp
• Slit green chillies - 4 nos 
• Corriander powder - ¼ tsp
• Red chilly powder - ¼ tsp
• Garam masala powder - ¼ tsp
• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt  to taste      

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Heat oil in the pan.
• Add onions, green chillies,  chopped ginger and garlic and curry leaves.
• Saute onions till it turns transparent.
• Add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, corriander powder, garam masala powder, salt and sauté for a minute. 
• Add Mushroom into it.
• Slow down the flame and cover the pan and let it cook for 10 - 15 mins.
• Turn off the stove when the water completely dries up from the mushroom.

Masala Dosa
INGREDIENTS:

• Dosa batter 
• Mushroom masala
• Ghee or oil

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Pour one spoon full of batter on a frying pan as thin as possible.
• Pour some ghee or oil on it.
• When one side is golden brown, add mushroom masala inside the Dosa and roll.

Chicken Puffs

INGREDIENTS:

• Pastry sheet - 1 no
• Chopped boneless chicken - 1 lb or 500 gm
• Finely chopped onion - 1 nos
• Finely choppedTomato - 1 nos
• Chopped green chilly - 2 nos
• Garlic paste -1 tsp
• Ginger paste - 1 tsp
• Chily powder -1 tbsp
• Corriander Powder-1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
• Garam Masala- ½ tsp
• Fennelseed powder -½ tsp
• Pepper Powder - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Water- ¼ cup
• Salt -to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Heat oil in the pan.
• Add onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic.
• Saute onions till it turns transparent. 
• Add red chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala, fennelseed powder,and pepper powder and saute till the raw smell goes.
• Add tomatoes and sauté well until it becomes soft.
• Add chicken pieces, turmeric powder, water and salt into it.
• Slow down the flame, cover the pan and let it cook.
• When the chicken cooks well and the gravy becomes thick turn off the stove and let it cool
• Thaw the frozen puff pastry sheet (as per instructions on the pack).
• Roll out the sheet and cut them into squares pieces(or any desired size).
• Take one piece and place a spoonful of chicken masala.
• Brush the four edges of the sheet with egg wash and fold diagonally to make a triangle shape and slightly press the edges to seal.
• Brush the top of the puffs with egg wash to get a shiny appearance.
• Repeat the same process for the remaining sheets.
• Preheat the oven to 400 deg F.
• Place the puffs in a tray with a parchment sheet placed in it (you can also use a greased tray).
• Bake for 20 - 25 mins till it turns golden brown color.

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with tea / coffee.

Daal Palak / Spinach Red gram Curry

INGREDIENTS:

• Red gram / toor daal - ¼ cup
• Spinach (chopped) - 2 cup
• Onion (chopped) - 1 no
• Tomato (chopped)-1 no
• Green Chilly (slit)-2 nos
• Garlic (crushed)- 2  pods
• Chilly powder- ¼ tsp
• Corriander Powder- ½ tsp
• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Asafoetida powder - ¼ tsp
• Cumin seed - ¼ tsp
• Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
• Red Chilly-2 nos
• Salt – to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp

PREPARATION METHOD

• Cook the toor daal / red gram in water and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Put mustard seeds, cumin seed and red chillies and allow to splutter.
• Add onions, green chillies, crushed garlic and sauté till onion turns transparent.
• Add tomatoes and sauté well.
• Add red chilly powder, corriander powder, asafoetida powder and sauté for a minute.
• Add spinach and cooked daal / red gram and mix well.
• Add turmeric powder and salt into it .
• Cover the pan and and let it cook.(no need to add water because the water in the cooked daal and from the spinach is enough to cook)
• Turn off the stove when the curry becomes thick.

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Rice / Chappathi.

Channa Sundal / Chickpeas Stir fry

Sundal is a quick and easy south Indian snack very commonly served in Tamilnadu. This easy to make dish can be made out of cooked dried beans. We can use dried Chickpeas/Chana, Green beans/Moong daal or any dried beans for this preparation.

INGREDIENTS:

• Kadala (Chickpeas) - 1 cup
• Grated coconut - ¼ cup
• Gingely oil - 1 tsp
• Urad daal - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida / Hing - a pinch
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Red chilly -2 nos
• Salt to taste
• Curry leaves - a few

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Soak kadala in water for 6 hours .
• Cook soaked kadala, salt and water in a pressure cooker for 5-6 whistle.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add mustard seeds and red chilly and let it splutter.
• Add urad dal and fry it.
• Once urad dal becomes golden colour add asafoetida, and curry leaves into the hot oil.
• Add cooked chana / kadala into it and mix.
• Add grated coconut and roast it for 2 -3 minutes.
• Remove from fire and serve.

Veg Pizza

Pizza is an Italian dish. We can make a variety of Pizzas by adding different types of sauces, toppings and seasonings according to individual taste.

Here I am sharing my version of Veg Pizza.  I have used home made white garlic sauce for this pizza since I like its flavor (instead of the red tomato sauce which you may use instead of white sauce according to your taste)

For White Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• Butter - 2 tbsp
• All purpose flour - 1 tbsp
• Minced and crushed garlic - 1 tbsp
• Milk - 1 cup
• Parmesan cheese (grated) - 1 cup
• Black pepper powder - ½ tsp
• Salt -  ½ tsp

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Heat a pan and melt the butter in medium heat.
• Add minced and crushed garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. 
• Add flour and stir continuously and cook for a minute.
• Add the milk gradually and cook the mixture for 2 minutes.
• Add salt and pepper powder and stir well.
• Add parmesan cheese, stir till the cheese is melted and cook 2-3 minutes to get a thick consistency.
• Remove from fire.

For Pizza

INGREDIENTS:

• All purpose flour - 2 cups
• Active dry yeast - 4 tsp
• Milk - 1/3 cup
• Luke warm water - 1/3 cup
• Olive oil - 2 ½ tbsp
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 2 tsp
• White sauce (or tomato sauce) - 1 - 2 tbsp
• Dried oregano  - 2 pinch (optional)
• Dried basil - 2 pinch (optional)
• Vegetables (sliced) - (onion, zucchini, bell pepper, mushroom, tomato)
• Parmesan cheese (grated) - 1/3 cup
• Cheddar cheese (grated)  - 1/3 cup
• Mozzarella cheese (grated)- 1/3 cup

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Add yeast and sugar in luke warm water and mix well until it dissolve.
• Add this mixture, milk, olive oil and salt into flour and mix well. 
• Knead the mixture for 4- 5 minutes to make a smooth dough.
• Cover the dough with a plastic wrap and keep it aside for an hour. (the dough will rise to double its size)
• Roast the red bell pepper till it becomes soft.
• Grease the pizza pan.
• After an hour, dough is rolled out in the greased pan. (if the dough is sticky then use the flour to roll out).
• Make a rim on the edges using your hand.
• Spread the sauce over it (inside the rim). 
• Sprinkle a little of each type of cheese over it.
• Put the vegetables and roasted bell pepper on it.
• Sprinkle oregano and basil powder over it (optional).
• Finally spread the remaining cheese over the vegetables.
• Heat the oven to 450ºF for 4-5 minutes.
• Place the pan into the oven and bake the pizza for 15 - 20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked and cheese is melt and the sides become golden color. 

Mulakum Malliyum varutharacha meen curry

INGREDIENTS:

• Fish - Pomfret or Pompano –  500gm or 1 lb
• Sliced Shallots –  6 nos or (2 tbsp sliced onion)
• Green Chilly(Slit) -4 nos
• Chopped Ginger - 1 tsp
• Chopped Garlic - 1 tsp
• Kudam Puli(fish tamarind)- 4nos
• Corriander powder – 3 tsp
• Chilli powder – 3 tsp
• Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
• Fenugreek Powder -a pinch
• Salt to taste
• Coconut Oil – 3 tsp
• Curry Leaves

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan.
• Add shallots / onions, chilly, chopped ginger- garlic and saute until the onion turns transparent.
• Add chili powder and coriander powder and sauté for a minute.
• Add fish tamarind (kudampuli), turmeric powder, salt and little water, let it to boil.
• When the gravy gets thick, add the cleaned fish .
• Cover the pan with a lid and allow to cook for 10 minutes.
• When the fish is cooked, remove from fire.
• Add fenugreek powder, curry leaves and remaining coconut oil.

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Rice, Chappathi, Bread, Kappa / Chakka Puzhukku

Avocado Dip

INGREDIENTS:

• Ripe avocados - 1 big
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp
• Sour cream / Curd - ½ cup
• Chopped Corriander leaves / Cilantro -  2 tbsp
• Garlic -1 pod
• Green Chilly - 1 no
• Salt - to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Cut avocados in half.
• Remove seed and scoop out avacado from the skin.
• Cut it into small pieces.
• Put avocado, lemon juice, corriander leaves, garlic, green chilly, sour cream and salt in a blender.
• Blend together to make a smooth paste.
• Now its ready to serve.

Recommended Combination: Avocado dip can be served with tortilla chips / pita chips.

Broccoli Mushroom Stir Fry

 INGREDIENTS:

• Broccoli (sliced) - 1 cup
• Mushroom (sliced) - 1 cup
• Onion (sliced) - 1 no
• Chopped Garlic - 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp 
• Crushed Chilly - ½ tsp
• Pepper powder - ¼ tsp 
• Oil - 1 tsp 
• Salt to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add sliced onion and garlic, sauté  till it turns transparent.
• Add crushed chili and mix well.
• Add broccoli, mushroom, turmeric powder and salt into it and mix well.
• Let it cook on medium heat.(no need to add water, water from the mushroom is enough to cook the vegetables)
• When the water dries up completely add pepper powder and stir well.
• Remove from fire and serve.

Recommended Combination: Broccoli Mushroom Stir Fry can be served hot with Rice or Chappathi.