Custard Fruit Mix

This is one of the most simplest and tastiest sweets I have ever come across. If I can add, it is economical too especially if you want to make any tasty sweet for a large gathering at the shortest possible time. Ok, here we go. This recipe serves 4 people .

Ingredients

Milk – 1/2 ltr

Custard Powder – 4 tsp (Available in any super market in various flavours, I am partial to Vanilla 🙂 )

Sugar – 1/2 cup (Increase or decrease according to your sweet tooth)

Fruits like Banana, Mango , etc – 1 cup, Cut into small pieces

Dry fruits like Cashew nut, Raisins, etc – 2 tsp each, cut into small pieces

Method of Preparation

Dilute the custard powder with enough quantity of cold milk and set aside.

Bring the half litre of milk to a boil. Reduce the flame and stir the milk well and let it boil for 5 minutes.

Then add the required amount of sugar and stir well until the sugar dissolves.

After the sugar dissolves, add the diluted custard powder to the boiling milk.

Keep stirring for about 5 minutes. If you stop stirring then the milk will stick to the pan and the sweet will go bad.

After 5 minutes, remove the Custard Mix from the flame and let is cool to room temperature.

After the mix cools add the nuts and fruits that have been cut.

Refridgerate for about 2 hours and serve chilled.

 

Ullligadda Kaaram (or) Onion Kaaram

This kaaram is also an accompaniment to idli and dosa. Also this can be used for making various curries. So it is handy to always have this kaaram in stock.

Ingredients

Onion – 3 big, Cut

Red Chillies – 20

Tamarind – A small piece (the size of a marble)

Jaggery – A little (If powdered should come to atleast 1 tsp)

Method of Preparation

Grind all the above in mixie to a fine paste.

Combination

The way to eat this kaaram is to mix it with oil and have it as a side dish with idli or dosa. This can also be spread on the dosa to make a tasty onion kaaram dosa.

Thellagadda Merapadi (or) Garlic Karam Powder

This is the podi which I had made a mention in “Idli Karam Toast”. The method of preparation is as follows.

Ingredients

Garlic – 20 Cloves (With the skin)

Chilli Powder – 3 tsp

Salt – 1/2 tsp (Table Salt, not crystal salt)

Method of Preparation

Dry Grind all the above ingredients in a mixie. Store in an air tight container.

Combination

While eating mix this podi with oil. Have this podi as a side dish with either idli or dosa.

Molaga Podi

This is one of the most famous “Podis” of South India. This podi is synonymous with idli, so it is often called “Idli Molaga Podi”.

Ingredients

Urad Dal – 1/4 Cup

Chana Dal – 1/4 Cup

Sesame Seeds (White) – 2 tsp , Dry Roasted in a pan

Red Chillies – 40 (Lessen the number of chillies if you do not like your molaga podi to be too spicy)

Salt – As per taste

Method of Preparation

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and roast Urad Dal, Chana Dal and the Red chillies till the Dal turns a golden brown color. Add salt as per taste.

Dry Grind the above mixture in mixie.

The molaga podi is now ready.

Combination:

The molaga podi obviously goes well with idli and dosa.

Vegetable Kuruma

This is one of my most favorite side dishes. My mother makes this Kuruma really well. It is such a hot favorite in our house that all of us have atleast three helpings of this Kuruma. The preparation of this dish is time consuming, it takes about an hour to finish making this. But the taste is well worth the effort. The below recipe will serve 4 (also including second helpings 🙂 )

For the Tamil, Telugu or Hindi equivalent of the Ingredients, kindly visit the Glossary Page)

Ingredients

Carrot – 1/2 cup , diced

Beans – 1/4 cup, diced

Green Peas – 1/4 cup (If you are using Dried Green Peas soak them overnight)

Potatoes – 2 Large

Onions – 3, Thinly Sliced

Coconut – 1 cup, Grated

Cashewnut – 5 (Optional)

Kasa Kasa – 2 tsp (If you do not have Kasa Kasa then take 12 pieces of Cashewnut)

Green Chilles – 4

Tomoto – 3 Medium sized

Coriander Leaves – 1 cup

Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tsp

Lemon – 1 medium sized

Garam Masala Powder– 1 tsp

Dhaniya Powder – 1 tsp

Sombu/Somphu – 1/2 tsp

Chilli Powder – As per taste

Salt – As per taste

Oil – 2 tsp

Method of Preparation

Initial Preparation

Boil or pressure cook carrot, beans, potatoes and Green Peas till they are soft.

Mash the potatoes.

Grind and Keep Ready the following

In a dry mixie jar, grind Kasa Kasa and cashew nut into powder. Then with this powder grind coconut with a little powder so that a paste mixture is obtained. Keep aside.

Then, grind the tomatoes, green chilles and Coriander leaves into a gravy along with water.

Cooking

Heat the oil in a pan and once it heats up add Sombu to it.

After about a minute, add the onions and saute till the onions turn light golden brown.

Then add ginger garlic paste and saute for about half a minute.

Add the cooked vegetables (Carrot, beans, Green peas and mashed potatoes). Mix well.

Saute the vegetables for about 2 minutes. Then add the tomato + green chillies + coriander leaves gravy. Add water according to the quantity of the Kuruma that you require. Make sure you do not dilute it too much.

Add necessary amount of salt, chilli powder (if required), Garam Masala Powder and Dhaniya powder.

Cook till the raw smell fades out and the gravy starts to come to a boil.

Then add the Coconut + Kasa Kasa + Cashew gravy to the mixture and mix well.

Let the Kuruma boil for atleast 5 minutes.

Then switch off the stove and then add the lemon juice to the Kuruma and mix well.

Garnish if required with coriander leaves.

Combination

This goes well with plain rice, vegetable rice, chappathi, poori, upma and dosa