VengayamThakkaliThokku/EasySideDish

           This is a guest post  to my friend resna so I just want to give a little intro about her.
Resna is a good friend of mine and my fellow blogger .She is blogging since 2013 and she has many wonderful recipes collection in her blog.She is very good at non-veg items, especially kerala items .She is a very good baker  too .I love her eggpuffs so much ,apart from that i want to try her eggkebab which is so good. Check out her space for these special recipes .
         She asked me for a guest post one fine day and i sent her this post .Hope she likes my post .
     Coming to thokku. When you have no vegetables and you want to make a side dish for roti/chapathi this thokku comes in handy .Its one of the easiest recipes i do .I do it occasionally but my husband love it for sure.My mom do whenever we go on a trip .Its so good at those times when we are so tired visiting so many places .You got my point ?The good part is You can make it with your pantry ingredients without much fuss .

10MinuteMicrowavePohachivda/AvalMixture

             Easy healthy snack is every body's favourite.This snack comes in the same category with less time to make and gives the full satisfaction of making a snack at home without losing it healthiness .If you have a microwave then you can make this mixture in no time .You can add your favourites like boondi,Sev ,peanuts to make it your favourite.Along with a cup of tea it going to be a bliss in the evening.
One fine Sunday evening i don't have any snack and my kid was asking for something .I have some pohas unused because i got a thin poha instead of thick to do my regular poha upma .I made this and served her and she liked it a lot.Don't spend your time in front of stove too much .Just make this in 10 minutes and make everyone  home happy including you .

I just can't update recipes because i am on vacation .Will be back to normal after some weeks.

Cooking time:8-10 minutes
Serves:2

KaruvepilaiKulambhu/CurryLeavesGravy/KadipattaGravy

        My mother in law makes this tastiest kulambhu ,we two(me and MR.K) love it a lot(my daughter has a sweet tooth) .She makes a lot of tastiest meals ,I wanted to try all of hers but didn't get a chance to try them.One fine day i asked her about this karuvepilai kulmabhu recipe(because curry leaves are rich in iron ) .With lots of nutritional value this kulambhu scores the best among the gravies similar to it .
         I almost made this gravy 4-5 times now and it is the tastiest kulambhu you ever have .With a mild curry of your choice your lunch will be the best ever.You can pack this for your two days train journey also to eat with your packed rice and idlies.
     Curryleaves are very rich in iron and folic acid which helps fight anaemia etc.It is the remedy for early ageing (greying of hair ).Curry leaves have many more health benefits,if you want more about it check here.

Interested in more tangy gravies for rice check

Vengayam vellaipoondu kulambhu(shallot-garlic gravy)
Kathirikai -Murungaikai Kulambhu(drunstick -brinjal gravy)
Meen kulambhu(fish gravy)

Preparation time:5 min
Cooking time:15-20  min
Serves:2

MethiDhal/FenugreekLeavesDal/VendhayaKeerai

Spinach dhal,Simple dhal or whatever dhal it is ,its so yummy .I love andhra style dhal ,that too when its served in nandhini ,i can have the whole meal only with dhal as an accompaniment for rice.The amount of ghee they serve along with the dhal makes it even more yummier.I usually do dhal very often to include mung dhal in our diet .Because we south indians dont do much varieties with mung dhal except kootu that too with added kadala parupu .But andhra cooking has lots of dhal varieties this dhal .

This methi dhal  is very easy to make and it goes well with all the mains you make like idli,dosa,idiyappam ,roti,chapathi,rice etc . so i call this one as  all in one dhal

When you add some green to dhal kids dont see them much or cant throw the greens away .So this can be  better way to include greens to your kids diet .Do try it  and let me know how your family loved it .

Preparation time:10-20 min
Cooking time:15 min
Serves:2-3

KondakadalaiSadam/KalaChanaChawal/BlackchannaRice

           Black chana(black chickpea/kondakadalai/kalachana) has more nutritional value than white chana its very good for your eye health( my grandmas word).I do chana kulambhu ,gravy for roti etc.One day i just don't want to do my regular recipes ,was searching for recipes and found the perfect recipe of chana rice in priyakas blog .Believe me in a span of 3-4 weeks i did this rice almost 3-4 times and we all love it a lot .Its just perfect for tiffin box- a filling nutritious meal for your loved ones in their boxes .When you sprout the channa then you get the whole grain value too.So protein,fibre,vitamin ,wholegrain,carbohydrate in one meal ...So good .With some yogurt,karasev,papad you are ready for lunch .let see how i did the rice.

Interested in quick rice recipes ? check
Mushroom fried rice
Peas pulao
Low calorie mushroom biriyani

Preparation time :20 min(for cooking the rice and chana)
Cooking time:10 min
Serves:2

PaniPuri/GolGappeWithWheatflour

            We bloggers need some challenge to make ourselves motivated .I joined  north vs south challenge team on dec 2013.From January i am participating in this challenge and it was so much fun.There are two groups .You guessed it right north team and south team .I belong to south team and have to face the challenge by north team .Every month one challenge will be given and we south team has to finish the challenge with in the same month and post in our blogs .This month north team(prachi) challenged us with golgappa which is everybody favourite .
         This is my very favourite but prachi challenged with more panis for puris and healthy puris with wholewheat flour .As i was in holiday mood i prepared it earlier this month and more over all the ingredients used are easily available in your pantry .So start making it .Its not tough ,after you prepare puri(which takes an hour or so) making pani takes no less than 10 minutes.
       I prepared only 2 types of pani (tamarind and green ) and was not able to take stepwise pictures of the pani making process .When i do it next time sure will update the pictures .

If you are looking for some snack and chat Check
Cheerios Bhel
Oma podi(plain sev)
Chapathi Noodles

Preparation time: 40 min (30 min rest time)
Cooking time:30-40 min
Yields:Around 100 puris(1 cup each chutney)

PotatoPoriyalWithoutPressureCooker/DrySideDishForRoti

        Potatoes are everybody favourite .Potatoes are consumed more than any other veggies around the world .From poriyal to mashed potatoes there are many variations you can do with potatoes.Potatoes available in specific regions vary in taste ,color and are good to make only specific food varieties.
Some varieties of potatoes i know

• Baby potatoes(small size potatoes .Good for frying ,Masalas)
• Russet potatoes( have little pigments shown.Good for baking,mashing,French fries)
• Idaho potatoes(large brown skin potatoes.Good for baking,mashing,French fries and chips)
• Pink potatoes(pink potatoes)

        Same potatoes cooked in different indian style.
       One is Potato masala .In there ,potatoes are pressure cooked ,peeled and added to masalas. Second is  Poori bhaji  here potatoes are pressure cooked and added to onion ,tomatoes and green chilies .In this recipe potatoes are cubed ,tempered and added to masalas .Three diff styles with same potatoes  .
        Even people without pressure cooker can do this poriyal without much fuss.Cooking the potatoes in slow fire gives the potatoes a slight crispness and masala flavours wonderfully blended to the potatoes  makes this dish so awful.

Preparation time:5 min
Cooking time:20-25 min
Serves:2

InstantRawMangoPickle/EasyPickle/OilLessPickle

         
        Mango is a seasonal fruit and is more abundant in summer season .It has so many nutritional values including high in vitamin A apart from its sweety goodness .You can enjoy the raw mango as it is or add some chili and salt mixture on the cut mango ,slightly dip one side and eat it ,This is the easiest to enjoy the raw mango, isn't it ?.You can simply cut the mango and serve it with curd rice another easy way to enjoy the mango .
How people use mangoes:
       Indian People do vathal((dry the mango in sunlight to remove the moisture and store it for the whole year ),Thokku (grate them and add some spices and jaggery ),Sambhar ,Juice to enjoy the mango when its available.
What Type of mango to use:

           This mango pickle taste more better with mooku manga(Tota puri mango) .The place where i live in US has mango available, but are mexican mangoes(but that didnt stop me doing this pickle) .
If you are storing this pickle :

Because you are doing pickle with the fresh mango shelf life is up to one week (remember to store in jar/airtight continer and use fresh spoon evertime) .

           This pickle is my very favourite .I remember eating them at lord muruga temple where they serve this pickle along with kanji (They cook and cool the rice and add some onion and some tempering along with little water and curd).Now you have come to the conclusion that this pickle taste better with curd rice ,But believe me it taste better with rasam ,sambhar rice too .


Interested in some mango recipes check

Manga thokku(grated mango pickle)
Mango Toordal Curry

Preparation time:10 min
Yields:2 cups (approximate)

WholeWheatBread/SoftestWheatBread

            Bread has become the easy and healthy breakfast /Snack .When you are not in the mood to cook some elaborate meal bread comes in handy.Making bread at home i have never imagined it .One fine day i wanted to  try bread recipe that too from WholeWheat flour ,I don't know A or Z in bread baking .I found abundant of recipes but none of them is my choice (either they use egg or they has the long process or i may not have the ingredient they mentioned ),i tried a few of them and it turned out to be a super flop .I saw this recipe at veg recipes and i am happy that i found the right recipe for me .I did little variations in resting time,yeast amount and oven temperature after a few tries .NOW got the perfect whole wheat bread .
           Don't think your bread will be as soft as you get in bakery /shops.For that you need to add little wheatgerm or all purpose flour.Also sometimes it may fall apart.
            Its such a pleasure to make our own breads , somehow needs a little patience and  determination.You can see a very long note at the end ,that tell the stories of my failure .Now to Baking ...

Interested in some baked goodies check

Oats cookie(whole wheat flour)
Strawberry cake(With fresh strawberry)
Avocado cupcake(whole wheat flour)
Oats banana muffins(whole wheat flour)
Granola bars(no bake)

Preparation time:10 minutes apart from (2 hours +1 hour resting)
cooking time :45-55 minutes
yields :1 loaf (10-12 pieces)
Recipe source:vegrecipesofindia(Altered)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp active yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter/ghee
• 2 tbsp sour curd/yogurt
• 1 3/4 cups water

Method:

• Combine wheat flour , yeast together .

• Add salt ,sugar and butter as well

• Add Curd/Yogurt and knead it.

• Add (cold) water little by little and combine well  together  .
• mix them well for 3-5 minutes to get the gluten.
• The dough should be sticky and little elastic.

•  Keep it covered and allow it to rise for 2 hours 

               (Before first rise|After the first rise pic 2)

• After 2 hours  slightly punch the dough and fold it in to a roll and seal the edges .

(After punching|Make a fold)

• Keep it in the loaf pan/bread pan and keep it covered for another hour or 2(depends upon the temperature of your place)

(Keep in loaf/bread pan|After second rise)

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees for 10 min.
• Keep the double raised dough and bake it for 40 minutes .
• After its done tap the bottom to see if its done .
• Cool it down (on a wire rack) and slice them and store in a airtight container until further use .

Note:

• To see whether the bread is done :

1. You can insert a thermometer and see the inside temperature is around 200 degrees .
2. You can take out the bread and flip it and tap the bottom ,while tapping if you get a dup sound (means the inside is hollow)its ready to take out of the oven.
3. You can see the bread pull outwards and the upper part of the bread is not soft .
4. The bread should be little browned as well while baking.

Other notes:

• Knead the bread very well until it forms gluten to avoid any failures .

• Temperature of baking and texture of the bread will vary depending upon the oven temperature and flour quality used.
• You can add oil instead of butter( i haven't tried it yet,but sure it wont affect the texture of the bread)
• You can use vinegar instead of curd/yogurt.
• If you are in colder country and trying this recipe, to make the bread soft and the yeast do its work put it in oven with lid and lights on (don't turn on the oven only the lights) so the dough will rise quickly with the temperature of the lights .
• Keep the Proofed dough also in heated oven  if you are baking bread in a coldest day .
• Allow the bread to cool at least for an hour before you cut it, because the bread gets cooked when it cools down (like our pressure cooker we don't take off the foods before the pressure reduces).
• If you don't have a wire rack you can cool the bread by keeping it in vessels crossed(by doing this way the bottom will not become soft).
• If you are living in a warm country you can keep the dough rest for little less time mentioned here .
• You can store the bread in freezer for 2-3 weeks (in an airtight container) .Slice them before hand and store .Reheat it in tava or microwave for 15 -20 seconds
• If you are storing in fridge it may last up to a week.Reheat in tava with or without butter .

Linking it to Bakefest started by vardhini hosted by rafee
linking this to kids delight event of srivalli hosted by priya
Linking it to Harinis bloganniversary event giveaway.

BajraRoti/KambuRoti/HealthyDinnerIdeas

   Pearl millet is bajras english name .Its also called kambu (in tamil),Bajra(in hindi),sajje (in kannada) ,kambam (in malayalam),Sajjalu (in telugu).One good news is- india is the largest producer of this crop ,so we can be happy that we are eating our home grown food .    

       I got 2 packets of bajra flour without knowing what to make with it ,but i know one thing its a whole grain .One fine day i just got this recipe from uma aunty (whom i met in facebook.during the early days she is the one encouraging me in my facebook fanpage very often) and made it ,it was a bit  bitter when i had my first mouth and my huss too felt the same .I made this roti more than 4 times now and we love it a lot ,my little girl too loves her bajra roti much .
        It is essential to add some grains to your diet on a daily basis (according to my opinion).These are the reasons that i say we need to add more grains to our diet.

1. Food now a days are more processed 
2. They get adulterated (like adding stones to your wheat ,adding pesticides to the crops to yield more etc) .

 Do you think that bajra,millet,couscous are the grains .Wheat is also a grain ,which i guess everybody got in their house ?So eat something healthy not a processed food ,will you ?
     

If you are looking for some side dish for this roti check

Malai kofta
Palak dal
Paneer butter Masala
Rajma gravy
Poori bhaji(potato masala for poori)
Channa in peanut curry
Mushroom gravy
Chicken Gravy

Yields :8 small rotis
Preparation time:5 min+(half an hour rest time)
Cooking time:10-15 min