Pongal Kuzhambu | Chettinad Style Mixed Vegetable Kulambhu | Step By Step Picture Recipe

     Pongal kuzhambu - a spicy, tangy mixed vegetable curry prepared during the harvest festival of Tamilnadu.Curry  is made with the freshest vegetables available that season.Those veggies make the gravy so delicious.

Soya Kuzhambu | Chettinad Getti Kuzhambu - Masala Kulambu

Soya Kuzhambu - a tasty south Indian style thick gravy prepared for rice.Even variety exists like Poondu kuzhambu(garlic gravy),Summa kuzhambu(no vegetables),poricha kuzhambu( prepared with coconut and no tamarind) ,Moru kulambu(made with buttermilk and ground coconut paste).

Ukkarai Recipe | Chettinad Okkara

    Ukkarai/Okkara/Ukkara is a traditional  sweet made with moongdal.Though this ukkarai is not sold outside in a bakery or any shop,its very popular especially in south India.

Paruppu Usili | Beans Usili

         Paruppu usili the tastiest south Indian curry with the protein and goodness of veggie at one go.Even though making it takes a little more time compared to other sides, you can be happy that its the best and very different one.

Seedai Recipe | Rice Flour Recipes | Video Recipe

              Seedai- a crispy,deep fried snack made with rice flour,roasted gram flour as the main ingredients.There are different seedai,like maida seedai,inippu seedai,uppu seedai.My grand ma is an expert in making seedai.The seedai she makes are perfect crunchy with perfect colour.We used to munch them for breakfast,lunch and dinner.I can't match hers in crunchiness but tried up to my level.Grand ma used to grind the rice but i made seedai with store bought rice flour(not to take risk hehehe).You can prepare your own rice flour,See my idiyappam post to make rice flour at home.

How To Make Idiyappam | Talicha Idiyappam

       Idiyappam - a tasty and healthy breakfast option for any south Indian,especially for a keralite or tamilian.Idiyappam is often served with korma or stew,in hotels.But i personally love milk,sugar  combo for idiyappam(sweet tooth he he). I often do ragi/finger millet idiyappam for dinner as it is more healthy than regular idiyappam(best for diabetic people).

Dried Raw Mango - Maavathal Sambar

     Dried Raw mango my mom makes every year to preserve mangoes.You guys know mangoes are seasonal and comes only in summer.In our house mango is very much liked by all.We all enjoy every bite, when it comes to mango pickle,mango thokku,mango curry and this sun dried mavathal.We kids used to eat when the maa vathal is drying in the sun itself(he he so tasty).I love the semi dried chewy ,tangy,sweet maa vathal more than fully dried ones.

Ridge Gourd - Peerkangai Kosumalli | Side Dish for Idiyappam

       Ridge Gourd-Peerkangai is known for its fibre content and cooling effects. I do kootu with this creeper in a way similar to cabbage kootu, other than that hmm... may be chutney with the skin/peels ,nothing much.How you guys use this vegetable?let me know in the comments section.

Raw JackFruit Curry | Palakai Piratal | Guest Post

   Raw Jackfruit Curry:
        We Chettinad people love raw jack fruit( palakai) as much like kerela people . Keralites are fond of raw jack fruit and they call it as chakka ,they do variety of recipes like pradaman,curry(with fresh ground masala),Ularthiyathu(stir fry),Kuzhachathu(steamed one) etc.

Appam Recipe|Appam

   Appam a south Indian style pancakes or dosa made with fermented rice and urad dal mixture .Usually served with coconut milk or stew or kuruma.
   Appam is very famous breakfast item in kerela and chettinad.There are many variations of appam recipe like adding baking soda, eno or add sago pearls/Sabudana (later one i recommend you can do it ).But my mom never add anything to the appam batter ,but still the appam taste so good and be spongy.In case if you are trying to add sago/sabudana/javarisi to appam batter soak it with other ingredients and grind it or soak is and add it after its fermented.
     Best time to prepare appam is ,on a weekend .Why i say is, after having this delicious appam you don't really feel like having lunch and you feel drowsy too.so better have it as a brunch and go for light meal in the evening .
    Ladies first few appam will give a little tough time.You can use the coconut flakes(after taking the milk out) tied in a cotton cloth to wipe the bottom of the pan to give an extra oil layer .Its better to apply more oil for first few if you are not using non-stick pan like me .
    I have done a video on how to make appam in regular pan .Hope you guys will like it.In case of any doubts just comment or email me .

200th post-Kavuni Arisi/BlackRice Pudding

        This is my 200th post .I want to share a dessert which is close to my heart.This kavuni arisi (pudding) ranks first among my favourites.I make payasam with kavuni arisi, then i make this pudding.This Black Rice Pudding is really easy to make if you plan ahead.Rice has to be soaked for at least 12 hours to get Best pudding.
        Kavuni arisi is costly compared to other rice varieties and has more iron and fibre(because  its unmilled and has husk in tact).kavuni arisi rice when cooked turns purplish.In china people make cake,porridge,bread with it.
     This black rice pudding is served during breakfast in chettinad marriages and in festivals and is considered really special.

Soaking time:12 hrs
Cooking time:20 min
Serves:2-3

Palakai Kootu Curry-Chettinad Style(Step By Step Pics)

        Palakai kootu curry is yet another chettinad speciality.Me and my husband are very fond of this type of curry (Our grandma's make this curry yummier ).Here in US its very rare to get raw/tender jack fruit .I saw some in Indian store ,without any second thought i got raw jackfruit.
       When i asked my mom about it .She told there are varieties of raw jack fruit like fruity(which has more seeds) and raw one which don't have many seeds.I really was upset because i already got one which has more seeds.Its really hard to clean the seeds out ,But after i make this kootu we really enjoyed it a lot with Tomato rasam.
     This Jackfruit Recipe is mild and goes very well with rice.

Cleaning Time:15 min(if there is more seeds)
Preparation time:10 min

Cooking time:10 min

BlackRice Recipe/Payasam

    "Black rice" plays a major role in china and Burma cuisine .Our ancestors were traders in Burma and carried this wonderful rice to chettinad .In Chettinad ,Black Rice "Kavuni arisi" present in almost every occasion,normally a pudding will be made with black rice ,sugar and cardamom , such a simple and rich .

   Whatever occasion or festival there should be one kind of this Payasam/Kheer present along with the meal in India .There are so many variation you can make to this  Payasam recipe, change colours by using food colours or adding fruit to make fruit pudding etc.

I keep saying Payasam/Kheer .

What is payasam /kheer/phirni?
   
  "Payasam" is nothing but "kheer" in north India  and "phirni" in south Asia made with boiling sabudana,semiya,poha,broken wheat ,rice in milk and sugar.. flavoured with cardamom ,nuts,dried fruits etc  .
    This black rice payasam is done in the same way for navarathri prasad (offering to god) .Keep on stirring the kheer otherwise it will stick to the bottom .I added cranberries instead of  dried grapes/raisins ,you can add raisins too .You can add cashew nuts instead of badam.You can substitute black rice with regular rice as well to give a twist to the recipe.

Some other payasam

1. Oats payasam
2. Javarisi payasam(sabudana)
3. Parruppu payasam(pasiparupu) 

     

Preparation time:3 hours(soaking)
cooking time:20 min
serves:2-3

Kandarapam/Chettinad Specials/Guest Post

Hi all This is my 5 th guest post and its for "Menaga  akka" she  is one of my fellow blogger  and a good friend of mine .She has a tamil blog and its been like 5 years now she started blogging .She usually explains her recipes very easy and to the point .You can see many chettinad recipes as well in her blog like "kavuni arisi payasam","nandu masala".Among them i like her quick "Tirunelveli kothumai halwa" very much and waiting to try it because i don't get Whole wheat here .
One fine day i asked menaga akka "can i do a guest post on your blog ?".Immediately she said yes and she said "anything is fine ,but if you give me kadarappam i will be more than happy ".Then i asked my mom about the recipe and did it immediately .But akka was busy  shifting her house.After a month of wait now its time to enjoy the beauties in her space .I guess menaga akka will like it .Do check her space and enjoy her recipes in tamil .
Coming to the recipe .This is another chettinad delicacy and its loved by all ,especially kids because they are sweet .These cuties you can see in festivals or chettinad marriages .When you go to karaikudi for a marriage next time be sure to ask them kandarappam.
There are many different versions of this and this one is my moms recipe .To get a true taste you have to deep fry it with coconut as well.If you are a diet kindof person then you have to stay away from it .But you can make like sweet appam(dosa) and enjoy this.Guess unniappam will  taste like this .This is the first time i am making it so haven't got a proper shape .Check the kandarappam recipe here

Soaked rice and urad dal

After grinding the mixture in wet grinder

 Check whether its in proper texture before adding it to oil

Pour it in oil

 Browned kandarappam

Your sweet snack is ready .Enjoy with your loved ones .

linking this to Gayathri's WTML event and prachis 

Kathirikai Thirakkal/Eggplant Stew/Brinjal Korma

Kathirikai therakal is  a famous chettinad breakfast sidedish apart from other specialities like Kosumalli ,Vengaya kosu,Chummakulambhu. In tamil kathirikai means eggplant so this is like eggplant kuruma(korma).I guess nobody does korma with eggplant and its special to karaikudi (chettinad).My mother does this dish all the time and its favourite of my fathers.Using tender eggplants will makes this korma more tasty. They do not have a lot of seeds.

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

Paal kozhukattai/Rice dumplings in Jaggery/Guest post

Today I am very very happy because I am doing a guest post in a very popular blog. The blog owner is very  generous and encourages new bloggers by giving them an opportunity. She is none other than priya of Priyasversatile recipes.I love Priya's recipes .she is very innovative and she is an expert in baking cakes.I like her rajma murukku recipe and eggless carrotcake  very much . Do visit her space and enjoy her recipes ..
 Couple of months ago i was going through her blog and I saw that she had a co-blogger do a guest post. She did it to encourage and offer support new bloggers. I requested her about doing a guest post and she said OK, no questions asked. I told her that i will give my very best ..I guess she liked my post . The recipe that I chose is a chettinad speciality pal kozhukattai done the easy way. Pal kozhukattai is rice dumpling in jaggery syrup and coconut .This is the easy method because traditional method takes time .

A brief introduction  about this recipe.

I grew up in Karaikudi a relatively well known town in the chettinad region of Tamilnadu. Chettinad region boasts of palatial houses and chettinad food is famous world over renowned for the uses of aromatic spices.There are a few dessert dishes unique to chettinad and paal kozhukattai is one among them.

This is my mom's recipe.She used to grind the rice dough by soaking the rice and grinding it in wet grinder. When we were kids during holidays my mom used engage us a little by asking us to shape the kozhukattai. We used to have lots of fun with the dough.

I thought of making this the traditional way but was a little skeptical because of the complexity. Also I was a little worried that my daughter would use this as substitute for her play-doh.
So I did it the easy way and got it done in no time.

Don't forget to check paal kozhukattai recipe here .

Preparation of dough

preparation of kolukattai

Chettinad Chicken|Spicy Chicken Curry

     Chettinad Chicken- Kozhi curry is a authentic chicken preparation made in southern parts of tamilnadu called chettinad.This is usually the spicy chicken preparations of any chicken recipes, but its authentic and most tastiest chicken recipe ever.
    This is my mom's version of the spicy chettinad chicken curry.This Chicken curry is less fat, i mean no heavy cream ,butter and it comes in less work category -one of the easy chicken curry you will ever make.
Tip :The more the curry simmers and cooks in low fire ,the chicken absorbs all the spice.
    Usually chicken dishes in south India gets lots of garlic and spices to aids easy digestion and takeoff  the smell of fresh meat.Especially turmeric to kill of the bacteria in chicken.This chettinad chicken also is special because it has the wonderful flavors of gingelly oil.Gingelly oil cools your body in warmer temperatures even though you eat this chicken curry at summers.

Serving suggestions of Chettinad chicken:
  With chapathi,roti,rice and also a best party pleaser

Check other chicken recipes like chili chicken fry,Pepper chicken gravy

                                         Chettinad Chicken|Spicy Chicken Curry

                            Spicy Chettinad Chicken Curry

 Cuisine: Indian Category:Sides Serves:3-4 Prep time:40 minutes Cook time:40 minutes Total time:1 hour 20 minutes



Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken(around 500 grams)/kozhi.
• 1 tsp turmeric powder/manjal thool.
• salt as required.
• 1 tbsp gingelly oil/nalla ennai.

Roast and grind:

• 5 red chili/vara milagai.
• 1 1/2 tbsp fennel seeds/sombu.
• 1 1/2 tbsp jeera/Cumin seeds/jeeragam.
• 1 tbsp black pepper/milagu.
• 1 tsp kaskas/Poppy seeds/kasa kasa.
• 5 garlic pods/poondu.
• 1 large onion/vengayam.
• 2-3 tbsp grated coconut/thengai.

Marination:

• roast and ground paste/varuthu arachathu.
• 2 tbsp curd/thayir.
• 3 tbsp gingelly oil/nalla ennai.

Marination for chettinad chicken:

• Cut onion and garlic in to big pieces.
• Add oil to saute pan and saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent.
• Keep it aside.
• Add oil again and saute fennel,jeera,pepper.
• Add red chili,poppy seeds as well and saute it.
• Finally add grated coconut after switching off the flame.
• Cool of the sauted ingredients completely and grind it to smooth paste.
• Clean the chicken with turmeric and water and cut chicken to required shape (not too large).
• Add ground paste ,3 tbsp gingelly oil ,curd and marinate the chicken atleast for half an hour or overnight.

Cooking the chettinad chicken:

• Heat the saute pan and add the marinated chicken and cook them in low fire until the chicken cooks(around 30 min).

• By that time chicken should be cooked thorough it has got all of the masala flavour.
• Enjoy chettinad chicken with roti ,Rice,chapathi ...

Note:

• Cook the chicken in low fire so chicken gets the spices.
• Marinate them the previous night and cook it the next day morning if you have frozen chicken at hand.
• Using of gingelly oil is purely optional but it gives much more taste and reduces the heat chicken gives.
• Reduce the red chili level according to your taste buds..

Linking it to Amrita's Page  and Gayathri's page

shrutisrasoi  and Pari's Event

Recipe revisiting :Recipe and picture updated on 3/1/2015

2014 Special-Chettinad Karupatti Paniyaram / Palm Jaggery Fritters(கருப்பட்டி பணியாரம் )

Karupatti paniyarams are synonymous with festive occasions like pillaiyar nonbu and special padaippu
(offerings to ancestors) in chettinad. When we make this, festive season will be around the corner. Like some people say cake baking during winter gives the festive feel. Usually my mom or mother-in-law will give me the dough. Last year I made the dough myself and was so happy. This time too I tried it again and it came out super yummy.
I made this paniyaram for pillaiyar nonbu. I made vada, vellai paniyaram, idly  and sambar along with it and offered it to Ganesha. All of them were very good and we enjoyed it.

Preparation time:1 hour(Except keeping them at room temperature for 2 days)
Cooking time :1 hour
Yields:32

Home made rice noodles(இடியாப்பம்) Guest post

         I want to start my post with a few words about Shruti .She is a bubbly and a lovely lady with lots of energy and enthusiasm for cooking and blogging. She has a wonderful blog and her clicks are wonderful too. I first met her through blogging world when I was taking baby steps in blogging. I am amazed by her blogging abilities, she is very quick in posting recipes and I wonder how she is able do it. 

I had requested her about a guest post and she was gracious enough to say yes and also gave me ample time to get a good post. I enjoy her chatting in post and sharing virtual treat for her friends n family birthdays and special occasions.Check her website here and enjoy her recipes like me .

Today I am goign to share with you a unique Idiyappam recipe from Chettinad. Idiyappam is famous in Tamilnadu and Kerala and usually gets served with Kuruma, Stew and some times with Milk. The Chettinad version is tempered and its served with kosumalli.

   

Tangy Kofta Gravy (பருப்பு/கோலா உருண்டை குழம்பு )

This is an authentic and famous chettinad dish. This dish is usually prepared during festive occasions and as a special for guests. It takes a little work compared to normal kulambu but trust me this is worth the extra effort. Just taste this once and you will be hooked. You can eat this with rice and simple vegetable like cabbage curry,Pumpkin curry.

Preparation time:1 hour(soaking the dal)+10 min
Cooking time:30-40 min
Serves:3