Ammini Kozhakattai

Ingredients :
Raw rice - 1 cup
Salt - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 3 tsp OR green chillies - 6 nos
Mustard - 1 tsp
Til oil - 4 tsp

Method :

1. Soak the rice for about 2 hours and drain out the water.
2. Grind the rice, along chilli powder (or green chilli) , salt and asafoetida to a fine paste.
3. Add one and half cup of water to the paste and dilute it to an even consistency.
4. Heat the oil in a kadai and add mustard to it. Let the mustard sputter.
5. Simmer the flame and add the rice paste slowly into the kadai while constantly stirring the mixture.
6. The mixture will thicken and the colour of the mixture will change.
7. Set down the mixture and let it cool.
8. Roll the mixture into small balls and steam them in an idli vessel.
9. This makes a good evening snack, which is healthy and filling.

Thengai (Coconut) Podi

Ingredients :
Coconut - 1
Urad dal - 1/2 cup
Chana dal - 1/4 cup
Dry chilli - approx. 12 nos
Tamarind - size of a small lemon
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp

Method :

1. Grate the coconut and roast the grated coconut till it changes colour and gives out an aroma. Keep it aside.
2. Roast the urad dal, chana dal and dry chilli till the raw smell disappears.
3. Add tamarind, salt and asafoetida to this mixture and continue to heat for a further 2 minutes. Let this mix cool down.
4. Grind the dal mix to a coarse powder in a mixie. Now add the grated coconut to this powder and grind to a fine powder.
5. Allow the thengai powder to cool down. This goes well with rice and can also be had with dosa or idli.
6. If one has a taste for garlic, 2-4 cloves of garlic can be added with the tamarind into the dal mix, roasted and ground.

Polla Vadai

Ingredients :
Rice Powder - 2 cups [The rice should be washed well, dried and powdered fine]
Urad Dal - 3 tsp
Tuar Dal - 3 tsp
Chilli Powder - 3 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Oil - to fry
Salt - to taste
Method :

1. Soak the urad dal and tuar dal for 2 hours and grind them together to a fine paste.
2. In a bowl, add this dal mix to chilli powder, asafoetida, rice powder and salt and knead the dough to a consistency of chapati dough. You can add a small amount of water if needed to knead the dough properly.
3. Make the dough into many small even sized balls (about the size of a small lemon) and place them on one half of a towel about 3 inches from one another.
4. Cover the balls with the other half of the towel and press the balls flat with your palm.
5. Heat the oil well in a pan and fry the pressed balls in the oil.
6. The result will be a 'vadai' that looks like a mini-puri. The ingredients will be enough to make around 15-20 'polla-vadais'.
7. This is a good evening time snack and goes well with tea or coffee.

Kattirikkai Ennakkai (Brinjal Fry)

Ingredients :
Brinjals - 1/4 kg
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Refined Oil - 5 tbsp
For dry masala :
Coriander Seeds (Dhania) - 4 tsp
Chana dal - 5 tsp
Uncooked Rice - 2 tsp
Urad dal - 2 tsp
Tamarind - Size of a small lemon
Dry red chillies - approx. 8 nos
Salt - 1 and half tsp
Asefoetida - 2 pinches

Method :

1. Roast all ingredients of the dry masala and grind them to a powder.
2. Cut the brinjals lengthwise into 4 to 6 pieces each. Try to get all the pieces to the same size.
3. Heat oil in a pan and fry the brinjals in it. Add the turmeric powder to the brinjals and fry till well cooked and crisp.
4. Add the dry masala powder to this. Stir well and then close the pan with a lid.
5. Let the brinjals get fried for 10 minutes.
6. Stir the mixture intermittently (say once every 1.5 to 2 minutes) to avoid burning of the vegetables.
7. The brinjal fry is ready to serve. This dish goes well when mixed with rice. It can be had with curd rice.

Kalathu Podi

Ingredients:
Horse gram (Kollu) - 250 gm
Tuar dal - 100 gm
Pottu Kadalai/Putnalu (Roasted Chana dal) - 50 gm
Urad dal - 2 tbsp
Chana dal - 2 tbsp
Pepper - 2 tbsp
Cumin seed (Jeera) - 1 tbsp
Dry Chilli - 8 nos.
Asafoetida powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 2 tbsp

Method :
Wash the horse gram well and remove the stones and grit which are usually found in it. Roast well till it gives out its aroma. Set the horse gram aside.

Roast the other dals, pepper, cumin seeds and dry chilli, each separately in a pan. Roast lightly and avoid change of colour. Turn off the gas and add all the ingredients (including the salt and asafoetida) except for the horse gram in the pan and roast them together in heat of the pan.

By now, the horse gram would have cooled off. Dehusk the horse gram after grinding it for a few seconds in a mixer.

Add the horse gram to the other ingredients and grind together to a coarse powder. Do not grind to a fine powder.

This Kalathu Podi is best eaten with hot rice, gingely oil and fried appalam.

Sambar Powder

This home-made sambar powder gives a better taste than commercial sambar powder.

Ingredients:
Dry Chilli (Red) - 300 gm
Coriander Seeds (Dhania) - 200 gm
Tuar Dal - 1 cup
Chana Dal - 1/2 cup
Urad Dal (white) - 1/4 cup
Fenugreek (Methi) - 1/4 cup
Cumin Seeds (Jeera) - 1 tsp
Pepper - 1 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 cup of leaves

Method :
Roast each of the ingredients separately. Roast lightly and do NOT let any ingredient change colour.

Grind the following ingredients separately (1)coriander seeds, (2)dry chilli and (3)curry leaves and set them aside.

Grind the rest of the ingredients together.

Mix all the ground ingredients in a bowl and then grind them to a fine powder. (The two stage grinding is because different ingredients have different grinding times. Eg : The coriander seeds get ground very quickly whereas the cereals take time to become powdered).

The sambar powder is ready.

Two teaspoons of this sambar powder will give enough sambar to serve two persons.

Masala Muttapori

Serves 2

Ingredients :
Puffed Rice (Muttapori / Mara-mara) - 5 cups
Onion (chopped) - 1/2 cup
Chilli Powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp
Ajinomoto - 2 pinches
Lemon Juice from 1/2 a lemon
Coriander leaves (Celantro) - 4 tbsp
Vegetable Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method :
Fry the chopped onions in a pan and add ajinomoto while frying. Fry till onions get tender. Add the puffed rice into the pan and mix well. Add chilli powder, garam masala and salt and stir well till the ingredients mix.

Remove the pan from fire. Add lime juice and garnish the dish with coriander leaves and serve.

This is a nice snack and goes very well with a hot cup of tea or coffee.