Thengai Podi/ Coconut Chutney Powder

Thengai podi is very similar to the milagai podi and can be had along with idly/dosa or can be had with rice with little oil. Usually my mom makes this podi when we have extra coconuts from the festivals or after any celebration that we had. As this podi has coconut it’s better to keep it in the fridge rather than outside. Also keeping in the fridge helps to avoid the stale smell and better don't use wet spoons. As my mom was leaving to India she made thengai podi for me.

Ingredients:
Grated Coconut - 2 Cup (frozen coconut or dry shredded coconut is also fine)
Urad Dhal - 1 Cup
toor dhal - 1/4 cup
Dry Red Chilies - 3/4 Cup or according to the taste
Tamarind - Lemon Size ball
Salt - 3 Tbsp or according to the taste
Hing - little
Oil - 2 Tbsp

In a Kadai add oil and roast red chilies first. Remove the chilies from the kadai and transfer it to a plate to cool. Next add urad dhal and toor dhal to the kadai and roast until the color of the dhal turns red, you get the roasted dhal aroma. Take care that you don't burn them. Then remove the dhaals and let it cool.  Next add the grated coconut with little oil and roast the coconut until it turns red and finally add the hing and tamarind to it.  Once everything is cooled, powder everything in a mixer along with salt. Store it in a air-tight container.

Thiruvathirai Kali

Aarudhra Darisanam is one of the Hindu festival that usually falls on December/ January month. This festival is celebrated with regard to the birth of Lord of Shiva. Kali and Ezhu Kari Kootu is made as prasadam on this occasion.

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup (I used sona masoori)
moong dhaal - 1/4 cup
Jaggary powdered - 1.5 cups
Cardamom - 5
Cashew Nuts – 5
Ghee – 4 to 5 teaspoon
Water – 3 cups
Shredded coconut - 3 tbsp.

Fry the rice and the moong dhaal in a kadai without oil till it turns light brown. Powder(dry) the fried rice and moong dhaal in a mixer. Now boil 3 cups of water in a vessel and mix the jaggary until it dissolves. Then add the rice and dhaal powder and close it with a lid. Once it becomes like uppuma consistency transfer the vessel to the cooker and keep the flame to low with the cooker's whistle on. You can keep the cooker for atleast for 15 minutes in low even though it gives whistle. (Mostly one whistle might come). Meantime fry the cashew nuts in a teaspoon of ghee and keep it aside. Once khali is out from the cooker add powdered cardomom, fried cashew nuts, remaining ghee and shredded coconuts and mix it well. Kali is usual server with Ezhu Kari Kootu or mixed vegetable kootu for thiruvathirai.

Tomato Soup

It was snowing this Thursday on the new year's eve and we all were at home.  I craved for a hot bowl of soup instead of regular dhaal chawal.  I made hot tomato soup along with flat bread.   Everybody has their own version of tomato soup.  Here goes mine.

Ingredients:
Plum tomatoes - 4 to 5 chopped
red onion - 1 chopped
garlic - 1 clove
ginger - 1 small piece
salt to taste
milk or cream - I used 2% milk 2.5 cups.
water
chili powder - 1/4 tsp
dry basil leaves
oil - 1 tsp for frying
grated Parmesan cheese

This is a very simple and one pot dish. Heat the pot and fry onion, ginger, garlic until they turn transparent. Then add chopped tomatoes and fry it and add little water and close it with a lid and let it cook for 5 to 7 minutes. You can see that tomatoes looks mushy. Now you can directly use a hand blender and grind it or use a food processor to grind it. Now add the heavy cream/milk, salt, chili powder , water depending upon the consistency and let it simmer. Finally add the basil leaves. Serve it hot in a bowl topped with Parmesan cheese. Grilled cheese sandwich , flat-bread or some fine old cracker tastes good with this soup. Enjoy.

Flat Bread

Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 4 cups
Dry yeast - 1 packet
warm water
salt- to taste
Olive oil
Extra flour for dusting.


For topping:
mozzarella cheese shredded
grated garlic - 3 to 4 cloves
1 tomato - chopped
1 red onion - chopped
1 green bell pepper - chopped

Mix the yeast with the warm water and leave it alone for 5 minutes.  To this mixture now add the salt and flour and start kneading.  If have a mixer then run it in slow speed until you get a soft ball.  Then apply olive oil to the glass bowl and keep the dough in it.   Cover it with a plastic wrap and keep it in a warm place to raise.  After 3 or 4 hours the dough will raise to double the size.  Now take small ball of dough to the size of orange and dust the counter and roll it into circles or to the desired shape using rolling pin.  Now prick it with a fork and top it with olive oil , chopped tomatoes , onion and bell pepper, garlic and finally with shredded mozzarella cheese (optional).  Heat the oven to 425 and place the flat bread into the oven and the bread should be ready in 10 to 12 minutes.  Cut it into squares and enjoy it with hot soup.