Vazhai Poo Usuli (Banana Flower /Banana Blossom) Usuli

Vazhaipoo (Banana flower/Banana blossom) is one of the commonly used flower in tamil nadu for cooking. It has lot of medicinal properties and a very healthy flower and tasty too. But, to prepare Vazhaipoo for cooking is very much time consuming and people do not cook it very often even though it is very cheap, healthy and tastier flower for cooking.

The tricky part is to remove the stamen which is nothing but a hard pink layer found in each florets. This stamen never gets cooked and hence we need to remove the same from the florets. You can easily remove the stamen from the top layers of the florets as the stamen is visible. But once you approach the inner layers, the florets are covered and hence removal of the stamen is little bit difficult. Here is the tip.. you can hold the bunch of florets on your left hand and rub the face of the florets on your right hand. This will open up the florets and you can remove the stamen easily. You might notice that the color of the bract was in dark pink color when you start the removal of the stamen and once you approach the inner portion the color of the bract changes from dark pink color to the yellow and finally end up with small white bulb. You can stop removing the stamen at this point as the florets in the inner portion will be more tender. You can cut the flower directly without removing the bracts or stamen. Chop the florets and put them in the butter milk mixed with water as this will keep the color of the florets as white. Otherwise, this become black in color.

Here we are going to make Vazhai Poo Paruppu Usuli. Paruppu Usuli is a traditional Brahmin's recipe. It is dhal crumbles on the vegetable/flower. This dhal crumbles gives a wonderful flavor to this curry.

Ingredients:

Vazhai poo(Banana flower)	1 Medium Size
Salt	To Taste

For Seasoning:

Oil	1 Teaspoon
Mustard Seeds	1 Teaspoon
Urdal	1 Teaspoon

For Grinding:

Thurdal	3/4 Cup
channa Dal	1/4 Cup
Hing	A Pinch
Salt	To Taste
RedChilli	2

Method:

• Soak the Dal's in water over night or for at least 2 hours
• Rinse the Dal's and strain the water and grind it in mixer once along with red chilli, hing and salt without adding water
• The ground mixture should not be so smooth.
• Heat the oil in the pan, and add the ground paste and keep the flame in low
• Allow the ground paste to cook in oil and it will broke down into smaller pieces.
• In a separate pan, heat some oil and add mustard seeds when the oil is hot.
• When the mustard seeds starts to sputter, add the urdhal and fry till it turns into golden brown color.
• To this add chopped Vazhai Poo (Banana Flower) along with salt and sprinkle some water to cook the Vazhai Poo(Banana Flower)
• When the Vazhai Poo(Banana Flower) is cooked completely, add the broken Dal mixture and mix it well
• The mouth-watering Vazhai Poo(Banana Flower) paruppu usuli is ready to serve.
• You can also directly mix the Vazhai Poo Paruppu Usuli with the white rice and a spoon of ghee and serve.

Mysore Bonda (Maida Bonda)

Mysore Bonda (Maida Bonda) is a very traditional and delicious evening snack from Mysore Cuisine. This tasty bonda can be served alone with Coffee or we can also serve with Idly/dosa etc.

Mysore Bonda (Maida Bonda)

Ingredients:
Maida flour - 1 and 1/2 Cups
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Sour Curd - 1 cup
Green chillies - 5
Soda salt - 1 teaspoon
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Chopped ginger- 1/2 teaspoon
Slited coconut pieces - 1 tablespoon
Salt - To taste
Oil - For Frying the bondas

Method:

• Mix the flours along with salt, soda salt and curd and leave it for 30 mins



• After half an hour, add chopped ginger, green chillies, cumin seeds and slit coconut pieces and mix well



• Heat the oil in the pan and test if the oil is ready for frying the bondas. Take small balls of dough and gently drop it in the oil 



• Fry the bondas till it becomes crisp in medium flame on both the sides



• Remove the fried bondas and place it in a plate having a tissue paper to drain the excess oil 



• The delicious Maida bonda is ready to serve

Mysore Bonda (Maida Bonda)

Tips:

• We can also add chopped onions to the dough.

Bisibela bath (Sambar Rice)

Bisibela bath is one of my favourite rice varities. Bisibela bath is originally a karnataka recipe and the tamil version of bisibela bath is more of a customized version of the original one and often referred as sambar rice. My mom cooks bisibela bath very well and the same is recipe is given below. Try it out and let me know.

Bisibela bath (Sambar Rice)

Ingredients:Rice - 1 cup

Thurdhal - 1/2 cup
Sambar onion - 10 nos
Drum stick - 1 no
Beans - 100 g
Carrot - 100 g
Potato - 2 nos (1 if big)
Turmeric - A pinch
Asafoetida - A pinch
Tamarind - 1 small lemon size
Coriander Leaves - few
Ghee - 1 teaspoon

For Grinding
Oil - 1 tea spoon
Channa dhal - 2 tea spoon
Dhaniya - 2 tea spoon
Red chilli - 4 nos
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 teaspoon (Vendhayam)
Cumins seeds - 1/4 teaspoon (Jeera)
Grated coconut - 3 teaspoon
Cloves -1
Cardamom - 1
Cinnamon stick - 1

For SeasoningOil - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon (Kadugu)
Uradhal - 1 teaspoon

Method

1. Soak the tamarind in the water and extract the tamarind juice.
2. Cook one cup of rice with half cup of thur dhal and pinch of turmeric. Add little more water than the usual water that you add for cooking the normal rice and allow one more whistle in the cooker. This is to make sure that the rice/dhal mixture is cooked properly.
3. Cut the vegitables lengthwise (as we do for Aviyal) and cook them and keep it aside. For drum stick we can remove the outerskin and keep only the inner stuffs.
4. Cut the onion finely and keep it aside.
5. Heat the thawa and add one spoon of oil. Once the oil gets heated, then add red chilli, dhaniya, channa dhal, fenugreek (vendhayam) seeds, cumin seeds (Jeera), grated coconut, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and fry them till the color of the mixture changes to light brown. Switch off the flame and allow the mixture to cool
6. Grind the mixture in the mixer to a nice paste and keep it aside.
7. Extract the tamarind juice and add it to the cooked rice/dhal mixture. Also add Asefotodia, salt and heat the mixture in the low flame for about 5 minitus.
8. Heat the thawa and add a spoon of oil. Add the mustard and once the mustard started to sputter then add urid dhal and fry till the the color changes to light brown.
9. Add the onion and fry till its color changes to light brown. Then add all the cooked vegitables and fry them for some time.
10. Keep the flame as low and mix the fried vegitables/onion mix to the rice. Also add the grinded mixture of masala, a spoon of ghee to the rice and mix them well.
11. Add the coriander leaves and the ghama ghama bisbelabath ready to serve.



Bisibela bath (Sambar Rice)

Paal Poli

Paal Poli is nothing but small pooris soaked in a milk. You can also make this using Rawa. I give here the poli made using Maida. We make this for festivals.

Ingredients:

Maida	2 cup
Salt	a pinch
Milk	4 Cup
Sugar	1 Cup
Cardamom Powder	1/2 teaspoon
Saffron thread	few
Kesar Powder	a pinch
Oil/Dalda	For Frying
Ghee	3 teaspoon

Method:

	Take the maida in a bowl and add salt and water and knead it to a thick dough like poori dough Make small balls of out of the dough and using a rolling pin, roll it to 4-5 inch diameter Repeat the process for the rest of the dough
	Now fold the rolled dough to make it like a half circle
	Heat oil/vanaspati in a heavy bottomed pan Fry each rolled poli and keep it in a tissue to avoid excess oil
	Now in another heavy bottomed pan, boil the milk. When the milk starts to boil, add the sugar and stir well till it dissolves Now add caradmom powder, saffron threads, kesar powder and stir well To this add one fried poori and dip it in milk. When the dipped poli is soaked well in milk, take it out and place it a plate and add another poli and repeat the same for rest of poli Keep the flame in sim till you complete the dipping process for all the polis. Now the yummy Paal Poli is ready to serve hot

Kanchipuram Idli

Yet another variety of Idly but very delicious and easy to prepare. A slight variation from the usual idly. The cumin seeds, Ginger powder and pepper gives a distinct flavour to this idly. Try this out and i hope you will start making this regularly as this will be liked by all the family members.

Ingredients:

Urdal	1 Cup
Raw Rice	1 Cup
Par Boiled Rice	1 Cup
Salt	To taste
Cumin Seeds	1 teaspoon
Mustard Seeds(Optional)	1 teaspoon
Pepper	1 teaspoon
Ghee	1 teaspoon
Gingelly Oil	2 teaspoon
Cashew nuts	10
Ginger powder	1 teaspoon

Method:

• Soak the rice and urdal in water for atleast 2 hours
• Rinse and drain the water and grind the rice and urdal in grinder to a thick batter. The batter should not be so smooth.
• Add salt and keep the ground idly flour separately for 12 hours for the batter to undergo fermentation
• Next day, heat ghee in a pan, add broken cashews and fry till it turns golden red color. Take this and add it to the idly flour and mix well
• Grind the pepper and cumin seeds in a mixer and keep this aside.
• Pour gingelly oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds starts to sputter, add the cumin-pepper powder and ginger powder and fry for a 10 seconds. Add this mixture to the batter and stir the batter well
• Now the kanchipuram idly batter is ready. Pour the idly batter in the idly plates and cook it in pressure cooker and serve with milagai podi (gun powder) , chutneys and sambar. Cooking of Idly will take more time than normal idly.
• We can also pour this batter in a deep plate and pour 4 laddles of flour in it. Steam it in a pressure cooker or idli cooker for about 20-30 min. Remove from the stove and cut it to small squares and serve.

Vegetable Kofta Gravy

Kofta is a famous North-Indian Veg Gravy that is served in all hotels. We can make different varieties of Koftas. I love to make cabbage and mixed vegetable Koftas often as a gravy for chapati/Roti.

Vegetable Kofta Gravy

Preparation Time	10 mins
Cooking Time	30 mins
Servings	4

Ingredients:

For Kofta:

Gram Flour	3/4 Cup
Potato	2
Beans	10
Carrot	1
Chopped Cabbage	1 Cup
Shredded Ginger	1/2 teaspoon
Red Chilli Powder	1/4 teaspoon
Oil	For Frying
Corainder Powder	1/2 teaspoon
Coriander Leaves	Few
Peas	1/4 Cup
Salt	To Taste

For Gravy:

Tomatoes	3
Grated Ginger	1 teaspoon
Hing	1/4 teaspoon
Green Chilli	1
Curd	2 tablespoon
Cumin Seeds	1 teaspoon
Oil	2 teaspoon
Corainder Powder	1 tablespoon
Gram Flour	1 tablespoon
Salt	To Taste
Turmeric	1/4 teaspoon

Method for Koftas:

1. Finely chop the vegetables and half cook them. Boil the potatoes and peel the skin and smash it and keep it aside



2. Add gram flour, coriander powder, salt, red chilli powder and coriander leaves with the vegetables



3. Mix all the kofta ingredients. Prepare this just before frying else it would be watery. 



4. Heat oil in a pan, when the oil is hot enough, make small balls out of the dumpling mixture and gently drop it into the pan



5. Fry the kofta dumplings in medium flame till it is fried completely. Make sure the koftas are not burnt.



6. Gently take the fried kofta dumplings out of the oil and place it in a bowl having tissue paper to dry the excess oil. Repeat the step for fry the remaining dumplings

Method for Gravy:

1. Grind the tomatoes, green chilli and ginger to a nice paste in a mixer. Heat a pan, add oil and when the oil is hot, add cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds starts to sputter add gram flour and fry for a minute



2. Add the blended tomato puree and mix well. 



3. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder and mix well. Keep in flame till the puree has reduced to half



4. Add curd to the mixture and mix well and add 1.5 cups of water and keep in low flame for 10 minutes



5. Now, add the fried koftas and allow the mixture to boil for another 5 more minutes



6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve yummy vegetable kofta gravy with chapati/Roti

Vegetable Kofta Gravy

Beetroot Roti

Beetroot is all time favourite vegetable for my grand daughter. So I often use beetroot in my cooking. Instead of doing usual poriyal with Beetroot, I used to make halwa, thugayal and salad. Yesterday, I made roti using beetroot and the taste is awesome.

Beetroot Roti

Preparation Time	5 mins
Cooking Time	30 mins
Servings	4

Ingredients:

Wheat flour	2 Cups
Beetroot	1
Coriander powder	1 teaspoon
Butter	2 teaspoon
Turmeric Powder	1/2 teaspoon
Red Chilli Powder	1/4 teaspoon
Salt	To Taste

Method:

1. Wash and peel the beetroot and grate it. To the grated beetroot add coriander powder, salt, red chilli powder and mix well and keep it aside for 10 minutes



2. After 10 minutes, add wheat flour and mix well 



3. Knead it to a nice soft dough. The water content in beetroot after adding salt is enough to knead the dough. Sprinkle water only if needed. Keep the dough aside for 10 minutes



4. Make medium sized balls out of the dough and roll it to a thin circle by dusting some wheat flour to roll it



5. Heat the thawa and place the roti over thawa.



6. After roti start change its color to slight brown and start puffing in different places flip the roti over.
7. Flip again after a few seconds. Take a flat spatula and press lightly on the puffed parts of the roti. This will help the roti puff.
8. Flip the roti again. The roti should have light golden-brown spots on both sides.
9. Butter the roti, the side that is facing the skillet.
10. Keep the rotis in a container with a paper towel covering the bottom. Serve the yummy beetroot roti with subji.

Beetroot Roti

Aloo Soya Chunks Curry

Soya Chunks (Natural) are a great vegetarian, meat-free alternative for cooking. It has a lot of health benefits. It helps in lower the cholesterol levels and prevent heart diseases. Also it is very rich in protein. We can include this soya chunks in our daily routine of cooking. I even sometimes use this chunks in sambar if I am short of vegetables. Even for Maggie, we can use these cooked soya chunks and give it the kids which is more healthier. Today, I am going to demostrate how to prepare Aloo Soya Chunks curry which is a wonderful side dish for a chapati/roti.

Aloo Soya Chunks Curry

Preparation Time	5 mins
Cooking Time	30 mins
Servings	4

Ingredients:

Soya Chunks	1/2 Cup
Potatoes	3
Onions	2
Tomatoes	2
Turmeric Powder	1/2 teaspoon
Coriander Powder	1 teaspoon
Red Chilli Powder	1/4 teaspoon
Curd	1/4 Cup
Salt	To Taste

For Seasoning:

Oil	1 tablespoon
Curry leaves	few
Cumin Seeds	1 teaspoon
Green chillies	2

Method:

1. Finely chop the onions and tomatoes and keep it aside
2. Take the soya chunks in a big bowl and add about 1 litre of hot water along with 1/4 teaspoon of salt 



3. Boil the chunks for about 10 mins. If you have microwave, you can cook in oven for 5 minutes so that the soya chunks will be cooked and it will be soft



4. Wash and peel the skin of potatoes and chop into bigger pieces
5. Half cook the potatoes and keep it ready



6. Take a pan, add oil and add cumin seeds when the oil is hot. When the cumins seeds starts to sputter, add chopped green chillies and curry leaves and saute for 1 minute



7. Add finely chopped onions and saute it till it turns transparent. Add a pinch of salt to cook the onions evenly



8. Add chopped tomatoes and mix well



9. Add turmeric powder and salt and saute it to cook the tomatoes completely



10. Now add the half-cooked potatoes and boiled soya and mix well



11. Add curd and mix well. Adjust the salt if needed. Keep the flame in low and allow the potatoes to cook completely



12. Add coriander powder, red chilli powder and mix well and allow the curry in flame for another 5 minutes



13. Remove the aloo soya chunks curry once cooked completely from flame and garnish with chopped tomatoes and serve with Chapati/Roti

Aloo Soya Chunks Curry