Kariveppilai / Curry Leaves Thokku

Kariveppilai / Curry Leaves Thokku

Today I'm going to give you a Delicious​ Recipe, Kariveppilai Thokku / Curry Leaves Thokku! If you feel bored to cook anything, but don't want to go out for eating, then you can have this thokku for making your meal great and fulfilled! Just mix a spoon of this thokku with gingelly oil to hot Rice and taste it! No side dish is needed.

You want to know how to make it! Here we go!

Ingredients :

Kariveppilai / Curry Leaves - 2 cups
Kadalai Paruppu / Bengal Gram Dhall - 1 tsp
Dhaniya Seeds - 1 tsp
Red Chilli - 5 / 6
Asafoitida powder / Hing - 2 pinches
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 2 / 3 tsp (optional)
Tamarind - 1 big Amla sized
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds - 2 tsp
Gingelly Oil - 2 / 3 tbsp
Salt - to taste.

Method :

Wash Curry Leaves and drain and dry it in shade by spreading it in a clean dry towel!

Soak tamarind for about 30 minutes and  take a thick extract from it and keep aside.

Roast Fenugreek seeds to Golden brown without oil! Dry grind it to make a fine powder in a mixer jar and keep aside.

Roast, Kadalai Paruppu / Bengal Gram Dhall, Dhaniya Seeds, Red Chilli with 1 tsp oil to golden brown and allow it to cool.

Dry grind the above roasted ingredients in a mixer grinder to a powder and keep this masala powder aside.

Roast the dried Curry Leaves with very little oil slightly.

Wet grind the roasted Curry Leaves with the thick Tamarind extract and required salt! Make a smooth paste! Water can be added if needed!

Take a thick bottomed pan! Heat 1 tbsp Gingelly Oil!

Pour the smooth Curry Leaves paste and saute in low flame.

Add Turmeric powder, Roasted masala powder one after another and continue stirring! If you feel like adding more Chilli powder, it can be added now!

Check for salt and add if necessary.

Take care that it doesn't catch at the bottom!

If the added oil is taken by the paste, then add more oil little by little and continue stirring.

When the paste becomes like a ball and the observed oil comes out of it, remove from the stove.

Season with Mustard Seeds and Asafoitida powder. Add 1 tsp Fenugreek powder and mix well!

Kariveppilai Thokku is ready!

Store it in a clean dry airtight container!

It tastes great with hot Rice and gingelly oil! No side dish is needed for this great thokku!

Note :

• It lasts long for about one month.
• Use Crystal Salt for making Thokku! It'll act as a preservative!
• The masala powder which we made can be used for making any type of Variety Rice, Kootu and any spicy Poriyal!  

Have a healthy days! Will revert back with a delicious Recipe soon! Bye friends!

Kathrikkai / Brinjal Thogaiyal

Kathrikkai / Brinjal Thogaiyal

Kathrikkai or Eggplant or Brinjal, known as baingan in Hindi, is known to be king of vegetables.  High on nutrients, this vegetable has many health benefits and hence, you should consume it at least once a week. Although a lot of people don’t like the taste, if you cook it well, it can be extremely delicious. Here is why you should add this vegetable to your list of groceries the next time you shop for vegetables.

Health benefits of Brinjal

Prevent cancer - Fibre and antioxidants are just two of the nutrients that make brinjal a food that can keep cancer at bay. Fibre helps clear the toxins present in your digestive tract and has been found useful in the prevention of colon cancer. 

Great for weight loss - Brinjals are great for weight loss as they are low in calories with 100g of the vegetable containing just 25 calories. It is also rich in fibre which helps in promoting the feeling of satiety which means that eating a small serving will make you feel full and prevent you from overeating.

Prevent heart disease - Like most fruits and vegetables, brinjals too are great for your heart. Being rich in fiber, potassium, vitamin B-6 and phytonutrients like flavonoids, this vegetable lowers the risk of heart disease. The presence of antioxidants keeps your arteries healthy and prevents heart attack. 

Controls blood pressure - It contains potassium, an important mineral, which plays a key role in maintaining electrolyte balance in the body. It also helps in neutralizing the effects of sodium on the body thereby aiding in blood pressure control. 

Good for diabetics - Low in Carbohydrates and rich in Fibres.

Lowers cholesterol in the body - It is rich in Chlorogenic Acid.

Gives your skin a natural glow - It is rich in Antioxidants and Vitamins.

Good for your brain - it contains Phytonutrients!

Help you to quit smoking

Tips you should follow while incorporating brinjal in your diet:

Instead of metal knife, use a stainless steel knife to cut the vegetable as it prevents the chemical reaction between pytochemicals present in brinjal and metal.

As you cut brinjal, put them in salt water or sprinkle salt over the pieces. This removes the compounds that render bitter taste to the vegetable. It also makes your dish more tasty and palatable.

Brinjal can be added to any dishes like sambhar, pizza or pasta or can be consumed even in fried, baked, sauted, grilled, roasted or steamed form.

Here I'm giving a delicious Recipe made with Brinjal! 

Ingredients :

Kasi Kathrikkai : 1 or 2
Black Gram Dhall : 1 cup
Red Chilli : 7 - 8 numbers
Green Chilli : 1 or 2 numbers
Tamarind : A small Amla sized
Curry Leaves : 2 strands
Asafoitida powder : 2 pinches
Cooking Oil : 3 tsp
Mustard Seeds : 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method :

Select a big and fat Brinjal from the market! It's called Kasi Kathrikkai!

Wash the Kasi Kathrikkai / Brinjal and wipe it with a clean dry towel!

Roast the Brinjal in direct flame! The outer purple skin becomes black n Charred! Keep aside and allow it to cool.

Remove the blackened skin from the charred Brinjal!

Smash it slightly and keep aside!

Clean up to remove all the impurities from the Tamarind and tear it into small pieces.

Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a pan. Roast Black Gram Dhall, Red Chilli, Green chilli, Tamarind pieces, Curry Leaves, Asafoitida powder and Salt to golden brown!

Wet grind the roasted ingredients to a thick and smooth paste!

Now add the smashed brinjal to the paste and mix well!

Season with mustard Seeds!

Brinjal Thogaiyal is ready!

It can be served with hot Rice and gingelly oil, with any raitha and appalam (roasted in direct flame) as side dish!

It goes very well with Chappathis and Dosas too!

Have a Happy and Healthy Days!

Will be back with a delicious Recipe soon! Till then, take care! Bye! 

Rice - Vella (Jaggerry) Puttu for Navarathri!

Rice - Vella (Jaggery) Puttu

Vella Puttu, a delicious Recipe made with Raw Rice,  is a  traditional recipe which  we make during Navarathri Celebrations! It comes very well if we make it with little patience and concentration! 

I'm thankful to my dear Friend and her Mom in learning this great dish! At the same time, I thank my dear Mother-in-law and my lovable Chithi in explaining the steps! 

Here we go with the Delicious Recipe! 

Ingredients : 

Raw rice : 1 cup

Jaggery : 1 cup

Ghee : 2 tbsp

Grated Coconut : 1 tbsp

Cashew nuts : 4 - 5 nuts

Cardamom : 3 pods

Turmeric powder : 1 pinch

Crystal Salt : 2 pinches

Method :

Wash and Soak Raw Rice for​ 30 - 45 minutes and drain the water completely!

Spread the soaked Raw Rice on a clean dry towel and allow it to dry in shade. It must dry completely. If you take in your hands, it must not stick on to your hands!

Now roast the dried Raw Rice with Cardamom pods, little by little to reddish without oil or ghee in low flame!

Dry grind the roasted Raw Rice to fine powder. You can use a seive to get a fine powder!

Take half glass of water in a sause pan. Add turmeric powder and Crystal salt. Heat this turmeric water very mildly!

Add this mild hot water to the Raw Rice powder little by little and mix it slowly! Don't make it as a dough! It must have moisture and must be crumple enough that if you make a ball of that mixture it must come but if you leave it it must crumple down again! (பிடிச்சா பிடிக்க வரணும்; விட்டா உதிறணும்!)

Now take a clean white cloth! Put the crumple Raw Rice mixture in it and tie it to make a small bundle of it!

Steam cook the bundle for about 15 minutes. (Just like Idli - no whistle needed!) 

Now take the steam cooked Raw Rice mixture and allow it to cool for few minutes. Crumple it with your hands so that no lumps are formed! (You can use a sieve for this or just whip it once in a mixer grinder!) It must be like bread crumbs!

Fry the cashew nuts and grated coconut in Ghee to Golden brown and keep aside.

Dissolve jaggery in 1 cup of water and filter the impurities. We must make a thick syrup with this jaggery water. Bring this jaggery water to boil. It must boil continuously.

When it thickens, test it for right padham!

Take one tsp of this syrup and drop it in water. If you are able to make a thick ball out of it, then this is the right stage! Simmer the stove! 

Pour the Jaggery syrup to the crumpled Raw Rice mixture little by little, stirring continuously and mix well! 

Season with fried coconut and cashew nuts.

Vella Puttu is ready for Neivedhyam!

Note: 

* While steaming the bundle, keep the bundle upside down, i.e., the knot of the bundle must be in the bottom!

* Don't try to add the Raw rice crumples ​to the jaggery syrup! Instead, pour the jaggery syrup to the crumpled Raw rice and mix well! You may think both are same but it makes lot of difference! 


Wishing you all a very Happy Navarathri Celebrations! 

Will be back with yet another healthy and delicious Recipes! Till then, have a Healthy and Happy days!