Basics in South Indian Cooking

When I was checking the traffic of my site I found out that some of the visitors are searching for basic recipes. Then suddenly I remembered how I used to search for simple recipes 1 year back. So I decided to start posting them. Before that here are the 3 basic recipes which can be used with almost every vegetable that is normally used in Indian cooking.
These basics were taught to me by my brother & mother when I was nervous about cooking. So it is a mixture of Bachelor cooking and expert cooking. They helped me a lot. They are easy and quick. Here are the recipes as I remember them now:
There are 3 types of dishes you can make:
1. dry curry i.e., fry
2. semi liquid curry
3. liquid curry

When you have one variety of vegetable in bulk and if it is going to spoil if left for 2 more days. Then go for the first recipe. ( Small amount of curry with large amount of raw vegetable)
If you have onion and one or more vegetables
When you have less amount of the vegetable and want to make a curry in bulk, then go for the third recipe. ( large amount of curry with small amount of raw vegetable)

Ingredients that should always be present in home:
Salt
Oil
Red chili powder
Turmeric (optional)


Fry:
Ingredients:
Vegetable
Oil
Salt
Chili pd
Turmeric
Method:

Cut the vegetable you have into small pieces.
Heat oil in pan. This recipe takes more oil than other dishes.
Add vegetable. Keep stirring until the vegetable becomes soft.
Add salt, chili pd and turmeric.
Stir and serve hot with rice/ roti.
Cooking rice is easier than making roti.

2nd recipe (iguru):
Ingredients:
Whatever vegetables you have at home, cut them into small/ medium sized pieces
Onion- chopped into small pieces
Salt, oil, turmeric and chili pd.
Method:
Heat oil in pan.
Usually we need to add onion first. But sometimes the hard vegetable like Ivy gourd, egg plant needs to be added first. You'll know it by experience.
So add onions and saute until they turn into golden brown colour.
Add vegetables- saute until they are soft.
Add salt, chili pd and turmeric.
If the vegetables are not being done, add little amount of water and cook with lid.

3rd recipe(pulusu):
Additional ingredient that is required apart from those in 2Nd recipe, is Tamarind
Method:
Take lemon sized tamarind if you are cooking for 2 people, transfer into a bowl of water. Microwave it for 1 min.
Heat oil in pan.
Add onions-saute until they are done.
Add vegetable. Saute for 2 min.
Add salt, chili pd, turmeric.
Squeeze tamarind in the water.
Add this tamarind extract to the pan.
Add water depending upon the amount of curry you want to make.
Add a little bit of tamarind if required.
Keep the lid.
Let the liquid boil.

This is it.
When I got married and entered this so called married life, I was nervous about my cooking. I never showed interest in cooking. So I knew nothing about it. These 3 recipes helped me in those initial days. My mother says that for any dish, if you cook on low- medium heat, it tastes good rather than high heat. That is true because the pieces will be uniformely cooked in low heat.
And of course always be cautious in kitchen. Never wear loose and hanging garments while cooking etc.
I hope this helps for beginners. They search as Ivy gourd pulusu etc. For any vegetable, these are the procedures.

Chicken Pulao( biryani)

The advantage of this recipe is, it doesn't require marination. So prior planning is not needed.
I came to know that Lactose intolerant people should not eat marinated chicken. So I hope this recipe helps. But of course check the ingredients and avoid whatever is not good for them.
Serving size: 4-5 persons
Preparation time:1hr.
Ingredients:
Chicken: 2 kg (Clean and cut into medium to large size pieces)
Basmati rice: 2 cups
Hot water: 2 cups
Yogurt: 2 cups
Chopped tomatoes: 2 cups
Onion (chopped): 1 medium
Mint leaves: 1 cup
Coriander leaves: 1/2 cup
Green chilies: 2-3
Spices:
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp
Cardamom: 5
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Cloves: 3
Cinnamon: 3"
Bay leaf: 1
Chili pd: 1-2 tsp
Turmeric pd.: 1/4 tsp
Oil: 3 tsp
Salt to taste
Method:
Heat 2 tsp of oil in heavy bottomed pan.
Add onion & green chilies. Saute until they turn into golden brown colour.
Add all the above spices.
Add tomato and yogurt.
Cook until tomato becomes soft.
Add chicken pieces and mint leaves.
Stir well so that yogurt coats the chicken pieces.
Add 1 tsp of chili pd and salt.
Cook for about 30 min. with lid until chicken is done.
Heat 1 tsp of oil in another heavy bottomed wide pan.
Add washed rice.
Stir until oil is well coated to rice grains.
Add coriander leaves.
Add chicken pieces along with some amount of gravy.
Transfer the remaining gravy into a soup bowl. This can be used later during serving.
Add 2 cups of hot water to the above pan.
Add salt and chili powder if required( that depends on how much amount you would like in your dishes)
Keep the lid.
Cook until rice is done.
It would take around 10 min.
Keep stirring in between to avoid the rice grains sticking to the bottom which is not good for pregnant ladies.
Serve hot with Raita and the chicken gravy.

Joke

John comes back 2 his car and finds a note saying "PARKING FINE".
He wrote a note and sticks it 2 pole THANKS FOR THE COMPLIMENT.

Alzheimer's disease

Recently I brought a CD package about preventing Alzheimer's disease from library. I don't remember the name of the book exactly. But one of the authors is Dr.Andrew Weil. It is a beautiful book that includes simple brain exercises that help you prevent the disease.

They also gave a list of healthy foods that we all should include in our diet. I am not going to bore you with all the details. Here is a simple list:

Turmeric

Olive oil

Fruits



The above 2 items we can easily include in our diet.

Include a pinch of turmeric in every dish. This is usually done in Indian cooking. In almost every dish, they add only a pinch of turmeric. A survey showed that the incidence of Alzheimer's disease is very low in Indian communities.

Cook all the dishes with Olive oil.



This disease is most commonly seen in people with low- moderate education levels. More specifically in High school dropouts. Very less seen in people with Masters level of education. Nobody can ask you to join in college RIGHT NOW. But here are the simple exercises which should be followed:

After you enter into forties, make your brain exercise by doing cross word, sudoku, remembering phone No.s, House No.s, grocery list etc.



This is the main essence of that book. I'll post the exact name of the book as early as possible. I recommend those persons who think that they might be susceptible to this disease to read this book and do the exercises given in that book.

This is not any advertisement of that book. I personally liked it. They are available in regional libraries. So go through it once.

Chowmein- Chinese noodles

I love Chinese food. I am a regular customer to a Chinese fast food centre near our house. Of course everyone likes Chinese food. So I tried one recipe with noodles. The measurements I am giving are somewhat approximate. I am gonna try the other dishes too. If they taste good, I'll definitely post them.

We can include cooked shrimp/ shredded chicken which is cooked before. Then the dish becomes shrimp chowmein/ chicken chowmein. The picture I have posted is of chicken chowmein.

Preparation time: 20 min. if chicken/ shrimp is already cooked and ready.

Ingredients:

Egg noodles: 250 grams

Shredded chicken/ shrimp: 1-2 cups

Mixed vegetables: 2 cups (broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, peas, beans.......)

Spring Onions: 1/2 cup

Button Mushrooms: 1/2 cup

Onion: 1 small

Green chili: 1-2 (optional)

Olive oil: 3 tbsp

Pepper: According to individual taste

Cooking wine/ dry sherry: 1 tbsp

Dark soy sauce: 1/2 tsp

China salt: a pinch

(Do not use china salt if you are pregnant)

Salt to taste

Method:

Boil water enough to cook noodles. Add little amount of salt to the water.

Add noodles to the boiling water and cook till they are done.

Meanwhile, boil mixed vegetables in microwave until they are done. Approximately for 6-8 min.

When the noodles are done, drain the water with the help of a strainer. Run cold water through them.

When they are cool, add 1 tbsp of olive oil to them. Mix the noodles properly until the oil is well coated to the noodles.

Again fry them lightly in a pan. Keep aside.

Heat the remaining oil in the pan.

Add onion, green chili and cooked meat. Skip the meat part to prepare veg. chowmein.

Cook until they are almost done.

Add soy sauce, china salt, cooking wine and salt.

Sprinkle pepper.

Mix well.

Add the boiled vegetables.

Mix well.

Serve hot with ketchup/ tomato-chili sauce.

Pulihora-Tamarind rice

This is a famous south Indian dish. Almost every one loves this recipe. Adjust the amount of spices according to individual taste. I strongly recommend to give a try. This dish is rich with healthy spices.

Serving size: 3-4 persons

Preparation time: 30 min

Ingredients:

White rice: 1 cup

Tamarind: 50 grams

Green chilies: 2-3

Curry leaves: 1 stalk

Red chili: 1

Peanuts: 2tbsp (optional)

Split chick pea (Chana Dal): 2 tbsp (optional)

Sesame seeds: 1 tbsp (optional)

Turmeric: 1 tsp

Asafoetida/ hinge: 1/4 tsp (optional)

Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp

Cumin: 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek: 1/2 tsp

Oil: 1-2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method:

Start cooking rice in a cooker.

Soak tamarind in water for 10min./ microwave it for 3 min.

Extract pulp by squeezing the tamarind pulp in water. Repeat squeezing until the water is somewhat clear. Throw away the tamarind pulp.

Keep the tamarind extract aside.

You can skip this fussy step by buying a bottle of tamarind pulp from Indian groceries.

Heat oil in pan.

Add peanuts, Chana Dal, red chili, fenugreek, mustard, cumin, sesame, curry leaves, hinge and a pinch of turmeric in order.

Add tamarind extract to pan.

Boil the mixture until it becomes thick.

This can be stored in an air tight container for a month if it is refrigerated.

Rice should be done by now.

Spread the cooked rice in a wide pan or baking dish.

Sprinkle salt according to taste.

Sprinkle the remaining turmeric.

Add 1 tbsp of oil only if required.

Now add the above tamarind mixture.

Mix everything taking care of not to mash the rice grains.

Serve hot.

It can also be eaten with yogurt.

Puffed rice balls- Murmura undalu

In this sweet, Jaggery can also be replaced by sugar. But unfortunately I did not try with sugar. So I do not know the exact measurement of sugar.

Preparation time: 20 min.

Ingredients:

Puffed rice: 6 cups

Jaggery (grated): 1/2 cup or may be less according to individual taste

Cardamom pwd: 1/4 tsp

Method:

In a big, sturdy and thick bottomed vessel, add water & Jaggery.

Let it boil until the syrup becomes somewhat thick.

Here is a simple test to check whether the syrup is ready or not.

Take cold water in a bowl, add 1/2 tsp of syrup to it.

If the syrup does not dissolve into cold water and exists as a separate entity even though the water is moved in different directions, then it is done.

Add cardamom powder.

Add puffed rice and stir until syrup and puffed rice mixes well.

Remove from heat.

Leave it for 5 min.

Take cold water in a bowl. Dip your hands in the water.

Take small amount of the mixture into hands, make them into balls quickly.

Dip your hands into cold water whenever they become hot.

A simple alternative to this step is:

Spread this mixture evenly on a greased plate.

Cut it into squares.

Let it chill.

Undrallu

This is a regional dish. It can be served as breakfast or lunch.

Serving size: 4-5 persons

Preparation time: 30 min.

Ingredients:

Rice: 1 cup

Grated coconut: 1/4 cup (optional)

Chana Dal: 1/8 cup (optional)

Salt to taste

Method:

Wash the rice, spread it on big tissue paper.

When it is dry, grind it into coarse powder ( idly rawa consistency)

Add 2 cups of water. Bring it to boil.

Add salt and Chana dal.

Add rice flour while stirring it continuously.

Sprinkle grated coconut..

Keep stirring till it is done.

Keep aside.

When it is lukewarm, make tennis ball sized balls out of the dough.

Serve with any pickle/ chutney.

Coconut Mango chutney

Whoever tasted this, liked it very much.

Preparation time: 20 min

Ingredients:

Grated coconut: 1-1and 1/2 cup

Raw & Sour Mango: 1 small

Red/green chilies: 4-6

Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida: 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves: 6

Salt to taste

Turmeric: 1/4 tsp

Oil: 2 tsp

Method:

Peel mango and cut it into small pieces/ grate the mango. If you blend the small pieces in a blender for a brief time, they become grated.

Seasoning:

Heat oil in pan.

Add mustard, fenugreek, red chilies, curry leaves, hing and curry leaves in order.

When it is done, keep aside.

Now blend coconut, mango along with green chilies, salt and turmeric.

Slowly add water if needed according to individual taste.

Shift the mixture into serving bowl.

Add seasoning to the bowl and mix well.

Serve with dosa, idli or undrallu.

Aardhi- Jaggery & Rice flour sweet

It is a regional sweet. Whoever likes sweets made of Jaggery would definitely like this sweet.

Serving size: 4-5 persons

Preparation time: 30 min.

Ingredients:

Rice flour: 1 cup

Jaggery: 1 cup

Grated coconut: 1/4 cup

Cardamom pd.: 1/4 tsp

Method:

Boil 1 and 1/2 cup of water in a heavy bottomed pan.

Slowly add rice flour to the boiling water while stirring the mixture simultaneously.

Adhere to the measurements strictly for the above step.

Mix rice flour with water until both mix well.

Do not add water even though the dough seems to be dry.

Remove from stove.

When the mixture is warm enough to handle, take a small portion of it into hands.

Roll it on the chopping board with your hands until they become long rope like structures.

Heat Jaggery and 2 cups of water in another heavy bottomed pan.

Let it boil. Sprinkle grated coconut and cardamom powder to the syrup.

Now add the ropes to Jaggery syrup.

Cook till the ropes imbibe the syrup and are well done.

When the syrup becomes viscous, it is an indication of the completion of the step.