Milaga Podi or Chilli Powder for Idli or dosa

In all Brahmin's house hold, Dosa and Idli is served with Milaga podi /Chilly powder . It is spicy and tasty when eaten with Idli or Dosa. The traditional way of making it is as follows

Ingredients:-
Chenna dal/Kadalai Paruppu - 1/2 Cup
Urad Dal or Ulutham paruppu - 1 Cup
Red Chilly - 11/2 Cup
Sesame seeds/White Ellu-2 spoon
Curry Leaves - small cup
Oil - 1 tsp

Method:-

Heat oil in a pan add the above ingredients one by one in the same order, fry and  cool it. Then grind it to course powder and store in air tight container.

Serve this chilli powder with gingerly oil for idly or dosa.

Rasam Powder

This is the traditional way of making  rasam powder at home and then they are stored in air thight containers.It is used when ever rasam is made at home.

Rasam Powder:-

Thuar Dal - 1 1/2 glass or cup
Dhaniya - 3 Glass or cup
Milagu/pepper- 1 glass
Jeera/Siragam - 1/2 glass
Red Chilly - 4 pieces

Method:-

Grind all the above without frying. course grind and store in air tight containers.

Sambhar Powder

Usually sambhar powder is made at home at stored in air tight containers. when ever sambhar is made 2 to 3 tsp of the same used. This is How my mom makes at home the traditional way...

Ingredients:-

Chenna dal or Kadalaparuppu - 1 Tumbler/Cup
Dhaniya -1 tumbler/Cup
Red chilly - 2 Tumbler/Cup
Menthiam - 1 tsp

Method:-

Fry all the above ingredients seperately and course grind in mixie. Store it in airthight container.

Sundakkai/Turkey Berry Vathal Kuzhambu

I love all vathal kuzhambu. Even though the preparation method is same for vathal kuzhambu,but it tastes different based on the vathal added to the kuzhambu.

Vathal kuyambu can be made from all sun dried vathal like sundakkai(Turkey berry),Manathakkali,Ladies finger,lotus stem, Chukkangai,Bitter guard etc. All these are marinated in Butter milk and salt for a couple of days and sundried hence the name vathal.

Sundakkai/Turkey berry  are good for ulcers in stomach and mouth. they remove worms in stomach and they help in controlling Blood pressure, diabetes and kidney disorders. Thanks to grandmoms herbal Kitchen medicine's or patti vaidhiyam where in they included all these herbs in our daily diet.

Today we will see how to make sundakkai(also known as Turkey Berry) Vathal Kuzhambu. It is a traditional south indian receipe that gets done in all Brahmin's house holds. All vathal Kuzhambu tastes yummy with roasted vadam or appalam(papad).

sundakkai kuzhambu can be made with pacha or raw green sundakkai or sun dried sundakkai.

Ingredients:-
Sundakkai Vatal

Tamarind - Small lemon sized
Vathal Kuzhambu Powder - 3 tsp
Gingerly Oil - 1 Tsp
Jaggery - Little piece
Fresh Ground coconut - 3 tsp

For Seasoning:-

Mustard Seeds:- 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida - little pinch
Fenugreek - 1/2 tsp
Broken Red Chillies - 2
Thuar Dal - 1 tsp

Method:-

1. soak tamarind in water, extract juice , strain and keep aside.
2. Heat Oil in a pan add seasonings and then fry vatal till it becomes dark brown.

3.Add Vathal Koyambu powder in the oil itself.
4.Pour tamarind extract, salt and boil.
5.Mix little rice flour in water and add to boiling gravy.
6. Allow to boil till it becomes thick add ground coconut and jagerry at the end.

7. Garnish with Curry Leaves.

Note:- Generally gingerly oil is used for frying this vathal as it is good for health and adds a special flavour.
I added Fresh ground coconut to give it a hotel made vathal kozhambu. it is optional. Usually it is not added in the  original receipe.
Pachai sundakkai can be used to make this Kozhambu. Pound the Pacha sundakkai and then fry in one spoon of oil.
These dried vathals are available in super markets in south india in packets.

Small Onion Sambhar/ Kutti Vengaya sambhar

As i come form a Traditional brahmin house hold Onions and garlic are not added in the Traditional receipies. I have tasted this first in hotel. As kids when ever we used to pack idlies from hotel as take away they used to give this sambhar.
Those times it was not that popular going to hotels and having breakfast. But the best part is we used to buy 6 idlies and used to get a big bowl of sambhar. After that slowly it got added in our sunday lunch menu, because of us Mom used to make it every sunday. It is a very tasty sambhar.Lets see how to make it...

Ingredients:-

Peeled Small Onions

Chillies - 2

Oil-2 tsp

Tamarind-Small Lemon sized

Sambhar Powder:- 3 tsp

Thuar  Dal - 1/2 cup

Salt- as required

Turmeric- pinch

Coriander leaves

Curry leaves

Seasoning:-

Mustard-1tsp

Small Red Chillies -2

Method:-

1.Pressure cook Dal in enough water with turmeric powder. Allow to cool, and mash well.

2. Soak tamarind in  hot water for half an hour and squeeze out extract. Strain well.

3. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan add onions and chillies and fry it a little bit.

4. Add tamarind extract,salt and bring it to boil, add sambhar powder.

5. Finally add mashed Dal to it and cook till it becomes a little thick.

6. Fry seasoning in oil and mix with sambhar.

7.Garnish with coriander leaves,curry leaves and serve hot with cooked rice,or Idly or dosa or upma. 

 Variations:- You can make the sambhar with fried  Brinjal,ladies finger or Big onions,Capcicum.

                                                                  or

 Cooked- Drumstick,Carrot,Radish, Yellow pumpkin, White pumpkin, Bottle gourd, Vegetable marrow etc.

You can add Fresh ground cocounut and a piece of jaggery to sambhar before switching of the stove  to give it a hotel made sambhar taste.