Tomato kuzhambu

Ingredients:

tomatoes-3 cubed

Onion-1/2 chopped

Chilli powder-1 tbsp(adjust to your taste)

Salt

to grind to smooth paste:

cocunut-4 tbsp

jeera-1 tbsp

garlic-2 or 3 

to temper:

mustard seeds-1 tbsp

curry leaves-1 spring

Method:

1. heat oil in a pan add the to temper items.Then add the onion and saute till it becomes transparent.Add the cubed tomatoes and fry till it becomes mushy.
2. Add the chilli powder and add till oil seperates.Add the ground mixture and water and allow to boil.Simmer till oil separates.

Poondu puzhi kulambu

Ingredients:

Garlic-10 to 12 gloves

Onion-1/2 chopped

Tomato-a small chopped

Tamarind-lemon size soaked in hot water

coriander powder-1.5 tbsp

chilli powder-1 tbsp

turmeric powder-a pinch

salt to taste

to grind to smooth paste:

cocunut-4 tbsp

jeera-1 tbsp

half onion

to temper:

mustard seeds-1 tbsp

fenugreek-1 tbsp

curry leaves-a spring

Method:

1. heat oil in a pan and add the to temper items.Then saute the onion till it becomes transparent.Then add the garlic and saute for 1 min,
2. Then add the tomatoes and fry till it becomes mushy.Then add the tamarind juice and allow to boil.Add the ground mixture and salt.Simmer till oil seperates.Serve with rice.

Okra/Ladies finger masala

Ingredients:
Okra-cut 2 cups
Onion-1 big chopped
Tomato-1 chopped
Sambar powder-2 tbsp
Salt to tast

Method:

1. Heat oil in a frying pan and saute onion and tomato.Then add the okra/ladies finger and fry for a min.
2. Add in the masala powder and fry till the raw smell goes.Then add a cup of water and allow to cook closed.Once all the water is drained add salt.Goes well with rasam/curd rice.

Carrot Cake

               This is the cake i made for mother's day. :).Its quiet similar to the butter cake.Usually carrot cakes are made with vegetable oil.I replaced it with melted butter.And the carrot requires the addition of powdered cinnamon.Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

Self-raising flour-300 gm

Sugar-300 gm

Butter-300 gm

Egg-300 gm(will count to 5 approx)

Vanilla essence-3 tbsp
Carrot-4 or 5 grated finely

Powdered cinnamon-2 tbsp

Mixed nuts-a cup

Method

1. Heat butter lightly in microwave.Then add sugar to it.Mix it well using a spatula.Mix in a deep curved large bowl
2. Beat it using a hand mixer.Mix well.Then add egg one by one and keep beating the mixture.See that u beat in the same direction.
3. Then add the self raising flour.Mix it with spatula.Then use the beater and mix well.Add the vanilla essence.Then add the grated carrot and the nuts and beat the mixture.
4. preheat the oven to 175 deg for 15 mins(this temp depends on the type of oven you are using)Mean time spread butter over the cake tray.Pour the beaten mixture.Bring down the oven temp to 150.Keep the cake tray inside the oven and cook the cake(takes approx 1 hr).

For frosting i used the readymade fudge pen available in market :)

Pumpkin Poriyal

Ingredients:

White or Yellow Pumpkin-cubed 2 cups

Cocunut-3 tbsp

Jeera-1 tbsp

Shallots or small onion-5 or 6

Chilli powder-1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Curry leaves-a spring

Mustard seeds-1 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan.Add the curry leaves and mustard seeds.Then fry the cubed pumpkin pieces.
2. Mean time grind the jeera and cocunut,small onions to a coarse powder without adding water.Add to the pumpkin and fry well.
3. Add the chilli powder and salt and mix well.Cook by closing the lid till the pumpkin gets cooked.

Puliodharai/puliogare

                       Its a very common variety rice made when u have a long time travel.This is simple also to do.And here comes the recipe.

Ingredients:

Raw rice/Basmati rice-cooked and cooled
Tamarind juice-lemon size tamarind soaked in hot water.
Peanuts-1/2 cup roasted and skin removed
Mustard seeds-few
curry leaves- a spring
salt to taste
Gingely oil

Method:

1. Heat gingely oil in a pan.Add mustard seeds and curry leaves and allow to splutter.
2. Then add in the peanuts and roast in the oil.Add the extracted tamarind juice,salt and bring to boil.Wait till oil seperates on the top.Then allow it to cool.
3. Add the boiled mixture to the cooled rice and mix well.Check for salt.Can be had to thogayal.