The late ‘90s saw Cauliflower Manchurian become wildly popular in Tamil Nadu. I do not know why it is called Manchurian because it has no link to that region, but its popularity drove me to try it out. I then make the Manchurian with Baby Corn, as my son refuses to eat cauliflower. The spice mix used here for making the masala paste is entirely my creation.
Happy Pongal everyone! I used to enjoy Aama Vadai as a child in both Thirunelveli and Madurai. I was surprised to find that very few people knew about Aama Vadai in Chennai. The characteristic feature of the Aama Vadai is the use of 3 dhals, unlike the Ulundhu Vadai or Masala Vadai which only uses one dhal. This vadai has a very mild flavour, and, therefore, is typically served with or as an accompaniment.
Colocasia can be bought and stored longer than many other vegetables. Therefore it has become one of the favoured vegetables during the coronavirus lockdown. I have already posted recipes for Colocasia Bajji, Colocasia Bonda, and Colocasia Fry. I came across this recipe in Aachi Samayal Saivam, a Chettinad recipe book. I had to do quite a bit of guesswork to figure out the recipe and I then standardised it. I was delighted with the outcome – this dish tastes very different from any other colocasia dish in a good way 🙂 It can be served with rice or chappati.
Colocasia Mash – Kalas Kalai
With Ramzan coming in a couple of days, I thought it would be appropriate to post this Tamil Muslim Mutton Kuruma. When it comes to non-vegetarian cooking, especially mutton, the best dishes can usually be found in Tamil Muslim cooking. They have their unique flavour, and Tamil Muslim cooks are hired to prepare meat dishes even for non-Muslim celebrations. I had previously posted my modified versions of a few of Fathima Shajahan’s recipes. This dish is also from her A-1 Muslim Samayal book. I have taken the liberty of modifying certain steps to make cooking easier. This is a flavourful dish which looks as rich as it tastes and is a wonderful complement to my Birinji Rice.
Tamil Muslim Mutton Kuruma
During the coronavirus lockdown, people rush around buying vegetables which would keep for more than a week unrefrigerated. Yam and colocasia are in great demand (but not as much as potatoes). Yam is known as senai in Tamil Nadu and kolla means globe. Fried yam balls are made by a few families. Though my mother hadn’t bothered to write down the recipe for me, my husband’s aunt used to make these. I never liked it, perhaps because she wasn’t a great cook 🙂 During this lockdown I bought a lot of yam and then created my own version of Senai Kolla. My son usually doesn’t eat vegetables, but even he didn’t mind this 😀
Kala’s Senai Kolla (Yam Deep Fried Balls)
Paruppu Usili, a dry dhal curry, is combined with finely chopped vegetables such as cluster beans, beans, etc. It is a special and auspicious vegetarian preparation which features in wedding feasts in Tamil Nadu and is the first to be served on the plantain leaf along with pickle and salt. There are different versions of usili, but I created this version with radish tops because of the many medicinal values attributed to them, some of which I myself have benefitted from. The traditional combination of red gram dhal and Bengal gram dhal results in a lot of flatulence and discomfort, so I have used only red gram dhal. I have also left out the curry leaves because the radish tops have a very pronounced flavour which clashes with the curry leaves. Usili can be packed as a side dish along with rice in a lunchbox (as it is dry), and I eat it as a snack because of its high satiety value combined with enticing flavour 🙂
Kala’s Usili with Radish Tops
I’m always tempted to prepare snacks in the non-stick kuzhippaniaram mould to reduce the consumption of oil. March is when we get good quality tomatoes in Chennai, especially the country variety – these are very sour and quite popular in Tamil cuisine. I decided to use pulsed tomato to prepare the batter. Needless to say the tomato flavour invites a lot of spice in the preparation, so I used chilli, garlic, mint, curry leaves, and onion (of course!). I chose maida and rice flour which give a mild/neutral flavour so that the tomato and the spices will not be smothered. This dish makes an excellent spicy snack that can be served without an accompaniment, and it can also be served as an intriguing side dish to the typical Tamil festive meal.
I came across the concept of combining dhal with celery, as Celery Sambar, in a North Indian cookbook. It was a misnomer, as the dish was not a sambar because it did not have either the ingredients or the procedure that makes a sambar a sambar and gives it its distinctive flavour. This recipe was just a curry. It still appealed to me, though, as celery is not used in Tamil cooking, and it tickled both my curiosity and my taste buds. After several attempts I have retained the ingredients but changed the procedure to make it quick and easy. I have also pressure cooked the celery because my son complained that the celery stalks were too crunchy 😀
Celery Dhal Curry
I am celebrating my 250th recipe on this blog! I wanted to follow Indian jubilee traditions by posting a recipe of a sweet but I then thought of creating something which is unique in using a minimal number of spices and with a short cooking time. I also wanted it to be low fat with minimum wasted nutrients. The result is this fried chicken which is mouth wateringly delicious, quick and easy to make, saves fuel, and is good for health – it sounds impossible, but it is true!
Kala’s Jubilee Fried Chicken
Freshwater fish dishes are relished only in interior Tamil Nadu. People in Chennai are not familiar with the taste of these fish and sometimes even mock those who consume it. But now that even marine fish are cultivated in freshwater lakes and can be bought online, the lake pomfret costs Rs. 300/kg while marine pomfret costs Rs. 800/kg! Therefore I have been developing recipes using freshwater fish. In this recipe I have combined the strong smelling radish with the mild flavoured lake pomfret and also avoided using chilli powder. Instead I have used mustard powder to give it a slight bite. This mild fish curry is a great success in my house – not with my fish hating son of course 🙂 It goes very well with chappatis, unlike the traditional fish curries.
Kala’s Aeri Vaaval Mullangi Curry
Kala's Kalai 