Medhu Vada

Ingredients
4 cups urad dal
1 cup ordinary rice
1 tsp. ginger grated
1 tbsp. coconut grated coarsely
8-10 whole pepper corns
1 tsp. cumin seeds
salt to taste
oil to deep fry

Method
Wash and soak dal and rice together in plenty of water overnight. Drain, grind to a soft batter, a fine grain should be felt in it.
Do not make the batter thin. It should be thick enough to shape vadas.
Add all ingredients and beat well with hand to incorporate air.
Heat oil, wet palm and take an idli sized lump on fingers palm side up.
Make a hole in the middle with thumb.
Slip gently into hot oil, repeat for more.
Or use a medhu vada press.
Fry 5-6 at a time on medium flame.
Drain, serve hot with chutney and sambar, or accompany with idli.

Masala Idli

Ingredients
2 idlis, cubed
1 cup mixed vegetables of your choice
2 onions, chopped
1 small piece ginger, finely chopped
2 green chilies, chopped
1/2 tsp. red chili powder
1/2 tsp. coriander powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cloves
2 cardamoms
1 tbsp of fresh coriander
mint leaves
(for garnishing)

Method
Heat oil in a pan and add the cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Then add the chopped
onions and stir for few minutes till they turn golden brown.
Now add the vegetables and saute for few minutes. Then add the ginger, salt, chili powder,turmeric and coriander powder.
To this add the idlis and stir till contents are thoroughly heated. Transfer into serving dish and garnish with mint and coriander leaves.
Tip: Garlic can also be added. Add few tomatoes if desired. The idlis can be made to very small pieces using your hands instead of cutting into cubes for this dish. Try out the masala idli instead of the usual fried rice or biryani for a change.

Kancheepuram Idli

Ingredients
pepper : 2 tbsp powdered
jeera : 1 tbsp
asafoetida : 1/2 tsp
ginger : 1" grated
urad dhal : 2 tsp
bengal gram : 2 tsp
g.chillies : 8 (finely chopped)
oil : 100 grams
Method
Pour water into the idli vessel and let the water boil.
Place the plate without the idli cloth.
Take small steel cups and pour 1 tsp ghee or oil into it and pour the prepared idli batter
into the cup. Place the cups on the plate in the idli vessel. Steam the idli's for twenty minutes.
These idli's are best served with ginger kuzhambu.

Fish Pittu

Ingredients
1/2 kg fish
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 cup oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp pepper powder 1" ginger
8 garlic flakes, peeled
1 cup coconut scrap
salt as per taste
2 tsp lemon juice


Method
Clean fish cut into pieces
Mix turmeric powder and salt
Heat oil and fry onion, ginger paste, garlic till golden brown
Add coconut scrap and salt and let it cook on slow flame
Add fish and let it cook
When it cools a little add lemon juice

Simple Dosa

Ingredients
split black gram (urad dal)
rice flour

Method
1. Soak 1 cup of urad dal for 3 hrs.
2. Grind it adding water to smooth consistency.
3. Then add 2 cups of rice flour. To it and add salt and let it ferment overnight.
4. Make thin dosas and it comes out very crisp and tasty.

Dahi Vada

Ingredients
urad dal - 1 cup
moong dal - 2 tablespoon
curd/yogurt - 3 cups
jeera - 2 tablespoon
dry red chillies- 2 - 3
coriander leaves- a small bunch
sugar - 1/4 teaspoon
salt to taste
oil for frying.

Method
1. Soak both the dals overnight or 6-8 hours, grind it to smooth paste.
2. Now take the curd and beat it nicely with a spoon along with salt and 1/4 teaspoon of sugar.
3. Fry jeera and the red chillies without oil and grind it to powder, add this to the beaten curd with very little water.
4. Now fry the vadas in oil, and as soon as you take it out put the vadas in warm water for 5- 10 second, after that take the vadas out and squeeze any excess water with hand and put it in the curd.
5. Finally, you can garnish your dahi vada with coriander leaves. If you like you can add mustard, jeera, curry leaves and asafoetida seasoning to this.

Chicken Rasam

Ingredients
1 small chicken (fry a little in the open fire take out only inner portions cut into small pieces)
2 tbsp ghee
1 tsp lemon juice salt as per taste
grind into paste:
1 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp dhania 2 garlic flakes
1/2" ginger
2 cloves
2 cardamoms
1/2 tsp aniseed
1/2 tsp poppy seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder


Method
Heat ghee in a pan
Add the grounded masala and let it cook for 5-6 minutes
Add chicken pieces with 1 litre of water
Boil for some time
Add salt and lemon juice
Serve hot

Egg Paratha

Ingredients
1/2 kg maida
salt to taste
1 egg for each paratha
1 tsp pepper powder
1 cup ghee or dalda

Method
1. Add maida salt ghee with little water kneed well
2. Roll into a paratha fry both sides with ghee
3. Add one egg to a paratha on top add little salt
4. Smash every thing with a spoon add pepper powder
5. Serve hot with gongura pachadi