Sakara Valli Kizhangu Halwa - Sweet Potato Halwa Recipe

Hi friends,

               Wish you a very happy and prosperous new year. Today morning I boiled sakaravalli kizhangu for my children. My son asked me whether any sweet can be prepared using sakara valli kizhangu. Immediately I planned and made a halwa. Just I want to share that idea with you. Lets see how to make sakara valli kizhangu halwa.

Moong dal payasam / Pasiparuppu payasam

Hi friends,
                     Wish you happy new year. Today we'll see how to prepare moong dal payasam.

Moong dal payasam

Paal Kozhukattai

Hi friends,
           In my childhood days, my mom  used to prepare  paal kozhukattai. At that time , I thought that this dish contains milk. Later When I prepared myself, its surprise to know that milk is not added in paal kozhukattai. Lets see how to prepare paal kozhukattai.

Rava kichadi / veggi kichadi / Sooji kichadi

 Hi friends,

                     Today morning I have prepared kichadi for my family. When I prepared, I took photos too. Now I want to share with my friends. Lets see how to make ravai kichadi

Vulundhu Vadai Recipe / Medhu Vadai / Black gram vada / Urad dal vada /

Hi friends,
                Vulundhu vadai occcupies important place in all feast. Its made up of black gram. Vulundhu vadai is a healthy dish too. Ladies should add more black gram food items in their routine one way or the other. Like vulundhankali, vulundhu maavu vurundai etc.  One of the best way is to eat vadai. Lets see how to make vulundhu vadai.

             

Ravai paniyaram/ Sooji paniyaram/ Ravai sweet balls

Hi friends,
                  Today I'm going to share with you one of the  traditional sweet items of south India. That is rava paniyaram. Rava paniyaram is prepared for all occasions.Usually during festival. Children definitely like this taste. I make rava paniyaram very often. Not only during festivals. Even
during holidays.  Today my son told me to make rava paniyaram.Because we are in christmas holidays. He used to call it sweet balls. I don't want to waste the time. Lets see how to make this sweet ball.

Potato Masala Roast

Hi friends,
            Today I'm going to share with you a menu which is really spicy and tasty .Let's see how to prepare the potato masala roast.

Carrot Poriyal

Hi friends,
           You don't need  me to tell you the benefits of carrots. But still we don't cosume a lot of carrot. I think this is because some of us may not enjoy the sweet taste of carrots.For persons with such taste,should try this recipe .

Karamani payaru kulambu (Cow Beans)

Hi friends,
              Karamani payaru kulambu is one of my  fav side dishes for dosa or paratha. But usually karamani kulambu takes a lot of work. This morning I woke up with the craving for karamani kulambu. But I didn't soak the karamni yesterday night. Suddenly I remember what my mother used to do. She will dry fry the karamani  in a pan and pressure cook them. So  I did the same and got an excellent result. Karamani puli kulambu came out perfectly.So  remember this method, if you forget to soak karamani.

Brinjal poriyal (Egg plant poriyal)

Hi friends,
                 
         Today I'm going to share with you a brinjal recipe. You may know brinjal as egg plant.
This poriyal is a traditional recipe  and usually served with sambar rice. But I like it better with dal rice. Brinjal poriyal is very easy to make. So whenever you want to finish up cooking quickly, I suggest you to make brinjal poriyal.      
           

PidiKarunai kizhangu tamarind gravy (Yam ordinary gravy)

Hi friends,
                Today we are going to check about the traditional recipe made of  Pidi karunai. Pidi karunai kulambu is my Dad's favourite recipe.        .

Adhirasam

  Hi friends,
                  Every festive season, I remember having adhirasam. It is one of the few sweets which has jaggery. Adhirasam has unique taste which is completely different from any thing you have tasted. People thinks that it takes a lot of effort to make adhirasam but it is very simple. Make adhirasam once, you will find yourself  making it frequently.
               

Dry ginger coffee (Sukku malli coffee)

Hi friends,
              Dry ginger coffee (Sukku malli coffee) is a spicy drink.  Dry ginger and coriander both have medicinal properties. Its the best remedy for throat pain. I've seen some who drink this without milk but I always add milk to it. Its upto you to decide to add milk or not. Mind you, this will be really spicy without milk. Its not refreshing like tea or coffee but its the best drink to have in winter.

Coconut rice

Hi friends,
I don't know if this happens to you, I always find coconut left over from other recipes accumulating in the corner of my fridge. So coconut rice is my solution to get rid of all those left over coconuts without wasting them. With that said I don't mean that coconut rice is not tasty. In fact, I am willing to bet , you will get addicted to it because of its taste. But be warned coconut rice spoils easily. So finish it up in six or seven hours.

Coconut rice

Lemon Pickle

Hi friends,
           Pickle is something that everyone  should keep in their refrigerator for those days when you have a lot to do and have no time to cook anything.Once you prepare and store lemon pickle and store it , it will be good at least for 3 months.,unless you finish it fast. And it is easy to make. So let's just start.

Lemon pickle

Arai Keerai Poriyal

Hi Friends,
          Many  of you would have heard  people say "Eat keerai, its good for health, its rich in iron and calcium." Though they are correct, I always say "Eat keerai because it tastes good." Today I'm going to tell you how to make arai keerai delicious.
Arai  Keerai Poriyal

Chicken 65

Hi friends,
          Everybody like fried chicken. Chicken65 is the one of the famous fried chicken recipe. Nobody knows  how Chicken 65 got its name. Some say chicken 65 was the 65th item in a menu card somewhere but it doesn't matter where it got the name. What matters is chicken 65 tastes good. And it is simple to make . I recommend  that you try this because even a beginner can make this perfectly in their first attempt.
Chicken 65

Virudhunagar Chicken Biriyani

Hi friends,
          As you know biriyani is not a traditional indian recipe. But seeing many people love  biriyani, I wanted to share with you my favorite way of preparing biriyani . This biriyani is always found an important place in the feast in the next day of any marriage in Virudhunagar. Hence the name Virudhunagar biriyani . I always find myself opting to Virudhunagar biriyani not just because my favorite but it is my younger son's favorite too. He loves it so much that he tells me to cook it every weekend.          
           
Virudhunagar Chicken Biriyani

Ingredients:

• 2 glasses of  Basmathi rice (500g approximately)
• 750g of chicken
•  100g of ghee
• 1tsp of fennel seeds
• 5 cloves
• 2-3  small pieces of cinnamon
• 2 cardamom
• 4 onions
• Mint leaves
• 2 tomatoes
• 6 green chillies
• 1 tsp of pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp of  red chilly powder
• Salt to taste

To grind:

• A small piece of ginger
• 20 cloves of garlic
• 3 tomatoes

Method:

• Wash and drain the basmathi rice and keep it aside

• Heat ghee in a pan and fry fennel seeds, cloves and cinnamon.             

• Add chopped onions and fry it till it becomes golden brown.

• Add mint leaves,curry leaves and fry them well.

• Add chopped tomatoes, ginger garlic paste,turmeric powder, salt and green chillies and cook it till tomatoes become soft.

• Now add this gravy with the chicken pieces in a pressure cooker and cook it for 15 minutes in simmer and do not forget to mix it for every minute.
• Now add 3 glasses of water (1 1/2 times of basmathi rice), pepper powder, red chilly powder and wait till it boils and add basmathi rice and close the pressure cooker.
• Once you got the steam put the weight and cook it for 5 more minutes in simmer.

• Now switch off the stove and wait for 15 minutes to open the cooker.

Serve with:
        Onion rhytha (Onion with curd) is the best combination. But some people like to eat chicken biriyani with Brinjal tamarind gravy also.And some prefer to have it with chicken kuruma. But it goes well with the chicken 65.

Note:
    To clean the chicken, sprinkle a teaspoon of turmeric powder on the chicken, mix it well and rinse well.


What is your choice of side dish for chicken biriyani?

How to make tomato rice

Hi Friends,
          Today we are going to see how to prepare tomato rice. This recipe is very simple and easy to prepare. We can choose this menu, when we don't have much  time to get ready for our work.Tomato rice is a good choice for working women. Because we can prepare tomato rice very quickly. Lets look into the recipe.     
 Tomato rice

Plantain poriyal

 Hi friends,

          Today we are going to see how to prepare plantain poriyal. Plantain poriyal reminds me, the belief of my mother. Every new moon day, she used to prepare plantain in one form or the other. When I asked her why she was doing so, she told me that plantain is cooked to honor our ans esters and makes them happy and just cooking  the plantain  is not enough, we must give it the needy. Frankly I don't get this point but I like plantain. So I don't question her.Lets just get to it.

Plantain Poriyal

cauli flower fry

Hi friends,
           Today I am going to share with you the recipe of cauliflower fry. At our house we don't like refrigerated food. So each day my husband calls me on his way back home to ask me what to buy for the next day. Most of the times I will have decided what I am going to cook the next day. But if I had lot of work, I would let him decide what to buy. And I can be almost certain that he would buy cauliflower, when I let him decide. Because he likes cauliflower no matter how I make it in sambar, as a fry,a side dish or a snack.And this is one of his favorite cauliflower dishes. I prefer this to other recipes with cauliflower as this is much easier compared to the rest.Yesterday too he called me to ask what to buy. Well I was busy with preparing question papers for the upcoming mid-term test. so I told him to buy anything you want. And obviously he chose to buy cauliflower. Since I had a lot of work, I opted to this simple recipe.So here it is.

How to make Moong dal gravy

Hi friends,
           When it was time to give my baby his first solid meal, I asked around for suggestions and got a lot. My husband insisted that first meal of our baby should be a dal and as moong dal is the softest dal and it is easily digest able, we decided that  moong dal would be the best for our baby. So on that day I took a lot of care in preparing this recipe. I made sure that the moong dal was cooked properly and it was not too spicy for my kutty pillai. Even omitted the green chillies. So I finished making dish  and a batch of idlies and we referred to astrology to find a good time. That time came, I dipped a small piece of idly in the moong dal gravy and I fed it to my sweet baby. I was surprised to see him open his mouth without a struggle. I asumed that  he must have liked the moong dal from his smile. I was overjoyed at that moment. So this was the first solid food I fed to my child. I am saying this because I am going to share the recipe with you today. Lets get started.

Moong dal gravy

Bitter gourd spicy masala fry

Hi friends,
       As we know bitter gourd reduces high blood sugar and prevent diabetic complications, bitter gourd is a very very healthy food. All over the world people have different method of cooking bitter gourd such as adding yogurt or removing its seed so that the bitter gourd tastes less bitter.But I think bitter is a flavor which is missing from our regular food. Add slight bitter flavor to your meal.

 

Crab masala thokku

Hello friends,
              Every body loves sea foods especially crab which is rich in omega three. So crab helps in keeping your heart in good condition and crab is an antioxidant and rich in sodium and vitaminB12.Crab can cure cold faster than any medicine.So what are we waiting for? Lets learn how to make crab masala thokku.

Beetroot Priyal

Hello friends,
               I've been posting many healthy and tasty dishes, here is one more on the list. Beetroot has the property of reducing high blood pressure and it fights against heart diseases and increases blood flow to the brain. I don't want to waste any more time. Lets jump in to the recipe.
 

How to fry mutton liver

Hi buddies,

                Recently when  I googled the benefits of mutton liver, I found it has a lot of benefits. To make it short, mutton liver is rich in Vitamin A, Proteins and iron. In southern Tamil Nadu, it is a practice to give mutton liver fry as a post delivery food of young mothers. So I thought of sharing mutton liver fry recipe with you all today.

How to Make Potato Fry?

Hi Friends!
Today we are going to see the delicious potato fry recepie. Potato fry is the famous and yummy Indian food item. People of all ages love to eat potato fry as a side dish or loves to eat as it is. Potato is rich in starch and hence it is good for health (even for children). Lets go ahead with the simple and delicious Potato fry recepie!

Potato Fry

Egg Coconut Gravy (Muttai kulambu)

Today I'm going to share with you the traditional food of Tamilnadu Muttai kulambu (Egg coconut gravy). Egg takes very few minutes to cook.we can prepare this menu at once when we think of it No need to go for purchasing. Because eggs will be there always in our refrigerator. Egg is a multivitamin food item which contains 70 calories and 14 essential vitamins and good for our eye sight. So lets  see how to make egg coconut gravy .

Egg Coconut Gravy (Muttai kulambu)

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 2 tomatoes
• 3 onions
• 4 pieces of coconut
• 1 ladle of cooking oil
• 1/4 tsp of mustard seed
• 1/4 tsp of split black gram
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• 2 tsp of red chilly powder
• 2 tsp of coriander powder
• 1 tsp of cumin seed powder
• salt as required

Procedure:

• Boil eggs and set aside
• Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seed and split black gram.Wait till the seeds crackle.
• Saute the finely chopped onions well and add add chopped tomatoes,turmeric powder and salt.
• stir it well till the tomatoes cooked well.
• Sufficient water, chilly powder, coriander powder and cumin seed powder should be added in this stage. Wait till the gravy boils and cook it in a slow flame for 15 minutes.
• Now add the boiled and shell removed eggs and the ground coconut with the gravy and cook it for another 5 minutes.
• Egg coconut gravy is now ready. Garnish it as you wish.

Tastes good with:
Egg coconut gravy can be served with rice, chappathi (roti), puri, idli, all varieties of dosa, paratha or idiappam.

Note:
Eggs should not be over cooked, when we prepare egg coconut gravy. Otherwise it will become hard. 

Ladies Finger Tamarind Gravy [Vendaikaai Puli Kuzhambu]

Lady's Finger is a unique vegetable, which has many health benefits. It stimulates the synthesis of Vitamin B. It helps in bowel expansion and it also heals ulcer. It is mainly good for diabetic patients. In addition to all its benefits, it has a good taste. We could eat it raw!! Now lets go through the Ladies finger tamarind gravy recipe.

Ladies Finger Tamarind Gravy [Vendaikaai Puli Kuzhambu]

Ingredients:

• 150g of ladies finger
• 1 ladle of gingili oil
• 1/4 tsp of mustard seed
• 1/4 tsp of split black gram
• 3 onions
• 3 tomatoes
• Lemon sized tamarind
• 2 tsp of red chilly powder
• 2 tsp of coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp of cumin seed powder
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• Salt to taste

Procedure:

• Wash and cut the ladies finger in to small pieces and chop the onion
• Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seed and split black gram. Wait till it crackles.
• Add finely chopped onions and saute it till it becomes golden brown.
• Saute tomatoes, ladies finger,turmeric powder and salt with the onion till tomatoes get smashed.
• Extract from tamarind, chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin seed powder and adequate water should be added.
• Wait till it gets boiling and reduce the flame and leave it in simmer for 15 minutes.
• Remove from the fire and garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.

Goes well with:
I would serve it with rice, idli or dosa.Fried papad will be the best combination for this gravy.

Note:
Always buy tender ladies finger. To select tender ladies finger break the tail part of the ladies finger. If if breaks easily, then that ladies finger is suitable for cooking.

Do you like this recipe? Which is your favorite ladies finger recipe?

Peas Kuruma

Hi friends!
         Green peas are prevalent in Indian food items, since it is rich in vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and especially ascorbic acid( Vitamin C). Peas kuruma is one of the famous food varieties which comes under starters(side dishes) category. Now lets see how to make delicious peas kuruma.

How to Make Puliyodharai?

Tamarind rice (Puliyodharai) is another easy to cook menu, which has a tangy taste and lasts for a long time without refrigeration. Mostly working mothers use to cook this item to compensate their fast moving schedule. Lets see how to make simple Tamarind rice.

Tamarind rice (Puliyodharai)

Simple South Indian Chicken Gravy

Hello Friends!
We are going to check making procedure for Simple South Indian Chicken Gravy now. Chicken is the most preferable food for the non-vegetarians. It has high protein content and less cholesterol when compared to the other meats. It is also delicious isn't? Come lets jump into the recipe now.

Simple South Indian Chicken Gravy

How to Prepare Idli Powder at Home?

In this modern world, most of the women want to reduce the work burden of cooking as they don't have the time. So it is advice able to prepare some idli powder at home to make your breakfast easy. It reduces your morning tension and helps start a healthy, brisk day!. Lets see how to prepare idli powder in easy steps.

Idli Powder

Vendhaya Kuzhambu [Fenugreek Gravy]

Hello Everyone,
Today are we are going to check the recipe of traditional vendhaya kuzhambu. Fenugreek is used to cure Diabetes. It keeps our body cool. Thats why our ansesters ate fenugreek during summers. Fenugreek gives a pleasent smell to this gravy.. Let's start our recipe; come join me!

Vendhaya kuzhambu [Fenugreek Gravy]


Elephant Foot Yam Fry

Hello people,
                                                     Vegetables from roots contain large amount of carbohydrates. They taste good when they are fried. So lets cook Elephant Foot Yam fry today and enjoy. Read my recipe below!

Elephant Foot Yam Fry  
 

How to Make Lemon Rice?

Hello everyone,
Lemon Rice is an easy to cook menu which lasts for hours even without refrigeration. It is a famous dish in South India. South Indians prefer Lemon rice for long travel. Lemon is enriched with Vitamin C and its juice gives a refreshing flavour to the rice. Let us move on to the recipe now.

Lemon Rice

How to make Wheat Poori?

Hearty Welcome!
Lets see how to make Wheat Poori. Before getting into the procedure, let us know about the essentials of wheat. Wheat is the most important staple food for humans. In North India wheat dominates the other grains (their main food is chapati). It is well known for its high protein and its fibrous nature. Now go ahead with the Poori preparing method!

Green Beans Poriyal

Green Beans Poriyal
                                                  All of us know that Green Beans contains dietry fibre, Vitamin A, B2 and B6, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese and Potassium. So it is necessary for everyone. Today we'll see how to prepare Green Beans Poriyal.
                                          

Carrot and Drumstick Sambar

Hi Friends,
                    Sambar is a traditional dish of South India. Every family has its own ways on this recipe.
It can be prepared with many vegetables. Sambar is served in every functions and festivals with boiled rice in South India.This is the favorite dish of South India. It goes well with anything. Today we'll see the most common way of making Sambar.

Carrot and Drumstick Sambar
 

Mochai Payaru Kuzhambu [Field beans Gravy]

Hello friends,
Today we are going to check the recipe of Mochai Payaru Kuzhambu, that is the field beans gravy. This recipe is simple and it takes thirty minutes to prepare. As we know field beans is rich in protein , it will be good for  growing children. I learnt this recipe from my mom and my children
like it with dosa. Let us move on to the recipe now.

Mochai Payaru Kuzhambu Recipe

Nutella Hazel Nut Cocoa Spread Review

Hi buddies,
              This is my first review on the blog. I picked this product, when I went for shopping with my husband to a nearest departmental store last week. I mainly bought this to decorate my son's evening snack bowl as it is a NUT based cream. Nuts are always rich in protein. Isn't it? The tempting chocolate flavour of this cream would also attract kids! So let us move on to the review now. Go ahead!

Welcome to Indian Food Nest!

Hello foodies,
This is my very first post on Indian Food Nest. The main aim of this blog is to serve beginner cooks. Not just that, I am also concentrating on informative posts to teach you some easy ways to cook. I am going to decorate this blog with my very own food recipes and some traditional recipes which I learnt from my sweet mom. Come join with me; Let us start cooking!

Thank you.

Lots of love
Neela Manogar