Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu

It's an Authentic tasty dish that fulfills a lunch!

Ingredients:

For Paruppu urundai:

1. Toor dal/ thuvaram paruppu: 1/4 kg
2. Red chilly- 3 nos
3. Asafoetida/ perungayam: 1/2 tspn
4. Salt- as needed for this urundai alone.
5. Oil- 2 hollow spatula/ 2 kuzhi karandi for sauting grinded urundai

For Kuzhambu:

1. Tamarind- 1 medium gooseberry sized
2. Ripened tomatoes: 2 medium sized or 4 small sized: make it as a smooth paste [I used naatu thakkali for this; which gives you nice tanginess]
3. Sambar powder: 3 tspn
4. Turmeric Powder: 1 tspn
5. Salt: to taste
6. Oil- 3 tspn for kuzhambu
7. Water- As needed

To Temper / Thaalika:

1. Mustard seeds/ kadugu- 1/4 tspn
2. Methi seeds/ venthayam- 1/4 tspn
3. Urad dhal/ uluntham parupu- 1/4 tspn

Method:

1. Soak toor dal/ thuvaram paruppu in water for 1 hour.
2. Soak tamarind in 2 tumbler water for 1/2 an hour. {or} You can also slightly pre-heat the soaked tamarind and leave it to cool for half an hour and extract it in a bowl.
3. In a mixer grinder, add the soaked toor dal/ thuvaram paruppu, red chillies, asafoetida/ perungayam and salt for the balls AND coarse grind [ravai patham] them without adding water.
4. Heat a kadai and add 2 kuzhi karandi oil, and add items mentioned in "To temper" EXCEPT methi seeds/ venthayam.
5. Once tempering items splatters, add the coarsely grinded paste to it and saute well until some moisture goes. Do it in a medium flame for 10 minutes. Dont over or under cook it.
6. Wet your hands and try to roll the concoction after 10 minutes. If you can roll it without sticking in ur hands, you are done with the parupu urundai mixture. Switch off the flame.
7. Let it cool for few minutes until you prepare the base kuzhambu.
8. Now heat a kadai, add 3 tspn of oil and add items mentioned in "To temper" INCLUDING methi seeds/ venthayam.
9. Once tempering items splatters, add the tomato paste, tamarind extract, turmeric powder and sambar powder. Let this gravy cook until raw smell goes off and reduce it to its 3/4th. Do it in a medium flame for 7-10 mins. Dont make it too thick, please have an eye.
10. Add 1-2 tumbler of water and salt needed for the base kuzhambu to this gravy. This kuzhambu must be little watery. Because after adding the toor daal balls, it will become thick in consistency. Toor daal normally thickens the dish. 
11. Meanwhile the base kuzhambu is getting ready, roll the toor daal/ paruppu urundai mixture into small lemon sized balls and keep it ready. 
12. Once the base kuzhambu is all set after reaching perfect consistency, simmer the stove.
13. Add all the paruppu urundai/ balls to the base kuzhambu and keep the flame to medium. Let it cook for 3-4 mins in medium flame. Then switch it off!
14. Garnish with curry leaves/ karuveppilai or coriander leaves/kothamalli or both!!!
15. Your mouth-watering Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu  is all ready to fill your tummy!!!!!!!

Suggestions:

1. Many use bengal gram/kadalai paruppu for making balls instead of toor daal/ thuvaram paruppu. I avoid bengal gram/kadalai paruppu completely since it gives bloating and flatulence [vaaivu].
2. Dont roll the daal balls/ paruppu urundai's neither loosely nor tightly. 
3. Loosely rolled balls may broken while getting cooked in base kuzhambu.
4. Tightly rolled balls may under cook along with base kuzhambu.
5. If the base kuzhambu seems to be very watery, mix a tspn of rice flour/arisi mavu in little water without creating lumps and add it to the base kuzhambu. It'll give you the right consistency. Remember, baze kuzhambu should be LITTLE WATERY not much.
6. You may lavishly sprinkle asafoetida/perungayam if you like its taste for adding authenticity in this dish.. It really tastes good, but it depends on your taste!!! :P

Vanilla Milkshake

Vanilla Milkshake- Side wall decor of glass

Vanilla Milkshake- Topping decor of milkshake

Its our Chill Vanilla Milkshake!!!

Ingredients:

1. Boiled Milk - 1/2 Litre
2. Sugar- 100 to 125 gms as per your taste. [I used 100 gms = 1 small tumbler]
3. Vanilla Essence- 1 tspn for 1/2 litre [I used honey based natural vanilla extract]
4. Vanilla Ice-cream- 1 scoop per glass
5. Rose essence- For decorating glass and topping

Method:

1. Boil milk and allow it cool at room temperature.
2. Using a blender or juicer, blend well the boiled milk, sugar, vanilla essence together.
3. Refrigerate this for about 1 hour or so. Dont freeze!!!
4. Take a glass tumbler, pour half a tspn of rose essence into it and decorate the walls of glass tumbler slowly like rotating all the sides, up and down, criss-cross  etc. Design is all urs!
5. Take the milkshake from fridge and pour half or 3/4th level of the glass.
6. Add a scoop of vanilla icecream on its top.
7. For topping, take half a spoon of rose milk essence and draw ur circles, lines, etc... :P
8. Serve chill! Tasty Vanilla Milkshake is all yours!!!!!!!!!!

Suggestions:

• Use only boiled milk. So that you'll get more froth!
• Go for a good quality brand of vanilla ice cream, vanilla essence and rose essence. Available in all super markets.
• Handle the glass tumbler with care and without any tense. Cool and relaxed mind yields you best results in all!!
• I just used/suggested glass tumbler for the look! You may also use your regular tumblers! Just taste matters my dears.. Not the containers!!
• You may add ice-cubes, but I dont prefer as milkshake may become watery! Refrigeration is best!

Raw veggies mayonnaise Sandwich

It's very simple and healthy! Try it folks!

Ingredients Needed

1. A Loaf of bread.
2. Ghee/ butter- to toast the bread
3. Onion - 1 finely chopped
4. Bangalore Tomato - 1 finely chopped
5. Cucumber - 1 peeled and finely chopped
6. Capsicum - 1 unseeded and finely chopped
7. Eggless mayonnaise- 3 tbspn [available in super markets]
8. Carrot-cucumber sandwich spread - 3 tbspn [available in super markets]
9. Rocksalt- a pinch
10. White pepper powder- a pinch
11. Chilly flakes- very few, just for traces
12. Tomato sauce/ ketchup- 2 tspn for mixture and some for decorations as shown in picture.

Method:

For Toasting:

1. Heat a tawa/ cradle/ pan.
2. Spread some ghee/butter and place the bread pieces.
3. Apply ghee/butter on the to side of the bread using a spoon or cooking brush.
4. Dont over toast. Just give a warmth to it for this variety. You may not see any brown shades in the above pic, as I've just given a warmth to the bread.

For Stuffing:

1. In a bowl, Add all the chopped veggies mentioned above {raw veggies only}.
2. Add a pinch of rocksalt, white pepper powder, chilly flakes, 2 tspn of tomato sauce/ketchup.
3. Add 3 tbspn of eggless mayonnaise and carrot-cucumber sandwich spread.
4. Mix well.
5. Stuff them between two toasted breads.
6. Decorate with tomato sauce/ketchup as you wish.
7. Raw veggies variety of sandwich is all ready! This is a soothing and healthy breakfast, especially in summer. This keeps you cool as it as cooling substances- tomato, cucumber, capsicum!

Suggestions:

• Dont over heat the cradle/ tawa/ pan.
• Make sure you just warmth the bread!
• You may cut the corners of the bread if you wish. I dint here!
• You can use any variety bread of your choice! Make sure it's fresh.
• While buying the EGGLESS mayonnaise and sandwich spread, check the date of packing and expiry.
• Rocksalt, chilly flakes, white pepper powder-  available in all super markets.
• I used "Fun-foods" brand of sandwich spread from Spencers retail! It's really nice.

GOBI-65

Ingredients Needed:

1. Maida/ All purpose flour: 1/4 cup
2. Corn Starch: 1/4 cup
3. Ginger Garlic Paste- 1/2 tspn
4. White/Black Pepper Powder- 1/2 tspn
5. Soy Sauce, Red chilly sauce, Tomato Sauce- Each 1 tspn
6. Red chilly powder/ chilly flakes- 1/4 tspn
7. Garam Masala: 1/2 tspn
8. Salt- As req
9. Water- As req for the batter
10. Fresh florets of cauliflower: As req for the above batter. (I used 1 medium sized gobi)
11. Coriander leaves- a small cup- finely chopped
12. Oil- To fry
13. Onion rings- For garnishing

Method:

1. Soak caulflower/ or its florets in a hot water with some salt and turmeric. You may also blanch. Dont over cook.
2. In a bowl, add all the above ingredients, except blached gobis, oil and onion rings. Mix well.
3. Add the blanched florets in such a way that the batter thoroughly coats it.
4. Leave them to marinade for few mins.

Heat oil in a pan/kadai. Let it get heated gradually.

1. Take the florets with the coated batter and deep fry until getting a golden color. 
2. Dry it in a paper towel.
3. Make sure it doesn't stick to each other! If they stuck, No issues, once done, you may separate it using hands.
4. Hot and classy Gobi-65 is Ready!!
5. Serve hot!

Suggestions:

1. It's a starter variety, you may also have it as an evening snack, a sidedish for your rotis, parathas, friedrice, etc -one who like dry subzis :P 
2. Dont keep ur flame neither too high; nor too low. MEDIUM flame is best for any deep frying items.
3. You may add food color if you prefer!