MIXED VEGETABLE RICE RECIPE / KAAI SADHAM RECIPE

Mixed vegetable rice is a tasty and easy to make lunch box recipe

INGREDIENTS:

Cooked rice - 2 cups
Beans, carrot, potato, peas - 1 cup (cut into cubes)
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

(OR) sambar powder -1 tsp.

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.

Hing

Ghee - 1 tsp.
Garam masala -1/2 tsp.
Oil -2 tsp.
Salt - to taste

METHOD:

Wash and cut the vegetables into cubes. You can add any vegetable of your choice. I used Beans, carrot, fresh peas, potato and capsicum.

In a kadai, heat oil. Add cumin seeds and then chopped vegetables. Now, add turmeric powder, hing, salt and sambar powder. Mix well, sprinkle some water and cover with a lid and cook. When done, open the lid, add garam masala and sauté for 2 minutes. Add coriander leaves. 

Now, add the cooked rice, little salt for the rice, ghee and mix well without breaking the rice. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with any raita of your choice.

Variation: With onion. Sauté onion until translucent before adding vegetables.

Pavakkai vadakkal recipe/ Bittergourd fry recipe

 

INGREDIENTS:

Bittergourd (midhi pavakkai variety) - 1/2 kg.
Salt - as per taste
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Urad dhal - 1 tsp.
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp.

(OR) sambar powder- 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Oil - 2 tablespoons

METHOD:

Select tender bitter gourd. Wash well and finely chop them. Discard the seeds. 

In a kadai, heat oil, add mustard seeds and urad dhal and when golden brown, add the chopped bittergourd salt and sambar powder OR chilli powder and fry until it is cooked and crisp.

NOTE: To avoid bitterness, you can marinate bittergourd with salt and turmeric powder for 10 minutes, and squeeze the water. But the bitterness is healthy and I do not prefer to marinate and squeeze.

APPALA KUZHAMBU RECIPE / APPALAM KUZHAMBU RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

Appalam bits fried in oil - few
Tamarind - a lemon sized ball
Sambar powder - 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Asafoetida (hing)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp.
Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Oil - 2 tablespoons

Salt - to taste
Curry leaves - few

METHOD:

Soak tamarind in water and extract pulp. Add salt. Keep aside.

Break appalam to bits and fry in oil/ Keep aside.

In a kadai, heat oil and add mustard seeds, urad dhal, methi seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves. When golden brown, add hing, turmeric powder, sambar powder and quickly sauté it, being careful not to burn it. Pour in the tamarind extract add salt mixture. Allow it to boil until raw smell diffuses. Add fried appalam. Boil until thick. Finally, add a spoon of raw gingelly oil, mix well.

Appala kozhambu is ready to serve with hot rice. 

NOTE: Appalam can also be fried/added during tempering.

BLACK EYED PEAS SUNDAL RECIPE, KARAMANI SUNDAL RECIPE, LOBIA SUNDAL RECIPE

Black eyed peas / Lobia, karamani in tamil, rich in fibres and protein, is available in two varieties red and white. 

👉👉Red cow peas sundal recipe link 

👉👉Karamani sweet sundal recipe link

INGREDIENTS:

White karamani 

(Black eyed peas/Lobia) - 1 cup

Salt - to taste

Coriander leaves- to garnish

To temper:

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.

Urad dhal - 1 tsp.

Turmeric powder- a pinch (optional)

Hing - 1/4 tsp.

Curry leaves - few

Oil - 1 tablespoon

To grind coarsely without water:

Green chillies - 2

Scraped coconut - 1/4 cup

METHOD:

Dry roast karamani, soak for 2 hours and pressure cook along with salt for 2 whistles or until soft. When the pressure releases, take out, drain the water and keep aside.

In a kadai, heat oil, add ingredients given in "to temper", add cooked karamani, mix well, add the coarsely ground mixture, saute for a minute. Mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot or warm

Kadalai paruppu sundal recipe/Chenna dal sundal recipe

Kadalai paruppu sundal is an easy sundal, made without much soaking time.

INGREDIENTS:

Kadalai paruppu/Chenna dal - 1 cup

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Scraped coconut - 1/4 cup

Finely grated ginger - 1/4 tsp.

Hing - 1/4 tsp.

Salt - to taste

To temper:

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.

Urad dhal - 1 tsp.

Dry red chilli or green chilli - 2

Curry leaves - few

Oil - 2 tsp.

METHOD:

Wash well and soak kadalai paruppu (chenna dal) for 45 minutes. Drain water. Cook soaked dal in boiling water, open pot method along with salt and turmeric powder, until soft but not mushy. Drain and keep aside.

OR pressure cook for 2 whistles until soft. When the pressure releases, take out and drain the water completely and keep aside.

Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds,  when it splutters, add urad dhal, chillies, fry. When urad dhal turns golden brown, add hing, grated ginger and curry leaves, saute quickly and add cooked dal. Mix well. Saute for a couple of minutes, add grated coconut, mix well and serve.

Grapes Sheera Recipe / Sheera Recipe

Sheera, a popular prasadam in Perumal temples is prepared with milk and no added colours. Also known as sooji halwa and kesari, this is a traditional sweet, prepared at home with milk or water, during festivities and for breakfast as well. I was tempted to make it with these grapes (in Australia) which was so tasty. 

INGREDIENTS:

Double roasted rava/sooji - 1 cup

Water - 2 cups

Grapes puree - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Cashew and raisins - few

Cardamom powder -  1/4 tsp.

Saffron strands - few (optional)

METHOD:

Grind grapes in a mixie. I have used seedless grapes. 

In a kadai, heat a spoon of ghee and fry the cashew and raisins until golden brown, keep aside. 

In the same kadai, fry rawa (sooji) until you feel a nice aroma. 

Add hot water gradually, stir quickly so that no lumps are formed. Add ground grapes, little ghee. Cover with a lid and allow it to get cooked. 

Now add sugar, stir, mix well. Add some more ghee. Initially while adding sugar, the mixture looks like forming lumps. Do not panic. Mix well, stir continuously mashing the lumps, and the sugar melts well. Add remaining ghee.

Add cardamom powder, fried cashews and raisins. Cook until the mixture comes together, forms a mass and separates from the pan.

Serve warm or hot.

Mahalaya Paksha Thaligai - Part 3

Mahalaya Paksha Thaligai - Part 3

Common practice,and tradition 👇👇

Appam Recipe and video link: https://www.shanthisthaligai.com/2009/12/appam-tanjore-style.html?m=1

Mahalaya Paksha Thaligai - Part 2

Mahalaya Paksha Thaligai - Part 2
Common doubts and tradition 👇👇

 

Mahalaya Paksha Thaligai - Part 1

Mahalaya Paksha Thaligai

Appam (Tanjore style) Recipe link:

https://www.shanthisthaligai.com/2009/12/appam-tanjore-style.html?m=1

 

Broken Wheat Kadambam recipe / Dalia Kadambam recipe

Jai Sri Jagannath 😊 

Broken Wheat Kadambam / Dalia Kadambam (Iyengar special Kadambam with a twist) made with samba godhumai kurunai (not godhumai rava). I have been making this for more than 20 years, similar to Iyengar kadambam, with a slight twist, during vrat days when rice and tamarind is not permitted, but have not posted in my blog. Some of my close friends and family members asked me to post it in blog. I promised to post it soon. Hence, posting this Dalia Kadambam.

INGREDIENTS:

Broken wheat - 1 cup
Tur dhal - 1/2 cup
Raw mango chopped - 1/2 cup
Mixed vegetables - 3 cups (Ash gourd, Beans, Carrot, Pumpkin, Potato)
Tomato - 1
Green chilly - 1
Sambar powder - 1tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.

Ghee - 1 tablespoon
Gingelly oil - 2 tablespoons
Salt - to taste

To fry in oil and powder:
Oil - 1 tsp.
Coriander seeds - 3 tablespoons
Bengal gram - 2 tsp.
Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Urad dhal - 2 tsp.
Dry red chillies - 2 (or more as needed)
Pepper - 1/2 tsp.
Hing

To temper:
Ghee - 1 tsp.
Dry red chillies - 2
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Curry leaves - a sprig

METHOD:

Dry roast broken wheat until it changes colour to white. Wash and drain water. Add turmeric powder, salt.

Peel and roughly chop mango. Add to broken wheat. 

Pressure cook broken wheat and tur dhal with turmeric in separate containers, mash well and keep aside. Water ratio 3:1

Cut vegetables and tomato into medium-sized pieces.

In a pan, heat a teaspoon of oil and add the items given in the list "To fry in oil and powder" until golden brown. When cool, powder coarsely in a mixie. Keep aside.

 

In the same pan, heat the remaining oil, temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves, dry chilly, green chilly, hing and add tomato. Saute a bit and add all the vegetables, a pinch of turmeric powder and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add little salt, sambar powder, sprinkle little water and cover with a lid.

When done, add cooked broken wheat and mashed dhal, ground powder, little salt and mix well without any lumps. 

Add enough water to get the desired consistency and cook for 3-4 more minutes stirring frequently. Temper with the ingredients (given in the list "to temper"). Finally add a spoon of raw gingelly oil and ghee. Mix.

Offer to Perumal.

Serve hot with any vadaam or poricha appalam.

VARIATION: 

1. With or without tamarind

2. Can be made as one pot dish. But tastes perfect when made as said above.

AVAKKAI PICKLE RECIPE

 

INGREDIENTS:

Mangoes cut into cubes with shell – 6
cups
Turmeric powder - 1/4 cup 
Chilli powder - 1 cup 

(I used 3/4 cup chilli powder and 1/4 cup  Kashmiri chilli powder)
Crystal salt (powdered) - 1 cup 
Mustard seeds powder - 1 cup 
Methi seeds - 1 tablespoon
Black chenna dhal - a handful 
Gingelly oil (Sesame Oil) - 2 to 3 cups

METHOD:

Select firm mangoes (preferably avakkai variety as it stands for a longer period). Wash and cut mangoes into slightly big cubes with the shell (this is an important step and slightly tough job) OR get it cut by the vendor. 

Remove the membrane sticking to the shell from all the cut pieces. Wipe each mango piece with a clean white cloth and allow it to dry completely.  

Powder crystal salt. Powder mustard seeds.  

In a wide vessel, put cut mangoes, add turmeric powder and oil, mix well until all the mangoes are coated. 

Take another wide vessel, add mustard powder, chilli powder, salt, fenugreek seeds, black channa, oil and mix well. Take a handful of cut mango, coat it in the above mixture and put in a glass bowl or jar. Repeat the process with all cut mangoes.

Transfer it to a clean porcelain jar OR sterile bottle, add some more oil, mix well and close tightly.  Mix well daily with a long wooden spatula for 5 or 6 days. Hot and spicy avakkai is ready. 

Another less spicy version and a quick version can be seen here. 

NOTE : Always use a dry spoon to take out the mangoes.

Karamani sweet sundal/Sweet Sundal recipe

SWEET SUNDAL:

This is made only with Karamani(cow peas) or Pachaipayaru(green gram).

INGREDIENTS:

Karamani or Pachaipayaru - 1 cup
Crushed jaggery - 1/3 cup
Salt - a pinch

Temperings:
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Dry red chilly - 1
Scraped coconut - 1/4 cup

METHOD:

Dry roast karamani or green gram for 3 min., soak for 1/2 an hour and pressure cook with a pinch of salt for 2 whistles or until soft, drain the water completely. Heat a teaspoon of oil and temper with mustard seeds and dry red chilly. add the cooked karamani/greengram and jaggery. When thick add coconut and mix well.

Sweet sundal is ready for offering.

VAZHAIPOO PITLAI RECIPE / BANANA BLOSSOM PITLAI RECIPE / BANANA FLOWER PITLAI RECIPE

Vazhaipoo (banana flower) is a super food with excellent source of dietary fibres and has many health benefits. These flowers are loaded with magnesium, which improves mood swings and brings down stress levels. It is packed with essential minerals like protein, potassium, calcium, copper, phosphorus and iron. 

INGREDIENTS:

• Vazhaipoo (Banana blossom) - 3 cups chopped
• Tamarind - half the size of a lemon
• Cooked black channa dhal - 1/2 cup
• Toor dhal - 1/4 cup
• Cooked gram dhal (kadalai paruppu) - 2 tablespoons
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
• Salt - to taste

To fry in oil and dry grind to a powder:

• Oil - 1 teaspoon
• Black pepper - 6 nos.
• Gram dhal - 1 tablespoon
• Urad dhal - 1 tablespoon
• Dry red chillies - 2 or 3
• Coconut scraped - 3 tablespoons
• Hing - a small berry sized

To temper:

• Oil - 1 tsp.
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
• Split urad dhal - 1/2 tsp.
• Curry leaves - a sprig

 

METHOD:

Clean and chop banana blossoms as said here. Pressure cook toor dhal, mash and keep aside. Cook black chenna dal and gram dhal separately with turmeric powder. When cooked, drain the water completely and keep aside. Soak tamarind in water and extract juice from it. Keep aside.

Fry the items(except coconut) given in "To fry in oil and grind to a paste". Dry grind to a coarse powder.

Heat oil in the same kadai, add tempering items, when golden brown, add squeezed banana blossoms, add turmeric powder, salt and mix well. Add little water, cook covered and when half done, add mashed tur dhal, cooked kala chenna and gram dal, pour in the tamarind extract and allow it to boil for a while until raw smell diffuses. Now add ground powder. Allow it to boil until thick.

Vazhaipoo pitlai (Banana blossom) pitlai is ready to be served with hot rice and ghee.

IYENGAR KALYANA GOTHSU RECIPE / KALYANA GOTHSU RECIPE

Kalyana Gothsu is a traditional, side dish for tiffin, served almost in all south indian marriages. Iyengar kalyana gothsu is popular for its unique taste, just as iyengar puliyodharai and pulikachal. It goes well with venn pongal, idli, dosa, uthappam and arisi upma. Not as thick as sambar and not too thin, kalyana gothsu is an excellent side dish and very simple to make.

INGREDIENTS:

Moong dal - 1/4 cup
Tamarind - half of the key lime size
Yellow pumpkin, brinjal, potato, carrot - 1 cup (chopped)
Tomato - 1
Sambar powder- 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp.
Karamudhu podi (mel podi) OR All purpose karamudhu podi - 1 tablespoon

Hing - 1/8 tsp.
Salt - to taste

To temper:
Oil - 2 tablespoons
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp.
Green chilli -1
Dry red chilli -1
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

To garnish:
Coriander leaves - few

METHOD:

Chop vegetables to small pieces. Cook Moong dhal with turmeric until soft, mash and keep aside.
Soak tamarind in a cup of warm water and extract juice.

Heat a thick bottomed pan, temper with the given ingredients, add chopped vegetables, add little salt, turmeric powder, sambar powder and hing, mix well. Now add tamarind water, mashed moong dal and remaining salt and allow it to boil until the raw smell diffuses. Cook covered so that the vegetables are cooked well but not mushy. Add little water if necessary. Now add the mel podi (karamudhu podi) and allow it to boil again for 2 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve Kalyana gothsu with Vennpongal, idli, dosa, uthappam or Arisi upma.

Recipe links for Karamudhu podi:
Karamudhu podi
All purpose karamudhu podi

PARANGIKKAI PAAL KOOTU / YELLOW PUMPKIN PAAL KOOTU

Paal kootu is a heirloom recipe, a kootu variety with mild sweetness (stew) made with milk and specific vegetables like yellow pumpkin and snakegourd. This tastes great as a side dish with vatha kuzhambu or can be mixed with cooked rice. There are variations of making this dish, this is my grandma's way of making paal kootu.

INGREDIENTS:

• Diced yellow pumpkin - 2 cups
• Milk - 1/2 cup
• Rice flour - 1 tsp.
• Salt - 1/8 tsp.
• Sugar - 1 tablespoon ( add more if you like it too sweet)
• Hing - 1/8 tsp.
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
• Sambar powder - 1/2 tsp.
• Green chilli - 1 slit (optional)
• Grated coconut - 1 tablespoon
• Water - as needed

To temper:

• Coconut oil or ghee - 2 tsp.
• Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp.
• Split urad dhal - 1 tsp.
• Curry leaves - few

METHOD:

• Peel and chop parangikkai (yellow pumpkin) into chunks. Add very little water to it and add turmeric powder, sambar powder, salt, hing and slit green chillies.
• Cook until soft but not mushy.
• Dissolve rice flour in milk and add to it. Add sugar and grated coconut. Sugar can be added as required.
• Mix gently and add water to get the desired consistency. Temper with the given ingredients.
• Traditional and unique Parangikkai paal kootu is ready.

MOR KALI RECIPE/ MOR KOOZH RECIPE

Mor kali / Mor koozh is a traditional recipe of Tamil Nadu. It is often made in Tamil Brahmin families. It is made with rice flour and buttermilk. This recipe can be made in a jiffy, easily digestible and can be made for breakfast, evening tiffin or dinner.

INGREDIENTS:

Rice flour OR Processed rice flour OR Store bought rice flour - 1 cup
Whisked sour curd - 3/4 cup
Salt - to taste (approx. 1 tsp. or as needed)
Water - 1 or 2 cups

To temper:
Gingelly oil - 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Urad dhal - 1 tsp. (optional)
Green chilli (chopped) -1 OR Dry red chilli- 1 (cut )
Hing - 1/4 tsp.
Mor milagai (curd chillies) - 4 (slightly crushed)

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs (finely chopped)

METHOD:

Whisk curd until smooth. In a mixing bowl, add rice flour, whisked curd, salt and water. Mix without any lumps. Mix to a little thinner than dosa batter consistency. Heat oil in a kadai. Temper with given ingredients. When mor milagai turns black, simmer the stove and add the rice flour mixture. Stir continuously until it thickens. (Alternatively you can add the temperings to the rice flour mixture, mix well and stir in a kadai). The consistency of the mixture should be like halwa and glossy.  Add a spoon of gingelly oil, mix well. 

Transfer it to a plate and even the surface with the backside of a greased cup. When slightly cool, cut into desired shape. You can also have it like koozh.

Note: Coconut oil can also be used.

WHEAT FLOUR COCONUT MILK VELLA SEEDAI RECIPE / WHEAT FLOUR COCONUT MILK SWEET SEEDAI RECIPE / GODHUMAI THENGAIPAAL VELLA SEEDAI RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

Wheat flour - 1 1/4 cup
Rice flour - 3/4 cup
Urad dhal powder - 2 tsp.
Crushed jaggery - 1 1/2 cup
Butter - 2 tablespoons (to be melted)
Coconut pieces - 2 tablespoons
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp.
Coconut milk - 2 tablespoons or as needed
Oil - 1 cup - to deep fry

METHOD:

Prepare rice flour and urad dhal powder as mentioned in this link.

Sieve well. Dry roast rice flour until hot. Dry roast wheat flour until you get a nice aroma.

Melt butter and keep ready. Cut coconut into small pieces.

Crush jaggery, dissolve in little water and strain it without any dust, dirt or mud. Heat jaggery and make a syrup of soft ball consistency.

(Sugar syrup consistency - detailed post is here).

Add all ingredients (except oil) to the syrup and stir without any lumps. Switch off the stove. Add coconut milk to make a smooth dough. Knead well when still warm.

Allow it to cool. Make gooseberry- sized balls from the dough.

Heat oil in a kadai. Fry 5- 6 balls at a time, in medium heat, until golden brown.

WHEAT FLOUR COCONUT MILK UPPU SEEDAI RECIPE / WHEAT FLOUR COCONUT MILK SEEDAI RECIPE / GODHUMAI THENGAIPAAL UPPU SEEDAI RECIPE

Seedai is an offering made for Sri Krishna Jayanthi/Gokulashtami. Usually, seedai is done with processed rice flour. Earlier I have posted uppu seedai, maida coconut milk seedai. Now I have used wheat flour instead of maida. The gluten content in wheat breaks down when steamed and makes it easily digestible and healthy.

INGREDIENTS:

Wheat flour - 1 1/2 cup
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Urad dhal powder - 2 tsp.
White sesame seeds/jeera - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Hing - 1/4 tsp.
Butter - 50 gms (to be melted)
Oil or Coconut oil - to deep fry
Water-coconut milk mixture - as needed

METHOD:

Prepare urad dhal powder as said in this link. Tie wheat flour in a clean white cloth and steam cook for 15 minutes. When still warm to handle, break well without any lumps or powder in a mixie. Sieve well. Sieve rice flour and dry roast until hot.

Mix water and coconut milk and keep ready. Melt butter and keep ready.

In a broad vessel, combine all ingredients and mix well to a crumbled mixture. Now add the water-coconut milk mixture little by little to make a smooth dough.

Make small balls from the dough and spread it on a clean, white cloth.

Heat oil and add the seedais to it. Deep fry in medium heat until golden brown. Drain on a kitchen towel. When cool, store in an airtight container.

Crispy and crunchy wheat flour coconut milk seedai is ready for offering.
Click here for regular seedai recipe.

Click here for maida coconut milk seedai recipe.

NOTE:

Make sure that there is no mud or dust in the flour, sesame seeds, jeera and salt. It is better to dissolve salt and hing in water and strain it and use.

Grated coconut is not necessary as coconut milk is used.

Coconut oil enhances the taste, but any other edible oil can be used.

MOR SATHAMUDHU / MOR RASAM / MAJJIGE SAARU / BUTTERMILK RASAM

'Sathamudhu' is the “Iyengar Lingo or paribhashai” for rasam.  This is a simple to make, unique, tasty and light on stomach 'sathamudhu' made with buttermilk and freshly ground spices. This can be mixed with rice or can be consumed as it is like a soup.  

INGREDIENTS:

Curd - 1 cup
Turmeric powder - a generous pinch
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp.
Salt - to taste

To dry roast and powder:
Toor dhal - 1 tablespoon
Black pepper - 1/2 tsp.
Dry red chillies - 1
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Methi seeds - a generous pinch

To temper:
Ghee - 1 tsp.
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Curry leaves - few
Dry red chillies - 1 or 2

METHOD:

Whisk curd alongwith turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt until smooth. Dilute with 2 or 3 cups of water, to get a rasam like consistency, beat well, keep aside.

Dry roast the given items until golden brown and powder in a mixie. Add this powder to the buttermilk and mix well. Keep this mixture in low flame until the rasam starts to froth. Stir in between. Temper the given ingredients and pour over the rasam.
NOTE:
Do not allow the rasam to boil, switch off the stove when it is frothy, else rasam
will curdle.

NARTHA ILAI PODI / VEPPILAI KATTI / CITRON LEAVES PICKLE / CITRON LEAVES POWDER

Citron leaves are known for its medicinal values and effective for treating nausea, vomiting, and heartburns. Veppilai katti is a traditional tambrahm pickle. This is a powder based pickle, yes, you read it right, pickle in powder form, made by pounding the tangy flavoured citron leaves and some spices. Actually this has NO NEEM LEAVES, but is named so.This pickle will be in powder form and can be shaped to small balls as well. Both Narthai ilai podi and veppilaikatti are same. If in powdered form we say it as Narthai elai podi and if shaped to balls we say it as veppilai katti. It has a longer shelf life.

Some stores also sell veppilaikatti, but they add tamarind and more chillies giving it a brownish red colour. Personally, I dislike the tamarind taste in this pickle. So, I make this at home as I prefer the aroma of the leaves to dominate and the greenish colour. Nartha ilai podi / Veppilaikatti is tangy flavoured, spicy pickle and makes an excellent accompaniment to curd rice.


INGREDIENTS:

Tender narthai leaves (Citron leaves) and lemon leaves - 1 1/2 cups (tightly packed)
Dry Red Chillies - 6
Omam(Ajwain) - 1 tsp.(heaped)
Crystal salt - to taste
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp.
Lemon juice from one key lime or as needed

METHOD:

Pluck tender citron leaves and lemon leaves, wash well, pat it dry, remove the veins as shown in picture. Keep ready.

Heat a kadai and dry roast chillies for a minute. Dry grind hing, chillies and ajwain to a coarse powder in a mixie. Keep aside. Pulse the leaves, alongwith required salt coarsely. Combine all ingredients and pulse it to a coarse powder until everything is mixed well. Transfer to a bowl, add lime juice and make small balls. After drying, the colour changes, don't worry it is edible. Narthai ilai podi / Veppilaikatti is ready.

NOTE:
Lemon leaves can be substituted for citron leaves.
Adjust chillies and lime juice to suit your tastebuds.

VARIATION:
Done only with narthai leaves.
Curry leaves can be added.
Tamarind and more chillies are added which gives a brownish red colour to the balls.
Some add green chillies. Some add pepper and cumin.