Mochakottai sundal - Lima beans stir fry - Simple version

Preparation time : 5 mins
Cook time : under 20 mins

Mochakottai or lima beans is one of my fav as a snack and sometimes as a side-dish too. I would really want to share you guys what made me to post this recipe ?? yeah! its all about colour. My fav colour is green. After cooking this recipe the colour it was amazing. I just clicked while the vessel is in top of the stove and i know tat's crazy :):) And this s the reason i am posting one of my fav picture took randomly. It tastes wonder pls try and let me know how it turned out!!!

Ingredients needed :

Mochakottai/ Lima beans - 1 cup
Onion - 1
Red chilli - 2
Salt - to taste

For seasoning :

oil
Mustard seeds
Curry leaves

Method :

1. In a pan boil enough water with required salt into it and add in the mochakottai and cook till it becomes soft.
2. Once its done drain the water and keep it aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan add in the mustard seeds, once it sputters add in the curry leaves.
4. Then add the chopped onion, wait until it becomes translucent and add the broken red chilli.
5. Now add the cooked lima beans and required salt. Stir well and cook for another 2 minutes and switch off the flame.

Serve warm with hot cup of coffee/ tea.

Tips :

• You can either pressure cook the beans for 1 whistle till soft.
• You can add some grated coconut at last for rich flavor. I din't add because as on its own tastes good.

Serving size - 2

Coconut burfi- Thengai burfi

Preparation time : 10 mins
Cook time : 15- 20 mins

Ingredients needed :

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Sugar - 3/4 cup
Cashews - few
Water - 1/2 cup (approx)
Ghee - 2 tsp
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Preparation :

Fry the roughly chopped cashews in ghee and keep it aside.

Grease a tray with ghee and set aside.

Method :

1. Take a heavy bottomed pan, add in the sugar and enough water(~ 1/2 cup) to cover the sugar and boil it.
2. When the sugar water boils, add in the grated coconut,cardamom powder and a tsp of ghee.
3. Simmer and cook till the coconut mixture starts foaming and leaves the sides of the pan. At this stage add in the fried cashews. Mix it well. Take a small mixture and if you are able to make out a small ball, switch off the flame at this stage.
4. Pour the coconut mixture in a greased tray. After it cools a little, cut into desired shape.

Tips :

• Make sure to fry the cashews in medium- low flame.
• Use fresh mature coconuts for good result.

Yields : 6 large pieces

Thirataipal recipe- Palkova

Preparation time : 5 mins
Cook time : 1 hour 10 mins


Palkova is a very delicious traditional south- indian sweet. This can be prepared so easily with only few ingredients needed, but it takes lil time consuming. Kids love this sweet :-) Do try this recipe and let me know how it turned out !!!

Ingredients needed :

Milk - 4 cups and little more
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Ghee - 2 tsp
Crushed cardamom - 2

Method :

1. Take heavy bottomed vessel, bring milk to boil.
2. Boil the milk in medium- low flame and keep stirring the milk from time to time. As the milk starts to thicken reduce the flame and stir continuously.
3. Scrap the milk with the ladle, as it sticks in the sides of the pan. The milk will become condensed and colour changes. Add in the ghee.
4. When the milk attains semi- solid in texture, add in the sugar and crushed cardamom. Once the sugar dissolves it becomes little watery.
5. Heat until it turns thick halwa texture. Remove it from flame.

Serve chill !!!

Tips :

• Use fresh milk, Full fat milk is preferable as it takes less time to condense.
• Boil milk in medium- low flame. It takes long time to condense.
• Keep stirring the milk from time to time, to avoid burnt. Serve once it cools little bit.
• Instead of crushed cardamom, you can use 1/4 tsp of cardamom powder.

Yields : 1 cup

kara pori - spicy puffed rice - Masala pori

Preparation time : 5 mins
Cook time : under 10 mins

Spicy puffed rice is one of my fav snack. It can be done quick as well tastes spicy and crunchy. You can prepare as a evening time snack for kids and also can be served with hot cup of tea :-) Do try this recipe and let me know how it turned out !!!

Ingredients needed :

Puffed rice - 3 cups heaped
Fried gram/ Pottu kadalai - 1 tbsp
Peanuts - 2 tbsp
Garlic cloves (crushed ) - 5- 6
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chillies - 3
Asafoetida/ hing - a pinch
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 3 tsp
Salt as needed

Method :

1. Heat oil in a pan, add in the peanuts, fried grams, curry leaves and  crushed garlic cloves. Fry until it turns light brown in colour.
2. Then add in the roughly chopped red chillies, Hing, salt, turmeric and chilli powder. Saute for a minute.
3. Add in the puffed rice, mix till all the spices combines into the pori and becomes crisp. Once it is done switch off the flame.

Serve masala pori with hot cup of tea, as a evening time snack !!!

Tips :

• Instead of red chillies, you can add mor milagai. It tastes great !!
• Crushed garlic enhances flavor to the kara pori. Make sure you add in the ingredients one by one and cook in medium- low flame to avoid burnt.
• Store it in air- tight container and enjoy the snack whenever u need.

Paruppu vadai - Masala vada - South-indian recipe

Preparation time : 15 mins
Cook time : 15 mins

Paruppu vadai is a very popular snack in south- india. It can be served with hot cup of tea or as a side- dish for sambar rice or any south- indian meal. During my childhood days i am not much fond of masala vada, i used to ignore always. Masala vada is my hubby's fav, often i used to prepare whenever the climate is too chill, rainy or for any occassions. Left over vadas can be used for making vada curry :-) Do try dis recipe and let me know how it turned out !!!

Ingredients needed :

Channa dal/ Bengal gram/ Kadalai paruppu - 3/4 cup
Red chillies - 3
onion - 1
Garlic cloves - 4- 5
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few
Salt as needed
oil for frying

Preparation :

1. Soak channa dal in water for 3-4 hours. Once it is done drain the water completely.
2. Grind channa dal along with red chillies, garlic cloves and ginger coarsely without adding water into it.
3. Transfer the grounded mixture into a bowl, add in the finely chopped onions, finely chopped curry leaves, coriander leaves, salt and combine it well.

Method :

Heat oil in a pan( to check if the oil is hot enough to drop vadas, add a small pinch of batter if it raises surface immediately, then it is the right stage to fry vadas). Take a lemon sized ball of the mixture, flatten it gently with your hands and flip it into the oil.

keep it in medium flame and fry the vadas both the sides, until it turns golden and crisp. Repeat the process for rest of the mix.

Serve it with a cup of hot tea !!!

Tips :

• Fennel seeds adds more flavor to vadas, i dint use it here. you can use fennel seeds in grinding part.
• In case if there is moisture and unable to shape out of the mixture, add a little besan/ Bengal gram flour to the vada mix , so that it absorbs moisture.
• You can either grind the red chillies along with the mixture or chop the red chillies and add directly into the mix.

Yields : 14 vadas

How to make panner at home- Homemade panner

Preparation time : 5 mins
Cook time : 10 mins

Panner is a fresh, unsalted cheese. Very easy to make at home. Panner has mild milky flavour and dense crumbly texture, that goes beautifully well with strong spicy flavours in classic dishes :-)You can buy panner at stores these days, but home-made panner tastes much more fresh. All you need is a pot, a sieve, muslin cloth and you are ready to go ...........

Ingredients needed :

Milk - 1 litre
Fresh lemon juice - 2 - 2 1/2 tbsp

Method :

Pour milk into a pan and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and slowly add the lemon juice to it, stirring the whole time. It should start to curdle straight away. Remove it from the heat and leave it to stand for 5 mins.

Line a sieve with large piece of muslin cloth and place it over a bowl. Carefully pour the mixture into the sieve to collect the curds in the muslin cloth. place it under the cold running water to get rid of any leftover whey. Gather the muslin cloth in your hand and squeeze out the excess liquid.

Leave the muslin in sieve and press the bundle by putting some weight on it. Alternatively you can tie and hang it to a handle or sink tap. Leave it till all the liquids drip by itself completely. Then place muslin bundle in fridge to set for an hour or so. Cut into cubes.

It's simple as that - you now have fresh panner and ready to use in favourite dish.

Bisibelebath - Sambar sadam

Preparation time : 20 mins
Cook time : 30 - 35 mins

Bisibelebath recipe is one of the most popular traditional dish from karnataka cuisine. Bisibelebath is so popular that you get it so easily in the south- indian resturants in bangalore. whenever i visit bangalore, i would like to order bisibelebath :-) when its hot it melts in our mouth !!! Making this recipe is long process, but it tastes so good. The masala which we add into this recipe gives authentic flavor. Do try this dish and let me know how it turned out !!!

Ingredients needed :

Rice - 3/4 cup
Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Pearl onions - 7
Beans - 8- 9
Carrot - 1 1/2 (medium- size)
Potato - 1( big- size)
Frozen peas - fistful
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind - small lemon- sized
Ghee - 1 tsp

Roast and grind (Bisibelebath powder)

Oil - 1 tsp
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Channa dal/ Bengal gram - 2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Long red chilli - 6
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon stick - 1(small in size)
Poppy seeds/ Kasa kasa - 1 tsp

For seasoning :

Oil
Mustard seeds
curry leaves
Pearl onions - 5 (chopped length- wise)
Asafoetida/ hing - 1/4 tsp

Method :

1. Soak tamarind with little water. Cut the beans in one inch size. Peel the skin of carrot and potato and chop into medium- sized cubes.
2. Wash rice and toor dal in different vessel. Add two cups of water to rice and keep it aside. For toor dal add around 2 - 3 cups of water along with turmeric powder and veggies into it (Beans, carrot, potato, frozen peas, pearl onions).
3. Pressure cook the rice and dal with veggies for 3 whistles on medium- high flame.
4. Mean while heat oil in a pan, roast the ingredients listed under bisibelebath powder, adding coconut at the end. Roast until it turns slightly brown in colour. Allow it to cool. Grind along with tamarind soaked in water into a fine paste. Add water to make a paste if needed.
5. Transfer the smooth paste into another heavy bottomed pan with required amount of water and salt into it.Add one spring of curry leaves. Let it boil for 5 mins.
6. Add in the cooked dal with veggies into it. It would be like in sambar consistency, add some more water. Wait till the veggies and dal combines well into the masala.
7. Now add 1/2 tsp of oil, add in the cooked rice, a tsp of ghee for flavor and mix well. simmer and cook for another five more minutes or till you get the bisibelebath consistency.
8. Heat oil in a pan add the ingredients listed under seasoning and pour it into the bisibelebath and switch off the flame.

 Serve with raita, boondi, pappad or as it is with toppings of ghee.

Tips :

• You can prepare bisibelebath powder and store it in air tight container, except adding grated coconut. Kopra/ dry cocount powder can be used as it will not get spoiled.
• Pearl onions and ghee enhances the flavor of bisibelebath.
• Turnip is the best veggie can be added and tastes good .
• As tomato and capsicum absorbs the taste from bisibelebath, i dint use it. Check for salt.
• Finally you can add little- bit of jaggery if needed.

Serving size : 3- 4