Variety Sweets : 7 CUP CAKE

7 CUP CAKE : 


Ingredients :   Kadala maavu (bengalgram dhal powder) - 1 cup (200 g app.),  coconut scrap - 1 cup,  sugar - 2 3/4 cup, cold milk (preferably without water) - 1 cup, ghee - 1 cup.  Important : Measure it in the same cup in the above order . For this measurement, you can prepare 35 cakes.  Preparation time is 20 mins.


Preparation :  (Measurement is more important for good result)


Take a plate ( with atleast 2 inch side) and grease it with a spoon of ghee. spread ghee well to the sides also.
1.  Take a thick bottomed tawa.  First transfer the measured one cup of kadala maavu.
2.  Take 2 3/4 cup  measure of sugar (3 cups will be very sweet so dont add 3 cups) and put it along with kadala maavu.
3. Measure coconut scrap 1 cup and put it in a mixie jar.  Measure 1 cup of milk and grind it with the coconut to a fine paste.  Transfer it to the kadala maavu kept in tawa.  Dont use milk more than 1 cup.  If milk is left after coconut is ground, add it to the kadala maavu.
4.  Take 1 cup of ghee and pour it to the above mix kept in tawa.
5.  Mix all these well first before it is kept for preparation on the stove.
6.  After mixing with the spatula, switch on the stove.  You can keep high flame initially for few minutes but stir continuously.  
7.  Stir it well and when it starts thickening, keep the stove in medium flame and sim alternatively with continuous stirring.  You will see the bottom of the tawa as and when it is thickening.  When you get the consistency of dosa batter, stir it carefully because it ll be done in few mins after this consistency.  When it turns to the consistency of thick idli batter, (another clue is that you can see lines falling on the batter ) transfer it to the plate already greased with ghee.
8.  Dont use spatula to spread it after pouring on the greased plate because it ll spoil the shape.  Instead just tap the plate slightly on floor for it to spread evenly.
9.  Cut it in required shape (rectangle or square) when it is hot.  Preferably after 10 mins.
10.  When it is bearably hot cover the plate tightly with a newspaper, hold it tight and turn it upside down immediately and tap the plate and remove.  Then carefully take away the pieces and store in a container.  Close it only when it is not hot.
11.  If you are not confident of doing like this,  after cutting in to required shape , when it is bearably hot, remove the cake from the sides first and then collect one by one.  And preserve as said.
(Addition :  After you try this sweet and get it successfully, you can try the next time with little change in the ingredients.  Soak almonds 10 to 15 nos. and peel off the skin.  Add this to the measured coconut but remove some coconut scrap to bring it to the level of one cup (this is important).  Then grind it with milk as told in the preparation.  This will add richness to the sweet. )

Variety Podi : PARUPPU PODI

PARUPPU PODI :


Ingredients :   Tur Dhal (Thuvaram paruppu) - 1 cup (app. 200g), bengalgram dhal (kadala paruppu) - 1/2 cup, urad dhal (ulutham paruppu) - 1/4 cup, dhania (kothamalli vidhai ) - little less than 1/4 cup, pepper (milagu) - 1 spoon, jeeragam - 1 spoon, red chilly - 10 nos. , salt - required.


Preparation :
1.  Dry roast Tur dhal(thuvaram paruppu) 1 cup and 10 nos. of red chillies  in a thick bottomed tawa with stove kept in medium flame or sim.  Roast till it turns red and another clue is you ll get a nice smell.  Remove and keep it aside.
2.  Dry roast kadala paruppu 1/2 cup in the same way.  Take the red chillies already roasted and roast it again along with this to make it crispier.   Roast till it turns red.  Remove from flame and put it along with roasted tur dhal.
3.  Dry roast ulutham paruppu 1/4 cup and roast till it turns red and transfer to the above roasted dhal.
4.  Dry roast kothamalli (dhania) little less than 1/4 cup the same way till nice smell comes and it becomes crispy.  Remove and put it along with the roasted dhal.
5.  Splutter milagu (sometimes it doesnt splutter but you ll know that it is done by  its smell) in the same tawa.  Transfer it to the above mix.
6.  Optional but tastes good : If you have fresh curry leaves, take 1 cup (prewash wipe and use) and roast it in the same tawa. This is not tough.  You can see the crispy dry leaves after sometime. But if you have microwave, spread curry leaves on the tray and roast it for 2 mins (check if it has turned crispy).  Keep it separate for it to powder first.
 Switch off the stove and measure the salt required and put it in the hot tawa and then keep it separate.
7.  Start powdering when it is not hot.  In a mixie jar, First take the red chillies separately and add salt and roasted curry leaves and powder it first.  Then add roasted dhal upto the level of mixie blade and powder it.  It can be a fine powder or slightly coarse not very coarse.
8.  Repeat this until all the dhal is powdered.
9.  Mix well with the spatula and store it in airtight bottle after cooling.
10.  Always use spatula to take it.  Never leave it open for long time to retain freshness.
11.  This can be stored for a month or more.
12.  Add paruppu podi to the hot rice along with a spoon of ghee or gingelly oil (nallennai) and eat.
13.  Eat along with vathakozhambu or morechar (recipe given separately) or as it is.

Variety Podi : RASAM POWDER

RASAM POWDER ;


INGREDIENTS ;   Red chilly (gundu milagai) - 1/4 kg, Dhania - 1/2 kg, pepper (milagu) - 50grams, Jeeragam - 1 karandi, tur dhal (thuvaram parupu) - 100 grams, turmeric (kari manjal) - 4 pieces.


PREPARATION :
1.  Dry all the above ingredients under the hot sun for about 3 hrs.  Or dry as told for sambar powder.
2.  Powder these ingredients coarsely in the flour mill.  Check if they ve powdered any masala before and follow as told for sambar powder.
3.  This is powdered coarsely for tasty rasam and also easy to find out sambar and rasam powder easily.
4.  Mix well and store as said for sambar powder.

Variety Podi : SAMBAR POWDER

SAMBAR POWDER :


INGREDIENTS :  Red chilly (gundu molagai preferable because this is very good for sambar powder) - 1/2  Kg,  Dhania - 3/4 Kg, Pepper (milagu) - 100 grams, Tur Dhal (thuvaramparupu) - 250grams,  turmeric (you get it in shops as kari manjal for sambar powder which is cheap and good) - 5 - 6 long pieces.


PREPARATION :
1.  Dry all the ingredients under the hot sun for about 3 hours.  If it is prepared during rainy season, either dry roast in a tawa or the best method is to do it in microwave oven.  Spread each ingredient on the microwave plate and run for 4 mins.  Repeat this for all the ingredients except tur dhal and turmeric as it is always crispy.  Be careful when you take it out from the plate as it ll be very hot.  Do all this patiently. 
2.  Powder all the ingredients in a flour mill.  Check before you powder them if they ve powdered any masala before because it ll spoil the entire sambar powder.  Wait for them to powder chilly or dhania or any other sambar powder without masala and then you give yours.
3.  If it is hot, spread the powder in a sheet of newspaper after mixing well.  Then store it in a airtight container.  When you store, always  press the powder little with spatula, spread evenly and then close .
4.  Never take sambar powder for cooking from the whole lot.  Take small quantities and store it in a bottle and use.
5.  You can use 5 spoons of this sambar powder for one medium lemon sized measure of tamarind.
Approximately 5 tumblers of water is needed for this tamarind.  2 and half karandi of tur dhal is needed to make sambar for this measurement of tamarind and sambar powder.  This quantity of sambar can be served for 8 to 10 people.
6.  Since vendhiyam (methi seeds) is not added to this sambar powder preparation, always splutter kadugu, kattiperungayam - 3 katti and vendiyam seeds - 1/2 spoon and add to the sambar while preparing.  Fresh spluttered vendiyam will add taste to the sambar rather than adding to the sambar powder.

For Functions : ULUNDHU VADAI

ULUNDHU VADAI : 


THINGS REQUIRED :  Uraldhal (ulutham paruppu) - 1 cup soaked in water for 1 1/2 hours, salt, green chillies - 6 nos., asafoetida - 2 katti, curry leaves, oil for frying.


PREPARATION :
1.  Soak urad dhal (ulutham paruppu) in water after washing well 3 times for 1 1/2 hours.  Soak with just the right amount of water for it to be used as it is while grinding.
2.   Grind green chillies 6 nos, salt and asafoetida 2 katti first in a grinder.  When half done, add soaked dhal (if the soaked water has been consumed by the dhal fully add it as it is.  otherwise remove water and then add )
3.  Grind for about 45 mins.
4.   Mix curry leaves with the ground batter.
5.  One clue for soft vadai.  If the batter is slightly creamy in colour, or if it does not come up when tested in a cup of water, it means the vadai will not be soft after preparation.  For that, mix the vadai batter well on hand vigorously.  You can see the colour changing from cream to white which means the vadai will be very soft.  Careful : too much of water will also spoil vadai.
6.  Heat oil in a kadai.  Test if heated by dropping little batter and if it comes up then it is ready for frying.
7.  Wet both hands first.  Take one medium ball and put in left hand. Then transfer it to the wet right hand, make a hole with the thumb finger and then drop it in oil.  This comes excellent by practice only.  This method will make the vadai look soft and fluffy like you buy in hotels.
8.  Turn it when it is fried on one side.
9.  Filter oil well and take it out.
10.  Do not cover vadai when it is slightly hot even because it ll lose it crispiness when closed with a lid.

For Functions : DHAL VADAI

DHAL VADAI or AAMAI VADAI :


THINGS REQUIRED :  Tur dhal (thuvaram paruppu) - 1 cup,  Bengalgram dhal (kadala paruppu) - 1 cup,  green chillies - 4 nos., red chillies - 4 nos., asafoetida - 3 katti, salt, curry leaves, coriander leaves, oil for frying.


PREPARATION :
1.  Soak 1 cup tur dhal and 1 cup bengalgramdhal together in water for 2 hours.
2.  In a mixer first grind 4 red chillies, 4 green chillies, 3 katti asafoetida and salt in little water or without water.
3.  Then add the soaked dhal and grind it to a coarse paste. Do not make it a fine paste.  Do not add more water.
4.  Mix finely chopped coriander leaves and chopped curry leaves.
5.  Heat oil in a kadai.  Test if heated by dropping a pinch of the mix and if it comes up, then it is ready for frying.
6.  Take one small ball of the mix.  Wet ur left palm and keep the ball and slighty press it and then put it in the heated oil.
7.  You can put 6 atleast.  It depends on how much oil you ve heated.
8,  Drain oil when vadai is done and keep it aside.
9.  Do not close it when the heat is there in the vadai because if closed crispiness will go.

For Functions : APPAM

APPAM ;   Method : 1


THINGS REQUIRED :  Rice flour - 1 cup, Wheat flour - 1 cup, Vellam (jaggery) - 1 3/4 cup, elaichi powder - 1/2 spoon, finely chopped coconut 1 tbspn, oil to deep fry.


PREPARATION ;
1.  Mix rice flour 1 cup and wheat flour 1 cup well with 1/2 tspn of elaichi powder and 1 tbspn of chopped coconut.
2.  In a separate vessel dissolve jaggery in 1/2 cup of water by hand and filter and remove the residue.
3.  Add this jaggery water to the flour mix and mix well.  If it is thick add little water.  Take care to add water because even  little water  added will make it watery.  Consistency should be like idli batter.
4.  Heat oil in a kadai.  Dont over heat it.  Test with a drop of batter. If it raises then it means oil is rightly heated.
5.  Keep the stove in medium flame and not high.  
6.  Pour the mix in small quantity using a small spatula.  When it comes up turn it down and wait for it to be done.
7.  Definitely dont squeeze oil but filter it well when taken from the kadai and keep it aside.
8.  Tasty appam is ready.



METHOD : 2
THINGS REQUIRED ;   2 cups of raw rice soaked in water for 45 mins, 2 cups of jaggery, 1 medium size banana (preferably poovan), elaichi powder, finely chopped coconut 1 tablespoon.

PREPARATION :
1.  Grind 2 cups raw rice already soaked for 45 mins with 2 cups of jaggery and 1 no. poovan banana all together in a grinder to a nice paste.
2.  Add elaichi powder and finely chopped coconut 1 tbsn.
3.  Batter should be of dosa batter consistency.
4.  In a kadai, heat oil.  Test if heated by dropping a pinch of batter and if it comes up immediately then the oil is ready for frying.
5.  Pour 1 big spoon of batter in the heated oil and allow it to come up.
Then turn it the other side.  
6.  Remove when done.  Do not squeeze oil but filter it well and keep it aside.
THIS CAN BE PREPARED IN APPAKAARAL TOO.  FILL APPAKARAL WITH OIL AND THEN POUR THE BATTER IN EACH.  USE SPOON OR ANY SHARP THING OR KNIFE TO TURN IT TO THE OTHER SIDE.  YOU WILL GET UNIFORM SIZED APPAM IN THIS METHOD.

Variety Rasam 5. Lemon Rasam

LEMON RASAM ;


Things required:    Sambar powder - 2 tspn, green chillies - 4 nos., asafoetida - 2 katti, turmeric powder -  1/4 tspn, curry leaves - 1 arc, coriander leaves - finely chopped 1 tablespoonful, salt , tomatoes - 2nos. finely chopped, cooked tur dhal - 1 small cup, lemon - 3 nos., 1/2 spn mustard seeds, ghee - 1 tspn.


PREPARATION ; 
1.  Take 2 1/2 tumblers of water in a vessel in which you want to make rasam.
2.   Add salt, 2 tspn sambar powder, 4 nos. vertically slit green chillies, 2 pieces of asafoetida, 1/4 tspn turmeric powder,  1 arc curry leaves,  1no. finely chopped tomato.
3.  Boil the above for about 4 to 5 mins.
4.  Add the cooked dhal mixed with 2 1/2 tumblers of water.
5.  Simmer the stove.  Allow yellow froth to appear on the top.  DO NOT BOIL.
6.  After removing from stove, squeeze 3 nos. lemon along with a pinch of salt (to avoid bitter taste) and pour it in the rasam and mix.
7.  Splutter 1 tspn of mustard seeds and few curry leaves in 1 tspn of oil.
8.  Garnish rasam with finely chopped coriander leaves and 1 no. finely chopped tomato.
9.  Mix rasam each time before serving to get uniform taste.