Ingredients

Rice flour – 1 cup (see note 1)

Salt – 1/4 tsp

Coconut oil – 2 + 1/2 tbsp (see note 2 for alternative)

Water – 2 to 2 1/2 cups (approximately)

Ghee or sesame oil – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Fresh curry leaves finely chopped – 2 tbsp

 Dosai/Idli Milagaai Podi – 2 tbsp (see note 3 for alternative)

Fresh grated coconut – 3 tbsp (optional)

Method

1)   In a wide bowl take rice flour, salt and ghee/sesame oil. Mix thoroughly by hand so the salt and fat spreads evenly. Set aside.

2)   Heat the water and once it starts boiling add this hot water little by little to the rice flour mixture and roughly mix with a spatula. Add enough water to bring the rice flour together roughly. Add 1/2 tbsp coconut oil on top of this hot rice flour mixture, cover the bowl fully and allow it to rest for 10 mins. Cover and save rest of the hot water for kneading the dough later.

3)   After 10 mins, when the rice mixture is warm and you are able to handle it with your hands, apply some coconut oil in your palm and start kneading the dough. If the mixture is too dry and doesn’t come together, then sprinkle some hot water we’ve saved and knead well until all the flour comes together and forms one smooth crack free dough. Cover this dough and let it rest for a further 5 mins.

4)   Now grease your palms with coconut oil and divide the dough into 3 or 4 portions. Take one portion out and make small balls, the size of a marble. Keep the rest of the dough portions covered with a damp kitchen towel until you shape them into small balls. Keeping the dough covered with a damp cloth helps keep the dough moist.

5)   Continue to shape the entire dough into small balls, cover and set aside. Now steam the prepared dough balls in a steamer or a pressure cooker for 6 to 7 mins. After 6 to 7 mins remove the steamed kozhakattai from the steamer and let it cool completely.

6)   Now in a wide pan or kadai take 2 tbsp coconut oil and heat it. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Immediately add the fresh curry leaves and mix once. Simmer the heat and add the steamed kozhakattais. Gently mix once so the oil coats evenly on them.

7)   Add dosai/idli milagaai podi and fresh grated coconut to the kozhakattai and mix completely. Cover the pan for just 2 mins and your tasty ammini kozhakattai is ready to serve.

Notes

1. I’ve used normal store bought rice flour to make this dish. You can use the same or if you get processed rice flour like idiyappam flour or more specifically kozhakkattai flour then it’s even better. The process is the same whichever rice flour you use.
2. You can use sesame oil instead of coconut oil.
3. I’ve chosen to spice up my ammini kozhakkattais with dosai milagaai podi, which is my favourite. You can feel free to try any other readymade spice powder like Kollu Karuveppilai Podi, Rasam powder etc according to your taste.

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The recipe is quick and easy, especially if you have some leftover rice. If you plan to take this for your lunch box, cook rice the night before and refrigerate to save more time. I’ve added peanuts for crunchy texture but feel free to experiment with any other nut variety!

Ingredients

Rice (any) – 1 cup

Water – as needed to cook the rice

Salt – 1 1/4 tsp (or to taste)

Cooking Sesame Oil – 3 1/2 tbsp

Curry leaves – a few leaves

Flavour enhancer powder – 1/2 tsp (optional) (refer Puliyodharai recipe to make this)

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Chana dhal – 1 tbsp

Urad dhal – 1 tbsp

Peanuts – 1/2 cup

Green chillies (finely chopped) – 2 tbsp

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Lime/lemon zest – 1 tbsp

Lime/lemon juice – 3 to 4 tbsp

Jaggery powder/brown sugar – 1 tsp

Yield
Serves 3 – 4

Prep time
15 mins

Cook time
30 mins

Method

1)   Wash and soak rice for 15 mins. Then cook the rice until soft and fluffy, but not mushy. Transfer the cooked rice to a wide bowl or a plate to cool down a bit. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt, a few curry leaves (hand torn), flavour enhancer powder and 1 tbsp sesame oil on the rice and set aside.

2)   While the rice is cooking, heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a wide pan and roast the peanuts on low flame until crunchy and set aside.

3)   In a bowl take 3/4 tsp salt, jaggery powder/brown sugar, lime/lemon zest and lime/lemon juice. Mix well and set aside.

4)   Heat the remaining oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Simmer completely and add chana dhal and urad dhal. Roast until golden. Add asafoetida and turmeric powder to the roasted dhals and mix once.

4)   Immediately add green chillies and few curry leaves. Fry for 30 seconds. Transfer this tempering to the lime juice mixture. Allow it to sit for about 5 mins.

5)   After 5 mins transfer the tempering and lime juice mixture to the cooked rice and add the fried peanuts. Add some curry leaves and gently mix (without breaking the rice) once. Gently press down the rice and cover the pan. Let it sit for 10 mins at least.The rice will absorb all the seasoning and the flavours during this time. 

6)   6)   Serve lime rice with a vegetable koottu (check out my green papaya koottu and watermelon rind koottu) or any dry vegetable spicy curry. Simple Indian papad and fryums are also great accompaniments. My all time favourite with lime rice is crunchy potato chips or spicy potato dry curry.

Notes

1. Make sure to cook your rice just enough, because Lime Rice will not taste good if the rice is mushy. Adding a small amount of oil on top of the cooked rice, while it is cooling helps to keep the grains separate.
2. You can use cashews or walnuts, instead of peanuts, if you prefer. Adding any one of these nuts gives a nice crunch to the rice and also adds protein value to your meal.
3. Adding zest increases the nutritive value and enhances the intense lime flavour.
4. Lemon/lime juice and zest left on its own (without adding sugar or salt) might become bitter after few mins. So whenever you squeeze citrus fruits for your food, squeeze directly on top of your food which is already seasoned.
5. Like Puliyodharai, this rice also is a great option for short travels, picnic or lunch box. The natural acidity from lemons, sesame oil and the flavour enhancer acts as a preservative and increase the shelf life even without refrigeration. Stays good for nearly 2 days at room temperature.

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Morekuzhambu is very important in our wedding lunch menu and almost all other functions and festivals. This is mildly sour and spicy, with the richness of coconut and coconut oil. This is one of the easy, quick dishes to make in literally 15 mins from prep to end. Vegetables like ash gourd, okra, brinjal, pumpkin, capsicum are normally added to morekuzhambu to make it more nutritious. Fried turkey berry, medhu vadai and bonda are few other exotic additions to make morekuzhambu more interesing. Quite often this dish is paired with a dry spicy curry like okra, potato, yam or sweet potato. But for an authentic south Indian experience pair morekuzhambu with either french beans or cluster beans paruppu usili or go for a simple dry brinjal curry with brinjal podi. 

Here’s my recipe for a simple tasty morekuzhambu. Serve with hot steamed rice and curry of your choice.

Ingredients

Ash gourd (peeled and cut into chunks) – 2 cups (see note 1 for alternate vegetables to use)

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Salt – 1 tsp (or to taste)

Sour yoghurt – 2 cups

Water – 2 cups

Brown sugar – 1/2 tsp

Coconut oil – 2 tbsp

Fresh coconut (grated) – 4 tbsp

Green chillies – 6 (or to taste)

Coriander seeds – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – 2 tsp

Ginger (grated) – 1 tbsp

Fresh coriander leaves (roughly chopped) – 3 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp

Fresh curry leaves – a few leaves

Yield
Serves 5

Prep time
10 mins

Cook time
15 mins

Method

1)   In a pan take the cut ash gourd chunks. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Add just enough water to cover the ash gourd and keep on medium heat until it is fully cooked. Set aside.

2)   Take sour yoghurt, add 2 cups of water, sugar, 3/4 tsp salt and 1 tbsp coconut oil. Blend everything well with a whisk. Set aside.

3)   In a mixer take fresh grated coconut, chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, coriander leaves and ginger. Grind these to a coarse paste with just a tbsp of water. Add this ground mixture to the diluted yoghurt, mix and set aside.

4)   Heat a tempering pan and add a tbsp of coconut oil. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Now add fenugreek seeds and fry until golden. Then add curry leaves, mix and transfer to the yoghurt-coconut mixture. Add the cooked ash gourd also to this tempered yoghurt mixture and mix well.

5)   Now heat this tempered yoghurt mixture on minimum heat for just 2 to 3 mins. Your tasty morekuzhambu is ready to serve.

Notes

1. I’ve used ash gourd to make this morekuzhambu. Ash gourd being a watery vegetable, I’ve boiled it with salt and added to the kuzhambu. Alternatively you can use shallow fried okra, brinjal, pumpkin or capsicum. Use enough coconut oil and salt to shallow fry any of the above vegetables until well cooked. Particularly if you are using okra or brinjal, fry until the vegetable turns crisp. Then add this to the diluted yoghurt and continue with the other steps.
2. I get sour yoghurt in the supermarkets and I use that to make this dish. If you don’t get sour yoghurt easily, then keep fresh yoghurt in a warm place for a day (to make it sour) and then use. The tanginess from sour yoghurt is important and adds an extra taste to this dish.
3. The highlight of this dish is fresh coconut and coconut oil. So I suggest to use only fresh coconut and good quality coconut oil to make morekuzhambu and enjoy its authentic taste.
4. Generally coriander leaves is not used in this dish. But I love the flavour and colour it adds, so I use it. You can choose to either add or omit this totally. It’s up to you.
5. Refrigerate leftover kuzhambu and use it for up to 2 days.

Beginner’s tips

1. Make sure to just warm the morekuzhambu after adding all the ingredients. Don’t bring it to boil as yoghurt tends to curdle when heated.

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Puttu is a traditional South Indian dish. It is made both in sweet and  savoury varieties. This recipe is for a sweet puttu variety made with yellow lentils (split and skinned green gram), jaggery and coconut, and flavoured with exotic cardamom.

When I was young my grandmother made dishes like puttu, poLi, fire roasted sweet potato, boiled sweet potato with jaggery syrup, sundal and many more simple yet healthy snacks. These kind of dishes are definitely nutritious and can be a great option for after school/work snack.

Go ahead and make this protein rich Moong Dal Puttu and satisfy your sweet tooth craving anytime of the day.

Ingredients

Yellow moong dal – 1 cup

Ghee (Neutral oil or vegan butter for a vegan version) – 2 tbsp

Cashew nuts – 20

Raisins – 2 tbsp

Fresh grated coconut – 1 cup

Jaggery (powdered) – 1 1/2 cups

Salt – a pinch

Cardamom powder – 1 tsp

Yield
Serves 4

Prep time
2 hrs to soak moong dal

Cook time
45 mins

Method

1)   On low heat dry roast moong dal for 5 to 7 mins until fragrant. (Make sure the colour of moong dal doesn’t change). Transfer to a bowl and let it cool down a bit. Then wash twice and soak in water for 2 hours.

2)   After 2 hours drain the water completely and grind the soaked moong dal in a mixer. Add just enough water to run the mixer. The consistency of the moong dal batter should be thick and grainy.

3)   Now grease a shallow pan with a few drops of ghee/butter and transfer the moong dal batter into this. Place this batter in a steamer and steam until an inserted knife comes out clean. Remove from heat and let it come to room temperature.

4)   Now make rough chunks of the steamed moong dal using a knife and carefully pulse the chunks in a mixer. Don’t run the mixer continuously. Pulse until you get a breadcrumb texture. Set aside.

5)   Heat a pan and add the jaggery powder in it. Add enough water to cover the jaggery and stir continuously. Add salt and keep stirring until the jaggery dissolves fully. Now strain the jaggery water through a fine strainer to remove any impurities.

6)   In a wide, thick bottomed pan heat 1 tbsp ghee. Add cashew nuts and fry until golden. Then add raisins and fry until they swell. Add grated coconut and fry all together for 2 to 3 mins. Remove the nuts, raisins and coconut in a plate and set aside.

7)   In the same pan take the jaggery water. Boil jaggery water on medium heat until syrup comes to soft ball consistency (refer video). When syrup reaches soft ball consistency, simmer and add the crumbled moong dal, fried nuts, raisins and coconut mixture to the syrup and mix fully.

https://www.thepearpapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/WhatsApp-Video-2021-09-05-at-08.34.15.mp4

8)   The puttu will resemble wet sand texture now. To this add a tbsp of ghee and cardamom powder. Mix well. Simmer for 2 to 3 mins, then remove from heat and set aside. Your tasty Moong Dal Puttu is ready. Wait until it comes to room temperature to store in an airtight container.

9)   Refrigerate leftover puttu and use up to 3 to 4 days. Heat it up a bit before serving.

Notes

1. I’ve used good quality jaggery powder for this recipe. You can replace jaggery with brown sugar or country sugar.
2. Pulse the mixer when processing the steamed moong dal. Running the mixer continuously will make moong dal stick to the sides of the mixer and you will end up with big lumps of steamed dal.
3. I’ve used cardamom powder to add a nice flavour to this dish. You can use nutmeg powder too, as an alternative. If you are familiar with edible camphor, then add a pinch of edible camphor along with cardamom powder to enhance the flavour of this puttu. 
4. I’ve used only cashew nuts and raisins, but you can use any variety of nuts to add crunch to Moong Dal Puttu.

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In fact on a day when I feel like skipping a full meal, I have fruit and a glass of buttermilk mixed with this cut mango pickle. Perfect and yum!

Here’s the recipe for yet another interesting combo that is super easy to make and great to taste.

Ingredients

For Curd Rice:

Rice – 1 cup (see note 1)

Water – 2 cups

Milk – 1 1/4cups

Unsalted butter – 1 tbsp (optional)

Salt – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Sugar – 1 tsp

Fresh curd – 2 to 3 cups

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dhal – 1 tsp

Dry red chilly – 1 (cut into pieces)

Green chillies – 1 (finely chopped) (optional)

Ginger – 2 tbsp (finely chopped)

Curry leaves – a few (hand torn to pieces)

Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp (finely chopped) (optional)

For Cut Mango Pickle:

Raw/green mango – 2 medium sized

Salt – 1 1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder – 3 tbsp

Sugar/Jaggery – 1 tbsp (if your mango is too sour)

Asafoetida – 1 tsp

Cooking sesame oil – 1/4 cup

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Flavour enhancer powder – 1/2 tsp  (refer my tamarind rice recipe to make this powder)

Yield
Serves 2

Prep time
30 mins

Cook time
15 mins

Method

1)   Wash the rice twice, add water, unsalted butter and 1 cup milk (refrigerate the remaining 1/4 cup) to it. Mix once and cook until rice is done completely to a soft and mushy consistency. Once cooked, remove from heat and allow it to cool down a bit.

2)   While the rice is cooking, wash the mangoes thoroughly and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Make sure the mango is completely dry before chopping. Now chop the mangoes finely and add salt. Mix well and set aside for 10 mins.

3)   After 10 mins add red chilly powder, sugar/jaggery and asafoetida on top of the finely chopped mangoes. Let it all be a blob on top of the mango pieces. Do not mix it.

4)   In a tempering pan heat sesame oil. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Remove the tempering pan and let the spluttering settle down. After about 30 secs pour this tempering on the spices.

5)   Finally add the flavour enhancer powder and mix everything thoroughly. Let it sit for 10 mins for all the flavours to soak into the mango pieces. Your instant, delicious cut mango pickle is ready.

6)   When the rice is still warm, add salt, sugar and 1/4 tsp asafoetida to it. Gently mix everything once. Add curd and the remaining refrigerated milk. Mix nicely and set aside.

7)   In a tempering pan heat ghee. When ghee is medium hot (take care not to heat ghee until it becomes smoky) add mustard seeds and let it splutter.

8)   Now add urad dhal and red chilly pieces and fry until the dhal turns golden. Then add the remaining 1/4 tsp asafoetida, just mix and add chopped ginger, green chillies and curry leaves. Saute for a min and transfer this tempering to the curd rice.

9)   Add finely chopped coriander leaves to the curd rice and gently mix everything. It is now ready to serve with the pickle on the side.

Notes

1. To make authentic south Indian curd rice use any short grain, non fragrant rice like sona masoori or ponni rice. Try and avoid fragrant rice varieties like basmati or jasmine rice. These fragrant rice varieties have a distinct fragrance which will not go well with the typical taste of curd rice. In case you don’t have non fragrant rice varieties, you can make curd rice with millets too. Millet curd rice is equally tasty and much more nutritious.
2. I’ve used ponni rice to make curd rice. This variety takes 3 times water for each cup of rice to get cooked perfectly. However I’ve taken 2 parts water, 1 part milk (instead of all 3 parts water) and a tbsp of butter to cook the rice. Addition of milk and butter with water makes curd rice rich, creamy and tasty. Adjust the amount of water according to the variety of rice or millet you are using. Remember to add some portion of milk and a tbsp of butter.
3. Choose a raw mango variety that is not extremely sour for this kind of instant pickle. If possible wash and allow the mangoes to air dry before you make the pickle. Even the slightest moisture would reduce the shelf life of any pickle. Ensure to keep the bowl in which you are making the pickle and your hands dry as well.
4. The amount of salt, oil and flavour enhancer powder is important to maximise the taste and shelf life of this pickle. So try to stick to the quantities given here as much as possible. 
5. If your mango is not sour enough then add juice of a lime/lemon to the pickle and mix. This helps to add some sourness and also acts as a preservative.
6. This pickle stays fresh for a week when refrigerated.
7. I’ve given the recipe for basic curd rice. There are many things you can add to this basic version to enhance its taste and nutritive value. Finely chopped cucumber, grated carrot, finely chopped mango, cashew nuts, pomegranate pearls,  chopped fresh grapes are some of the options.

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This is my recipe for an extremely flavourful spice mix powder, made in less than 20 mins, from my kitchen to yours! I’ve added a quick gorgeous brinjal dry curry recipe also in this post so you can see how it is used.

Ingredients

Coriander seeds – 2 cups

Split chana dhal – 1 1/4cups

Whole Urad dhal – 1/4 cup

Asafoetida – 1 tsp

Dry red chillies – 10 (or to taste)

Kashmiri dry red chillies – 6 (or to taste)

Uncooked rice – 2 tsp

Peanut oil – 1 tsp

For the dry curry:

Cooking oil – 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Brinjal – 1/2 kg

Salt – to taste

Dry mango powder – 1/2 tsp

Jaggery/sugar – 1/2 tsp

Brinjal podi – 4 tbsp

For the Podi:

Yield
3 1/2 cups

Prep time
5 mins

Cook time
15 mins

For the Dry Curry:

Yield
Serves 3

Prep time
10 mins

Cook time
15 mins

Method

1)   Heat a heavy bottomed pan and add oil. Reduce the heat to minimum and add all the ingredients except asafoetida. Roast on low heat until the dhals turn golden.

2)   Transfer all the roasted ingredients to a flat plate, add asafoetida and mix once. Let it cool completely.

3)   Grind everything coarsely in a mixer/grinder. Your flavourful brinjal podi is ready. Store this in an airtight container and refrigerate. So easy!

To make brinjal dry curry using brinjal podi:

1)   Wash and cut baby brinjal lengthwise and put the pieces in a bowl of water as you’re cutting them. Squeeze some lime/lemon in there to add acidity and let it soak in that water for 5 mins. Then drain the brinjal pieces in a colander. This process of soaking will stop oxidation and prevent browning of the pieces.

2)   Heat a kadai and add some oil (as you would for stir frying). Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Then add turmeric powder. Immediately add brinjal and enough salt for the curry. Mix once, cover and cook on medium heat until brinjal is almost done. This should take around 5 to 7 mins.

3)   Now open the lid and add the dry mango powder and jaggery/sugar. Mix once. Cook the brinjal for a further 2 mins. Finally add the brinjal podi to the curry, mix gently and simmer the heat completely and cook for 1 more min. Switch off the heat and serve this tasty curry with any south Indian rice variety.  

Notes

1. The quantity of dry red chillies (both varieties) can be adjusted according to your preference. Just note, dry red chillies is more spicy and less colourful and kashmiri red chillies are more colourful and less spicy. A combination of both gives the right amount of heat and colour.
2. This spice mix adds great flavour to many dry curries and can be used to make some mixed rice too. Just do some basic tempering, toss finely chopped onion and add plain cooked rice and salt. Add this brinjal podi to the rice and toss gently. Sprinkle some coriander leaves and serve. A quick, tasty dish when you return late from work or as a last minute lunch box dish (if you have some leftover cooked rice).
3. If you are using asafoetida in crystal or lump forms instead of powder, then take a tsp of crystals or 1 inch piece of lump and fry it in the oil before frying the other ingredients. Wait until it puffs/swells up and doubles in size. Then add all the other ingredients and continue the process. Crystal or lump form of asafoetida gives more flavour and aroma to brinjal podi.
4. When refrigerated in an airtight container, this spice mix stays fresh for at least 6 months.
5. Check out similar spice mix recipes like Rasam Powder, Dosai/Idli Milagaai Podi, Kollu Karuveppilai Podi and Sambar Powder for simple and tasty south Indian cooking.

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In this recipe I’ve not completely added all the tastes because I did not have neem flowers (to bring in the bitter taste) and when the mango is used with the skin the astringent taste also is incorporated. But personally I don’t like my maangaai pachchadi to have the outer skin of the mango. So this recipe is tailor made for my taste buds. If you want to include all six tastes then use mango with skin and in the tempering add neem flowers after the mustard seeds splutter and fry till it turns dark brown.

So here’s my recipe for a tasty Maangaai Pachchadi.

Ingredients

Sliced Mango – 3 cups (heaped)

Jaggery (powdered) – 1 cup

Salt – 1/4 tsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Dried Red Chilly – 1

Water – 1 3/4 cups

Yield
3-4 cups

Prep time
20 mins

Cook time
30 mins

Method

1)   Wash the mango, peel and slice it roughly.

2)   In a wide heavy bottomed pan take the sliced mango and add 1 1/4 cups water and salt. Mix once, cover and cook on medium heat until soft and mushy. Stir in between to avoid the mango sticking to the bottom of the pan.

3)   While the mango is cooking, take the jaggery in another pan and add 1/2 cup of water. Cook this on medium heat, stirring continuously until the jaggery melts. Allow the jaggery water to boil for 5 mins. After 5 mins switch off the heat and set this aside.

4)   Once the mango cooks completely, reduce heat and strain the jaggery water (to get rid of any impurities) on top of this cooked mango. Stir, cover and cook on low to medium flame.

5)   Keep stirring periodically to avoid the maangaai pachchadi sticking to the bottom of the pan. The mango-jaggery mixture might splatter at this stage, so use a long handled stirring spoon to mix. After 10 to 12 mins of cooking, the pachchadi will thicken to a preserve consistency. Reduce the heat completely.

6)   Now heat a tempering pan and add the oil. Heat the oil a bit and add mustard seeds. Wait until it splutters and add dried red chilly. Fry for 30 s and add the tempering to the maangaai pachchadi. Mix once, switch off the heat and cool to room temperature.

7)   Transfer the maangaai pachchadi to a clean sterilised container and refrigerate. This pachchadi will stay fresh for 8 to 10 days when refrigerated.

Notes

1. I used a mango that was quite sour and hence added 1 cup jaggery. I prefer maangaai pachchadi to be sweet and sour equally. You can increase or decrease the amount of jaggery according to your taste preference and also according to the natural taste of the mango.
2. If you don’t have powdered jaggery and have only big chunks of jaggery, then try grating it in your vegetable grater. If it is too hard to grate then just heat up the lump of jaggery in microwave for 40 to 50 s. The hard jaggery will soften and you can easily grate it.
3. Traditionally, jaggery is used to make this dish. If you don’t have jaggery then try this with raw/brown sugar.
4. This recipe is safe for children. In this case, you may choose to leave out the chilly.

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Kadalai Paruppu PoLi is made by making a soft dough with flour (for the outer covering), resting it for couple of hours, then spread with hand or rolled out, stuffed with boiled, mashed bengal gram sweetened with jaggery and coconut. This stuffed poLi is then spread out like paratha either with hand or with a rolling pin, cooked with ghee (check out my recipe for ‘How To Make Ghee‘ to make the most aromatic ghee at home) on a flat pan until golden on both sides.

The process may seem a little lengthy but you can conveniently divide the process into smaller parts and do at intervals to suit your time constraints. The outer dough can be prepared 3 to 4 hours in advance. In fact, longer the dough rests (maximum 5 to 6 hours), softer the poLi will be. The sweet filling can be done a day in advance too.

Other than kadalai paruppu, you can stuff PoLi with a variety of things like coconut, dry fruits, moong dhal, sweet potato, dates, a combination of these, or even spicy vegetables (called ‘kaara poLi’ meaning spicy poLi)!

Ingredients

Plain flour – 1 1/2 cups

Whole wheat flour – 1/2 cup

Salt – 1 pinch

Sugar – 1 tbsp

Unsalted butter – 1 tbsp

Water – as required

Sesame oil/Cooking oil – 3 tbsp

Chana dhal – 1 cup

Powdered/crushed jaggery – 1 1/2 cups

Fresh coconut (grated) – 1 cup

Cardamom powder – 1 tsp

Ghee – 3 tbsp (for the stuffing)

Ghee – as required to make the poli

Yield
12 to 15 poLis

Prep time
3 hours resting time for the dough

Cook time
30 mins

Method

1)   In a wide bowl, take plain and whole wheat flour. Add salt and sugar. Mix once for the salt and sugar to spread evenly. Add water little by little and mix the flour mixture gently to make a soft dough. Once the dough comes together add butter and knead it for at least 5 to 7 mins. This activates the gluten and the dough will become very soft and non-sticky after kneading for a few mins. Now pour all the oil on top of the dough and let it rest like this.. This oil keeps the dough supple and is also used to spread the dough later. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and a lid on top. Let it rest for a minimum of 3 hours. Can rest the dough longer too (refer note 1).

2)   While the dough is resting, take the bengal gram in a roasting pan and dry roast it on low flame for about 5 to 7 mins so the bengal gram gets roasted lightly without changing colour. After 7 mins transfer it to a bowl, add water, wash it twice and soak it in fresh water for 2 hours.

3)   After 2 hours, cook the soaked bengal gram until soft (you can pressure cook for 2 whistles or cook in an open pan until done). Once cooked, drain the bengal gram in a colander and let it cool to room temperature.

4)   While the cooked bengal gram is cooling take the jaggery powder in a pan, add enough water to cover it and heat it on medium flame, stirring continuously until all the jaggery melts. Now strain this jaggery water through a fine strainer to remove any impurities.

5)   Take this strained jaggery water and boil on medium heat for nearly 5 to 7 mins. Switch off the heat then and let the jaggery water cool to room temperature.

6)   Now take the cooked bengal gram in a mixer, add coconut and pulse it a few times. Add the jaggery water little by little (for the mixer to run) and grind into a smooth paste (use up all the jaggery water to grind the entire bengal gram and coconut to a smooth paste).

7)   Take a heavy bottomed pan, heat it a bit and add 3 tbsp ghee. Add the ground bengal gram-jaggery mixture and start stirring. Keep the heat on medium and stir continuously until it thickens (takes around 8 to 10 mins) (see beginner’s tip). The stuffing should be thick, leave the sides of the pan and move with the spatula. Now add cardamom powder and mix completely. The stuffing for Kadalai Paruppu PoLi is now ready. Transfer this stuffing to a plate and allow it to cool down completely. 

8)   Once the stuffing cools down, take smaller portions to make lemon sized balls and set aside.

9)   Take a small portion from the well rested dough and spread it on a greased wax paper with the tip of your fingers. Spread gently so that the edges are thinner than the center. Place the stuffing in the middle. Gently stretch and pull up the edges to close the stuffing in completely.

https://www.thepearpapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/WhatsApp-Video-2023-04-09-at-11.42.11.mp4

10)   With greased hands or rolling pin gently flatten this stuffed dough ball evenly (make sure the stuffing doesn’t come out).

11)   Heat a flat pan/tawa and grease it with 1/2 tsp ghee. Now gently lift the poLi from the wax paper and place it on the tawa. Drizzle some ghee around the edges and cook the poLi on low heat until both sides are cooked well and brown spots appear all over the poLi. Remove from heat and serve hot with some extra ghee (purely optional) on top.

Notes

1. Resting the dough is very crucial for this recipe. A well rested dough will be super soft, nice and stretchy. You can make the dough even 5 to 6 hours before the actual cooking time. Though I wouldn’t recommend anything above 6 hours at room temperature as it starts to become stale beyond that.
2. Normally the dough for any poLi is made with plain flour. The disadvantage with only plain flour is that the poLi tends to get a bit rubbery after one day. Adding a portion of whole wheat flour with plain flour keeps your poLis soft for longer.
3. Traditionally, people would use fresh banana leaf as a base to flatten out the poLi instead of wax paper. Use banana leaves if you can get some!

Beginner’s Tips

1. Use a long handled spatula while cooking the stuffing. The mixture splatters a bit until it thickens!
2. If you are a beginner, use your finger tips instead of a rolling pin (like I’ve shown in the video) to flatten out the stuffed poLi. I wouldn’t suggest using rolling pin as it is difficult to control the pressure. The stuffing might squish out if more pressure is applied.
3. Adding ghee gives great flavour to the Kadalai Paruppu PoLi. A mix of ghee and oil can also be used. Use at least half a tsp of ghee for each poLi so they stay soft for a long time.

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The recipe is quite simple with minimum South Indian ingredients and an all time favourite in my house. Whenever I make Eriseri, I just make plain white rice to eat with it and nothing else. My grandmother learnt this recipe from her neighbour and taught my mom and my mom taught it to me. So it’s a time tested recipe in our family and I’m happy to share it with you all.

Ingredients

Yam (cleaned and cubed) – 4 cups

Thick tamarind extract – 1 tbsp (or 1/2 tbsp tamarind paste)

Water – as required

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Crushed black pepper – 1 tbsp

Salt – 1 tsp (or to taste)

Coconut oil – 3 tbsp

Dry red chilly – 2 (or to taste)

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dhal – 2 tsp

Curry leaves – a few leaves

Fresh grated coconut – 1 1/2 cups

Jaggery/brown sugar – 1 tsp (optional)

Yield
Serves 4

Prep time
20 mins

Cook time
30 mins

Method

1)   In a wide pan, take yam, turmeric powder and crushed pepper. Add enough water to just cover everything. Keep the pan on the stove and heat until the water comes to a rolling boil. Now reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan and cook until yam is half done.  

2)   While the yam is cooking, heat another frying pan, add 2 tbsp coconut oil. When oil heats up a bit, add red chillies and fry for 1 min (on low heat) or until the chillies turn crisp. With a slotted spoon remove the chillies from the oil and set aside. To these chillies, add 3/4 cups of fresh grated coconut. 

3)   Again heat the same oil in which you fried the chilly, add mustard seeds and wait until it splutters. Then add urad dhal and fry until golden. Immediately add curry leaves and 3/4 cup fresh coconut and fry (on low heat) until coconut turns golden. Set this tempering aside.

4)   When the yam is half done, add tamarind extract, salt and jaggery. Mix once and cover the pan. Let it boil further until the yam cooks completely and becomes soft. While this is cooking, grind the fresh coconut and fried chillies (done in step 2) together with a little water to make a coarse paste. 

5)   Once the yam cooks fully and becomes soft, add the ground paste and 1 tbsp of coconut oil. Mix and let it boil for 2 mins. Adjust the consistency of eriseri at this stage by adding some water, if needed, to bring it to a nice gravy like consistency.

6)   Finally add the tempering we had set aside to the boiling eriseri, mix once and switch off the stove. Flavourful, tasty eriseri is ready to serve. Enjoy this with fresh steamed white rice, rasam rice, Mango rice, VeN pongal or Coconut rice.

Notes

1. Fresh coconut is the essence of most of the dishes from Kerala. Instead of coconut powder or desiccated coconut, use fresh coconut for an authentic Kerala taste.
2. Coconut is highly nutritious and should be consumed as fresh as possible without much cooking. Therefore after adding the ground coconut mixture, don’t boil for more than a minute or two.

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Ingredients

Baby brinjals – 15 to 20

Tamarind – small lime sized (if using tamarind paste, then take 1 1/2 tbsp)

Chana dhal – 1 1/2 tbsp

Urad dhal – 1 tsp

Coriander seeds – 3 tbsp

Dry red chilly – 3 (or to taste)

Kashmiri dry red chilly – 2

Sesame seeds – 1 tbsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp

Uncooked rice – 1 tsp

Asafoetida – 1 tsp

Cooking sesame oil – 3 1/2 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – few leaves

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Salt – 1 tsp (or to taste)

Water – 600-700 ml

Jaggery/brown sugar – 1 tbsp

Yield
Serves 5

Prep time
15 mins

Cook time
30 mins

Method

1)   Clean the baby brinjals and remove the green stem. Slit them vertically like a ‘+’ until 3/4ths deep (don’t cut till the end because the brinjals need to be full, see picture). After slitting each brinjal put it in a bowl of water. Continue like this until you slit all the brinjals and place them in water. Set aside.

2)   Boil tamarind in 200 ml water, allow it to cool and then squeeze to get thick tamarind extract. Set this aside. If you are using tamarind paste, skip this step.

3)   In a wide pan, dry roast rice and fenugreek seeds together on low heat. Fry until fenugreek turns golden. Set aside. Add sesame seeds to the same pan and dry roast until golden. Add the roasted sesame seeds to the roasted fenugreek and rice.

4)   In the same kadai dry roast chana dhal, urad dhal, coriander seeds and the chillies together until the dhals turn golden. Transfer this roasted mixture to the sesame seeds and fenugreek. Add asafoetida to this and grind all the roasted ingredients to a coarse powder. Set aside. This is your rasavaangi spice mix powder.

5)   In the same kadai, heat 3 tbsp sesame oil and add mustard seeds. Let the seeds splutter. Now add the curry leaves and turmeric powder. Give it a quick stir and add the slit brinjals. Add 1/2 tsp salt and mix gently. Cover the pan and leave on low heat until the brinjals are half cooked. 

6)   Open the pan now and add the tamarind extract/paste. Add the remaining salt for the rasavaangi, jaggery and 500 ml water (add around 650 ml water if using tamarind paste). Mix once without breaking the brinjals. Cover the pan again and let it boil for 5-7 mins on medium heat.

7)   Now open the pan, simmer the heat and let it boil for 2 more mins. The oil we added initially will start floating on the surface now. At this stage add the ground rasavaangi spice powder. Mix gently and allow it to boil for 2 to 3 mins. The rasavaangi will thicken and become aromatic. Finally, drizzle 1/2 tbsp sesame oil on top and switch off the heat. Rasavaangi is ready to be served. Enjoy with hot steamed rice, any dry curry and pappad.

Notes

1. My grandmom used to make Rasavaangi with baby brinjals. As alternatives, I’ve made this dish with shallots, brussel sprouts and even tubers like cubed sweet potato and yam. The main tastemaker in rasavaangi is the ground spice mix. 
2. Sesame oil brings out the maximum flavour in dishes where tamarind is the base. So I suggest to use sesame oil for dishes like Rasavaangi, Puliyodharai, Sambar, Vathakuzhambu and Milagu kuzhambu.

Beginner’s tips

1. Fry all ingredients for the spice mix in minimum heat. Take time to roast slowly, so that the ingredients fry completely without getting charred. Moreover, slow roasting helps in releasing the natural aroma of each ingredient and enhance the overall taste of the dish.

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