Menu 1 III Sem 2007 11.06.07 TN Cuisine

TAMIL NADU CUISINE

Tamil Nadu provides the visitor with a wide variety of delicious food both for the vegetarians as well as the non-vegetarians, though most food in Tamil Nadu consists of grains, lentils, rice and vegetables. Spices are added to give a distinctive taste.
Breakfast or Tiffin includes idly (steamed rice cakes), dosa (a pancake made from a batter of rice) and lentils crisp fried on a pan, vada (deep fried doughnuts made from a batter of lentils), pongal (a mish mash of rice and lentils boiled together and seasoned with ghee, cashew nuts, pepper and cumin seed), uppuma (cooked semolina seasoned in oil with mustard, pepper, cumin seed and dry lentils.)
There are several variations of the dishes mentioned above which are eaten with coconut chutney, sambar (seasoned lentil broth) and mulaga podi (a powdered mix of several dried lentils eaten with oil).
Lunch or meals consists of cooked rice served with an array of vegetable dishes, sambar, chutneys, Rasam (a hot broth made with tamarind juice and pepper) and curd (yogurt). For a non-vegetarian lunch, curries or dishes cooked with mutton, chicken or fish is included. The meal is incomplete without crisp pappads or appalam.
Chettinad cuisine is a specialty in Tamil Nadu and will be a delight for those who like hot and spicy non-vegetarian food. This type of food has several variations of fish, mutton, and chicken dishes of which the Chettinad Pepper Chicken is a specialty. The Tamil style of Mughlai food can be savoured in the Biryanis and paya. The latter is a kind of spiced trotter’s broth and is eaten with either parathas or appam. Tamil Nadu, especially Chennai, is famous for its filter coffee as most Tamils have a subtle contempt for instant coffee.
The making of filter coffee is almost a ritual, for the coffee beans have to be first roasted and then ground. The powder is put into a filter set and boiling hot water is added to prepare the decoction and allowed to set for about 15 minutes. The decoction is then added to milk with sugar to taste. The final drink is poured from one container to another in rapid succession to make the ideal frothy cup of filter coffee. The last process makes one wonder whether the brew could be bought by the yard.
The Ingredients and The Cuisine Tamil Nadu has a wide range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies to offer. The food here gets its flavor from a host of spices and condiments used in Tamil Nadu. Coconut, tamarind and asafetida are a must for almost all vegetarian recipes. Garam masala is avoided in Tamil cuisine. In Tamil Nadu Coconut oil is normally used as the medium of cooking. Chutneys and mixed spice are served in the lunch and enhance the taste of the meal. In Tamil Nadu, a typical meal consists of rice (mostly steamed), lentils, grains and vegetables. Chettinad cuisine of Tamil Nadu is particularly famous all over the country. This cuisine is hot and spicy and provides delectable variety in mutton, chicken and fish dishes. Chettinad Pepper Chicken is one of the most famous dishes in Tamil Nadu. The Tamil style of Mughlai food can be tasted in the Biryanis and Paya. Paya is a type of spiced trotter’s broth and is eaten with either Parathas or Appam. Delectable Tamil MealsIn Tamil Nadu cuisine, breakfast or Tiffin includes idly (steamed rice cakes), dosa (a pancake made from a batter of rice) and lentils crisp fried on a pan, vada (deep fried doughnuts made from a batter of lentils), pongal (a mash of rice and lentils boiled together and seasoned with ghee, cashew nuts, pepper and cumin seed), uppuma (cooked semolina seasoned in oil with mustard, pepper, cumin seed and dry lentils). Most of the dishes in Tamil Nadu are eaten with coconut chutney, sambar (seasoned lentil broth) and mulaga podi (a powdered mix of several dried lentils eaten with oil). The Tamil Lunch or meals consists of cooked rice served with different kinds of vegetable dishes, Sambar, chutneys, Rasam (a hot broth made with tamarind juice and pepper) and curd(yogurt). The non-vegetarian lunch includes curries or dishes cooked with mutton, chicken or fish. Tamil meals are incomplete without crisp Pappads or Appalam. Refreshing Tamil DrinksTamil Nadu, especially Chennai, is famous for its filter coffee. Most Tamils have a subtle disliking for instant coffee; therefore filter coffee is more popular. The preparation of filter coffee is almost like a daily chore, the coffee beans have to be first roasted and then ground. The coffee powder is then put into a filter set and hot boiled water is added to prepare the boiling and allowed to set for about 15 minutes. The decoction is then added to milk with sugar to taste. The drink thus prepared is then poured from one container to another in rapid succession to make the perfect frothy cup of filter coffee. An exotic drink that refreshes you and the taste that lingers.Treat Your Taste Buds The cuisine of Tamil Nadu is counted among the popular cuisines in India. It is enjoyed by the people of the country and equally relished by the foreigners coming to India. Dishes like Idli, Dosa, Sambar and Rasam are the most exotic dishes among the south Indian cuisine. The south Indian platter or Thali is also very popular, comprising various vegetables, along with dominant coconut flavor. Another highlight of south Indian cuisine is, Pongal, a sweet dish prepared during the harvest festival 'Pongal'. Every visitor coming to India makes sure that he does not miss tasting this mouth watering cuisine. So, just look for restaurant that serves south Indian cuisine and taste some of the recipes and drinks from Tamil Nadu, after which you won’t be able to resist tasting other delicious dishes of this state also.

MENU

Masala Vada / Coconut Chutney
Drumstick Sambar
Tomato rasam
Keerai Masiyal
Uralaikhizhangu Varuval
Cabbage Poriyal
Vengaya Pacchadi
Chettinad Chicken / Steamed Rice
Pappad/Pickle
Pal Payasam


MASALA VADA:

Ingredients:
· Onion, finely chopped
· 4 Green Chilies
· Chopped coriander
· Curry leaves few
· 15 gms somph powder
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
1tsp Garam masala powder
Oil for deep fry

Method:
Clean, wash and soak dhal for at least 2 hours.
Grind it to a coarse paste.
To this add onions, green chilies, ginger-garlic paste, chopped coriander leaves, curry leaves, crushed somph, salt and garam masala. Mix well.
Add salt.
Shape into Wada on plastic wrap and fry in the oil till golden brown.

COCONUT CHUTNEY
Ingredients:
· 1 cup shredded fresh coconut
· 1/3 cup gram dal
· 4-5 green chillies
· 1 tsp. salt
· 1/4 tsp. Chopped garlic and 2 shallots
For tempering:
· 1 tsp oil
· ¼ tsp mustard seeds
· ¼ tsp split black gram dal (washed)
· 4-5 curry leaves finely chopped
· 1 pinch asafetida
Method:
· Grind all the ingredients (except those for seasoning) together.
· Use a stone hand/electric grinder or mini grinder or a mixie, in that order of preference.
· Stone ground chutneys will always give a better flavour and texture.
· Grind till coarse
· Heat oil and add the tempering ingredients. Pour hot oil over the chutney. Mix gently.
· Serve fresh with dosas, idlis, upma, utthapams, vadas, etc.
DRUMSTICK SAMBAR

Ingredients:

1 cup tur dal
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. oil
5 drumsticks, cut into 3-inch pieces
1-2 tsp. tamarind juice
2 tbsp. grated, coconut
100 gms sambar onions
150 gms country tomatoes
1-1/2 tbsp Sambar Powder
1 long spring curry leaves
Salt to taste

For Tempering:
2 tsp. oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2gms cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and black gram dal split each
2gms asafoetida
2 nos broken red chillies
Few curry leaves

Method:

Cook toor dal in a pressure cooker with water, turmeric, oil and keep aside.
Grind sambar powder, coconut and little water to a fine paste.
Put drumsticks, water into a pan and bring to the boil until tender.
Add onions, cut tomatoes and cook for 5-8 minutes.
Now add salt, ground paste, tamarind, cooked dal and curry leaves.
Bring it to the boil. (If necessary add little water)
Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sambar thickens. Remove from the heat.
Heat the oil in a pan, add the tempering into the sambar and boil for five minutes.
Serve hot with rice.



Tomato Rasam
Ingredients
Ripe tomatoes - 4Whole pepper - 10Jeera - 2 tspsGarlic flakes - 3Chopped Coriander leaves - 2 tspsSaltOil - 1 tspsCurry leaves - 5Rasam powder - 1tsp (optional)Jaggery - 1 tsp (optional)

Method

1. Blanch tomatoes in hot water, take out the skin and mash or grind the pulp.2. Add required amount of water (700ml) to the pulp, salt, rasam powder and jaggery (optional)3. Powder Pepper, jeera, garlic coarsely.4. For tempering, heat oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, once they crackle add powdered pepper, jeera, garlic. Fry little and add it to the tomato rasam.5. Boil well for 5-10 minutes, add fresh curry leaves and corriander leaves.6. Server hot with rice or even drink as a soup
Tips: You can add 1/2 cup boiled toor dal water to the rasam

Keerai Masiyal

Amaranth Leaves (Mulai Keerai) - 2 bunchesGreen gram dal - 1 tbspOnions - 3Urad dal - 4 tspMustard - 2 tspRed Chillies - 5 or 6 (or to taste)Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp (or to taste)Til Oil - 1 tspSalt - to tasteSugar - a pinch

Method:

Wash the Amaranth leaves, seperate the leaves from the stalk and chop the leaves finely. Finely chop the onions also. Cook the chopped Amaranth leaves, onions and green gram dal with just enough water and a pinch of sugar for about 5 minutes. Then add required salt and asafoetida and continue cooking till it becomes soft. Keep stirring the mixture as it cooks and keep adding a little water if it seems to dry up. The greens should not become dry as this dish should be in a semi-solid state. Mash the cooked Amaranth leaves (do not grind it, just mash with a masher or with the back of a round ladle). Heat oil in a kadai, splatter the mustard, simmer the stove and then add the urad dal and fry till it starts becoming red, then add the red chillies and fry for around 10 seconds. Top the mashed mixture with the seasoning and serve hot. Mix in the seasoning just before serving, so that it will remain crispy. This tastes best when served with rice and dal. It can also be served with roti.

Tips:
This is a traditional South Indian recipe and is very healthy because it needs very little oil. A pinch of sugar is added while cooking the leaves in order to retain the fresh green colour.
Mashed tur dal and grated or ground coconut can be added for taste and quantity.Do not add too much water while cooking the Amaranth leaves as draining the water later will lead to a loss of nutrients. Just add enough water to cover the greens and to maintain a semi-solid state


Cabbage Poriyal:
Ingredients:
lb or ¼ kg Cabbage
1 whole onion small size Onion
2 green chillies
½ teaspoon Mustard seeds
5 Curry Leaves
1/2 teaspoon Urad Dhal
50 gm Grated Coconut
¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon or as required
2 gm asafoetida
3 teaspoons Oil

Method:

Wash and shred the cabbage leaves.
Finely cut the onion.
.Chop the green chillies finely.
Heat 3 teaspoons of oil in a tawa.
Add the mustard seeds, urad dhal, chopped green chillies and curry leaves in that order and allow them to splutter.
Add the onions and sauté well.
Now add the cabbage shreds, turmeric powder and salt and cook gently for 5 minutes.
After 2 minutes, add the grated coconut and turn over.
Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.

Uralai kizhangu fry
Ingredients
Potatoes - 2 medium sizeOnion - 2 medium sizeRed chillie powder – 15 gms nos (according to how spicy you want it)Curry leaves - 1 stripTurmeric powder - 1/2 tspMustard seeds - 1 tspSalt To tasteOil - 2 tbspCorriander leaves
Method
· Boil the potatoes and cook it for 10 minutes
Meanwhile chop the onions, green chillies, and ginger.
Heat the oil in a pan on the stove and crackle some mustard seeds.
Add the chopped onions, chillie powder, turmeric powder and curry leaves to it.
Saute for 5 minutes in high flame.
Meanwhile peel the cooked potato and cut into medium sized cubes.
Once the onion is cooked add the potato, salt and chillie powder and little water and fry till golden brown and dry and serve hot with chopped coriander leaves.

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(Onion) Vengaya Pachadi
Ingredients :1 onion, finely chopped2 cups yogurtChopped coriander leaves 2 green chillies, finely chopped½ tsp salt¼ tsp mustard seeds½ tsp cooking oil
Method :Mix onion, green chilles, salt, coriander leaves and yogurt together.Temper mustard seeds in little oil and add it to above
CHETTINAD CHICKEN
Ingredients:
1 kg chicken (you can use a whole chicken cut into bits or leg or breast pieces)
2 large onions sliced fine
2 tomatoes chopped fine
2 tsp ginger paste
2 tsp garlic paste
10-15 curry leaves
1 tsp chilli powder (optional)
1 star anise
2 tsp lime juice
Salt to taste
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp aniseed/fennel seeds
3 dry red chillies
1" piece of cinnamon
2 cardamom pods
3 cloves
1/2 cup grated coconut
2-3 tbsp vegetable/sunflower/canola oil or ghee
Chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Method:
Heat a heavy pan or skillet on a medium flame and roast the poppy, coriander, cumin and fennel seeds, dry red chillies, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and coconut for 3-4 minutes. Remove from flame and allow it to cool.
Grind the mixture into a coarse powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.
Mix the ginger and garlic pastes with this powder and keep aside.
In another deep pan, heat the oil and add the curry leaves. When they stop spluttering, add the sliced onions and fry till they are light brown.
Add the spice paste and star anise and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and chilli powder and stir well to mix all the ingredients.
Add the chicken, cover and simmer till it is tender.
When the chicken is done add lime juice, mix well and turn off the flame.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Pal Payasam

Ingredients:1 litre milk1 cup broken rice1/2 cup sugar1/4 tsp. cardamom powder1/2 cup condensed milk15-20 raisins
Method:
1. Cook the rice
2. Add milk, condensed milk and sugar to rice
3. Mix well
4. Let is boil till payasam thickens
5. Add cardamom powder and raisins
6. Stir the payasam
7. Serve hot or cold
Makes: 4 servingsSheflife: Best fresh

PASIPARUPPU PAYASAM

Ingredients:

1 cup moong dal ( slightly roasted)
1 spoon gram dal
1 cup powdered jaggery
· 15 no’s Cashews & Raisins
· 5 gms cardamom powder
5tsp melted butter / Ghee
500ml milk
A few toasted coconut pieces

Method:

· Fry the cashews and raisins in melted butter until it becomes golden brown and keep it aside.
· Roast and cook moong dal and gram dal together in a vessel until it becomes soft.
· Add powdered jaggery to 1/2 cup boiling water until it dissolves and mix it with cooked dal.
· Heat this mixture in a thick bottomed vessel, add 500ml of milk and simmer for 10 minutes.
· At the end, add the grounded cardamom and fried cashews and raisins and serve it hot.
· Garnish with toasted coconut pieces.