Thiruvathirai Kali

Thiruvathirai kali is an authentic rice based sweet served along with kootu during the festival of Thiruvathirai.

Ingredients - Serves 4

• Rice - 1 cup
• Brown sugar - 3/4 cup (or jaggery)
• Cardamom - 2 nos
• Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp
• Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
• Ghee - 2 tbsp

Method

• Wash the rice and dry it by spreading on a kitchen towel (dry completely)
• Heat the pan with ghee, fry cashew nuts & keep it aside
• Heat the same pan and roast the dried rice to slight brown colour
• Remove from the pan and allow it to cool

• Grind rice into coarse powder in a mixer
• In a heavy bottomed pan add brown sugar and 2 1/2 cups of water
• Bring it to boil and add cardamom and coconut
• Slowly add the grounded rice & dhal to the boiling brown sugar and mix well
• Transfer the mixture to the pressure cooker pan and pressure cook it for 2 whistles
• Add roasted cashew nuts and mix well
• Serve with vegetable kootu

Nutritional Information

• Per serving = 275 calories approximately

Multi Purpose Spice Powder

Roasted Indian lentils and spices - Handy to make quick variety vegetable rice, stuffed brinjal, grounded coconut sambar, etc

Ingredients

• Chana dhal - 2  tbsp
• Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
• Jeera - 1/2 tsp 
• Dry red chilli - 2 nos
• Cinnamon - small stick (optional)

 
Method

• Dry roast chana dhal, coriander seeds, jeera, dry chilli and cinnamon to a golden brown and grind into a smooth powder

Tips

• Double the volume and you can store it in an air tight clean container to make any other vegetable rice
• You can also use this spice powder to stuff brinjal in Ennai Kathirikai Kuzhambu
• Add roasted grated coconut to this spice mix and use it for Arachuvitta (grounded coconut) Sambar and Besi Bele Bath
  

Sambar Powder

Sambar powder is a  mix of all healthy Indian spices and this is a basic ingredient for south Indian sambar

Ingredients

• Toor dhal - 100 gms
• Chana dhal - 100 gms
• Fenugreek seeds - 50 gms
• Pepper corns - 50 gms
• Cumin seeds - 25 gms
• Coriander seeds - 50 gms
• Red chillies - 50 grms
• Turmeric powder - 50 gms
• Curry leaves few

Method

• Spread all the above ingredients except turmeric powder in a big plate and sun dry it and grind in the mill
• People who live in colder place just dry roast all the above ingredients in the pan, cool it and grind it in the mixier along with turmeric powder 
• Store it in air tight box or freeze it in the ziplock bags

Tip - Just slightly heat up the ingredients in the pan not too much, this will allow you to grind easily

Strawberry Jam

A perfect homemade spread for the toast

Ingredients - Yields a cup

• Hulled strawberry - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

Method

• Blend the strawberry in the blender or mixer (smooth )
• Heat the pan add blended strawberry, sugar and lemon juice
• Mix well, cook in a medium  high heat until the mixture comes to boil
• Now reduce the heat to medium and cook for approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until  the white bubbles disappear
• Allow it to cool and store in a clear jar

Tip - I usually make jam in small batches and use it over 10 days. If your are making in a large batch, refrigerate it for longer shelf life

Nutritional Information

•  Strawberries are rich in vitamin C and also contains large amounts of anti-oxidant, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties
• One cup = 430 calories approximately