Tomato Gojju

click here to read in Tamil.தமிழில் இங்கே படிக்கலாம். 
Yesterday, feeling bored, I was surfing tv channels. So many news channels..... giving their own versions and trying to make even trivial matters as sensational news. As I was surfing, suddenly I saw myself landing in a kitchen. The chef was busily cutting a heap of tomatoes. What could he do with so much of tomatoes.....I wondered. My curiosity allowed me to stay there for a while.

In the course of chef's conversation, I came to know that he was preparing tomato gojju.I continued to watch. After watching the show, even I tried my hand on this recipe.A very simple recipe , but with a great taste.

To my surprise, this recipe had a warm welcome at home too.

Let me share the recipe with you now.

All you need to prepare this:

1. Tomatoes ---- 1/4 kg.
2. Turmeric power---1/2 tea spoon.
3. Redchilly powder/Sambhar powder---3 or 4 spoons(as per your taste).
4. Salt to taste.
5. Jaggery crumps -- a fistful.
6. Asafoetida--1/4 spoon.
To garnish
7. oil--- 2 spoons.
8. mustard seeds a little.
9. fenu greek seeds/methi-- one spoon.

Preparing Instructions:

Wash the tomatoes well before cutting them into small pieces. Keep it aside.Pour a spoon of oil in a pan and heat it. Then add mustard seeds . When mustard starts popping, add the fenugreek seeds. When fenu greek seeds turn golden brown, add the cut tomatoes.To that add turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt and jaggery.Mix it well. Pour a little water for the tomatoes to get cooked. Close it with a lid and simmer the gas. Stir it now and then. When the tomatoes get cooked, remove the lid. keep stirring the tomatoes till the gravy thickens to a smooth paste consistency.

Remove from fire and garnish it with asafoetida.

Wow! The flavour is sure to sail with the wind and bring back neighbours to your kitchen.

onion chutney

Onion garlic chutney is a good companion for idly, dosa and for even chapathis .
Tamil version of the recipe is here.

Let us see as to how to prepare this tasty chutney.

All we need is 

1. Sambar/ pearl onions- - 4 or 5 .( also you can use the big onions)

2.Tomatoes-- 2 ( also you can use tamarind )

3.Red chillies-- 4 or 5 or as per your taste.

4.Salt to taste.

5.Oil - 1 tea spon.

6.Mustard -- a little to garnish.

Preparing instructions:

Peel the onion. If the onions are big, cut them into 2 or 4 pieces.

First heat the oil in a pan. Add the red chillies. Fry them and keep aside. Now add the  cut onion and tomatoes and fry them only for a few minutes. Do not over fry them. Remove them from the frying pan much before they become translucent.

Take the moxie jar. Add the fried chillies and add salt. Grind into a fine powder. Then add the fried onion and tomato and grind them into a coarse paste. Again take care not to grind into a fine paste. The texture does make a difference in the taste of the chutney.

Now garnish it with mustard. Your chutney is ready.

 Serve the chutney with lots of love. That sure will enhance the taste. You are sure to be praised by your husband and family.

Now waiting for what? Go ahead, prepare the chutney and enjoy its taste.

But please don't forget to send a feedback to me.

Thavala vadai

தவலை  வடை செய்முறை இங்கே.

This Vadai has earned its name from the vessel( Thavalai), in which it is cooked. "Thavalai" is a Tamil name for a vessel(  made of either brass or bronze)which has a narrow neck and a broad trunk.  And yes ...you guessed it right. This Vadai was prepared in ' Thavalai' using minimum oil.  Oil was spread on its inner walls  and the dough was spread in small vadai sizes on oil spread. Thavalai , then closed with a lid  was kept on low fire for slow cooking. When the vadai was roasted and  cooked, it would fall from the walls inside the vessel. 

What next? 
 Eat it hot with chutney or Sambhar.  
But now in this fast world we neither have the time nor the patience to prepare this vadai in this  traditional way.

It does not mean that we had stopped eating Thavalai vadai. Instead we had customized this vadai. It  dances to our tunes inside the hot oil.

Let me stop here and give the recipe for Thavalai Vadai.. 
All you need is 

Raw Rice - 2 cups
Channa dal - 3/4 cup.
Toor Dal - 1/4 cup.
Urad dal a handful.
Red Chillies - 1 or 2.
Black pepper - 1 or 2 spoons ( coarsely powdered)
Salt to taste.
Coconut cut into small small pieces - a handful.
Asafoetida- little.
Mustard Seeds-1 spoon.
Curry Leaves .
Oil to Fry.

 

Cooking Instructions:
Soak the rice and the dhal varieties together for four or five hours.
 Then grind these with red chillies , salt and asafoetida. Take care to not to grind it nice. The dough should be a little coarse.
Add the coarse pepper powder, coconut pieces, curry leaves. 
The dough should be garnished with mustard seeds.

Now heat the oil in a pan. When it is really hot take a spoonful of the dough and pour it in the hot oil. You can make 3 or 4 vadais simultaneously. Flip the vadais after some time. let it become golden brown on both the sides.

Now the vadais are ready to eat. Serve them hot with chutney, sambhar or sauce .

 
Do not forget to give me a feed back.

Onion Garlic chutney

Onion garlic chutney is a good companion for idly, dosa and for even chapathis .
Tamil version of the recipe is here.

Let us see as to how to prepare this tasty chutney.

All we need is 

1. Garlic --- 4 or 5 cloves.

2. Sambar/ pearl onions- - 4 or 5 .( also you can use the big onions)

3. Tomatoes-- 2 ( also you can use tamarind )

4. Red chillies-- 4 or 5 or as per your taste.

5. Salt to taste.

6. Oil - 1 tea spon.

7. Mustard -- a little to garnish.

Preparing instructions

Peel the garlic and onion. If the onions are big, cut them into 2 or 4 pieces.

First heat the oil in a pan. Add the red chillies. Fry them and keep aside. Now add the garlic, cut onion and tomatoes and fry them only for a few minutes. Do not overfry them. Remove them from the frying pan much before they become translucent.

Take the moxie jar. Add the fried chillies and add salt. Grind into a fine powder. Then add the fried garlic, onion and tomato and grind them into a coarse paste. Again take care not to grind into a fine paste. The texture does make a difference in the taste of the chutney.

Now garnish it with mustard. Your chutney is ready.

 Serve the chutney with lots of love. That sure will enhance the taste. You are sure to be praised by your husband and family.

Now waiting for what? Go ahead, prepare the chutney and enjoy its taste.

But please don't forget to send a feedback to me.