Vellai Paniyaram — Chettinad Special (200th Post)

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Chettinad Palaharam, chettinad recipe, Paniayaram recipe, tips for vellai paniyaram, Vellai Paniyaram

Here comes my 200th post, with the chettinad special dish vellai paniyaram. In any chettinad house this dish is inevitable. This is served in all of the chettinad functions. You will find this as one of the breakfast items in marriages.

It is a very simple recipe, but needs some practice. I have tried it a few times and never got it right. Finally I could nail it 🙂 It is always accompanied with the spicy millagai chutney (Red Chili Chutney) , recipe in the next post.

Ingredients:

Raw Rice/Pachai arisi : 1 cup ( measure exactly up to rim)

Urad Dal/Ulunthu : 1 1/2 tablespoon/make a gopuram over rice ( urad dal, we get in US is poor in quality, so I use 1/4 cup which gives better result)

Water : as needed to grind

Salt : as needed

Milk : 1 tablespoon( optional)

Oil : to deep fry

Method:

• Soak rice and urad dal in water for 2 hours.
• Grind it to a smooth batter with salt, just like dosa batter.
• This batter needs to be a little extra watery than dosa batter. So you can add extra milk and bring it to that consistency.
• Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.
• Take a ladle which is not at all deep.( In Tamil we say kuli illatha karandi)
• When the oil is hot enough, in the ladle take the batter and make sure the bottom of the ladle doe not have any batter. And pour it in one place.
• With another ladle, pour oil on the top of the paniyaram.
• Let it get cooked for a minute. Now turn the sides and cook around 30 sec.
• Drain oil and place it in a paper towel to drain extra oil.

Tips:

• This paniayaram should be thin and not thick, you can see the last picture on how it looks when cooked. Once the first is cooked , tear it and see if the center is cooked well, if not then cook for some more time.
• This paniyaram has to be cooked one at a time and not more than one.
• Do not over cook once the side is turned. They must look white and not brown, hence the name vellai paniyaram.
• This batter can be prepared and stored for later in fridge. Make sure to have a little watery consistency than dosa batter.
• In case urad dal is very good quality, these paniyaram might come out very thick and like a ball.
• In this case adding little milk or water helps(I have tried this option). You can also add rice flour and adjust( I haven’t tried this)
• In case Urad dal is too less, then paniyaram becomes very thin and rubbery. In this case you can add some urad dal flour and adjust.
• The sides of this paniayaram will form a flower shape which is the exact shape of this paniyaram.
• Final tip my grandma gives me is, when you don’t get it right make uthappam with this batter 🙂

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Vengaya Kose/Onion Tomato with coconut gravy

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chettinad recipe, Chettinad side dish, gravy for dosa, simple gravy for idli, South Indian breakfast recipe, South Indian Recipe, Vengaya Kose, Vengaya Kose recipe

Vengaya kose is a very common Chettinad side dish for idli/dosa. When I have to prepare something which is of Chettinad style, I usually get recipe from my grandma or mom. These days both of them are really busy with their work. So got this recipe from Solai Achi website , here we can find most of the chettinad special recipes.

Ingredients:

Onion : 1/2 of a large

Tomato : 1/2 of a large

Potato : 2 small

Cinnamon stick : 1 small

Cloves : 2

Oil : 1 1/2 teaspoon

Fennel seeds : 1 teaspoon

Salt : as needed

Water : as needed

To grind:

Grated coconut : 2 tablespoons

Roasted gram/pottukadalai : 1 tablespoon

Garlic : 2 pods

Fennel seeds : 1 teaspoon

Red Chili : 2

Method:

• Chop onions length wise, chop tomato and potato to small pieces
• Add all the items in to grind and with little water to make a fine paste. Set aside.
• In a pan heat oil. When hot add cinnamon sticks, cloves, fennel seeds.
• When it crackles, add onion. Saute for 2 mins.
• Then add the potato and saute till half done.
• Next add tomato and saute till they are mashed well. Add salt and mix.
• Now add water to cover just a bit above the veggie layer.
• Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for 5 mins.
• Now check if the potato are 90% done, then add the ground paste.
• Simmer for 5 mins and cook.
• Finally add cilantro leaves and garnish.

This goes well with any idli/Dosa/Chappati.

Okra Gravy/Vendakkai Mandi + Beetroot Vadai

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Beetroot, Beetroot Vadai, Chettinad Foods, chettinad mandi, chettinad recipe, chettinad vendakkai mandi, mandi, Okra Gravy, Simple vadai recipe, simple vendakkai recipe, Vadai, Vendakai Mandi, Vendakkai Mandi, vendakkai recipe

Today’s post is going to be a simple chettinad home food and both these are my favorite. Both of them are so comforting, that I can have them everyday for lunch with rice 🙂 If you are wondering what is mandi it is the water that we first wash rice before cooking it. This water is nutritious. Usually we prepare it on the day we are about to prepare Idli/Dosa batter, when you will have more rice washed water. This is a very delicious gravy.

Ingredients:

Okra/Vendakai : 15 numbers

Potato : 1 medium or 2 small

Red Pearl Onions : 20 numbers (one large onion can also be used )

Green Chili : 6 to 7

Tamarind juice : 1 tablespoon

Mandi : 2 cups ( Take 4 cups of rice and use 2 cups water mix and filter our water in a bowl this is mandi)

Salt : 1 teaspoon

To Temper:

Mustard Seeds : 1⁄2 teaspoon

Urad dal : 1⁄2 teaspoon

Curry Leaves : Few

Asafoetida : 1/8 teaspoon

Sesame Oil : 1 teaspoon

Method:

• Wash Okra and dry pat it in a clean towel. This helps in reducing the stickiness.
• Peel onion skin, they can be chopped to large pieces. Pearl onions you can use it just by slicing it to 2 pieces.
• Remove potato skin and chop to large pieces.
• Slit green chili to 2 pieces.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, Urad dal, asafoetida. When they crackle add the curry leaves.
• Next add the onions and green chili. Sauté for 2 mins.
• Next add the okra and potato. Saute these for 5 mins.
• Add the mandi now to this. Let it get cooked for 50%
• Now add the salt and let it boil for some more time. When it is almost 80% percent done in cooking both potato and okra, add the tamarind juice. After adding tamarind juice it will be ready in 5 mins.

This is usually served with rice.

Beetroot Vadai:

You might have already seen my guest post on this, Again I thought let me give this 🙂

Ingredients:

Beetroot: 1⁄2 cup grated

Onion : 1⁄2 large red onion

Toor dal : 1⁄2 cup

Channa dal : 1⁄2 cup

Fennel seeds : 1 teaspoon

Asafoetida : 1⁄4 teaspoon

Turmeric powder : 1/8 teaspoon

Salt : 1 teaspoon

Red Chili : 6 to 7

Oil : for deep frying

Method:

•  Soak Toor dal and Channa dal in water for 1 hour.
• Peel the skin of beetroot and grate it fine.
• Chop onions.
• Drain water and grind these two to a coarse paste without water ( if needed add 1 teaspoon water) Don’t grind it too smooth.
• Mix fennel seeds, asafoetida, salt, red chili (broken to pieces) and the grated beetroot with the dal.
• Since beetroot has some water content, when we fry the vadai it will drink up more oil.
• So I prefer to store it in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and then prepare the vadai.
• After 1 hour, take out the vadai batter. Make small round patties and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan for frying. Make sure it is in medium hot. It should not be too hot , as well not yet heated up.
• Just to ensure, make a very small ball from the batter and throw it in the oil, it should come up immediately. This means oil is ready now for frying.
• Slowly add the patties and fry it. To know when it is done, the sound of oil should come down.
• Remove from hot and place it in paper towel to soak up extra oil. Then serve it.

We have it with rice and sambar or this is a great evening tea snack. Vendakkai mandi and beetroot vadai with rice is a great combination 🙂

Lentil Meat Balls (Vegan)/ Kola urundai kulambu/ paruppu urundai kulambu

Tags

Chettinad Foods, chettinad recipe, kola urundai kulambu, Lentil Meat balls, paruppu urundai kulambu

Kola urundai kulambu, this is a very famous recipe in chettinad families. Made out of lentils is a great source of protein. This was one of the dishes in my wedding lunch 😀 , I grew up with grand parents and my parents were living in a different place. My grandma is an expert in this recipe. Just watching her cook is amazing. When my uncles used to visit us, this is for sure in the days menu. All of us love this to a great extent.

I was always a bookworm, just studies and never used to think of cooking, anything else when I was young. Only after I started cooking I know how joyful it is. Miles away from my family, now I feel how blessed I am to have had a chance to eat food which was cooked and served with so much of love. Few days back I got this recipe from my grandma and tried it, though I couldn’t get it so lovely as her, it turned out better 🙂

Lentil is called as paruppu in tamil language

Ingredients:

For the balls:

Pigeon split pea lentil/ Toor dal : 1 cup

Red Chili : 3

Fennel Seeds : 1/2 teaspoon

salt : 1/2 teaspoon

Onion: 1/2 of a large

Cilantro : Few Finely chopped

Curry leaves : few

Grated coconut : 2 table spoon

Asafoetida : 1/4 teaspoon

For gravy:

Tamarind : 1 small lemon size

Red chili powder : 1/2 tablespoon

Coriander powder : 2 tablespoon

Turmeric powder : 1/4 teaspoon

Onion : 1/2 of a large chopped

Garlic : 8 to 10 pods

salt : 1/2 teaspoon

To season:

Mustard seeds: 1/2 teaspoon

Urad dal : 1/2 teaspoon

Fennel seeds : 1/2 teaspoon

Curry leaves : few

Oil : 2 tablespoons.

Method:

Soak tamarind in water.

Soak the lentil/paruppu for 30 to 45 mins. Along with red chili, fennel seeds, asafoetida and salt grind it with minimal water. It should be a coarse paste. Do not make it smooth. Now heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. When it is hot, put onions, let it turn translucent. Next add the ground mix of lentil and mix well in the pan. Have the heat in low. Otherwise it might start sticking to the pan. Keep stirring for 5 mins. Stop the heat. Then add the curry leaves, cilantro leaves, and grated coconut and mix well. Now we can make balls out of it.

Make the balls and keep it aside.

Pour extra water in the tamarind and make it as a juicy water. Add Red chili powder, corriander powder, salt with it. Keep it aside.

In a pan heat oil and add items in to season. Now add onions and garlic. Let it turn translucent.

Next add the juice we made out of tamarind to this. Let it heat well for around 6 to 7 mins. You can find the water in it boiling at this moment we are ready to add the balls.

Add 3 balls at one time. Leave it for 2 mins. Next add another 3 balls. leave it for 2 mins, then add the similar way until the balls are all put in the gravy. This is to avoid the balls get stuck with each other.

This has to cook around 15 mins, so that the gravy gets into  the ball. At the end add some chopped cilantro leaves.

This is a great choice with plain cooked rice. I hope you enjoy this dear friends 🙂