Tamilnadu Lunch Menu 1- South Indian Lunch Menu Ideas

                        

Last week my in-laws were here .We spent 5 beautiful days together.I prepared these dishes for lunch.Generally we have thogayals for lunch.So i prepared Ridge Gourd thogayal , Gooseberry – curd pachadi , Puli keerai ,Broad Beans sambar , Carrot – beans poriyal,Urad dal Vada , Papad & milk kheer .I am sending this post to my SIL's  "Show wat u cook for Guests" event.

PULI KEERAI

Let me start from Puli keerai.Hope u can find out from the dishes.I normally prepare keerai kadaiyal.For a change , i tried puli keerai by asking my mom.It was very tasty when had with plain rice & ghee.So here comes the ingredients & method of preparation.

Ingredients

• Arai Keerai / Mulai keerai –2 cups (chopped)
• Tamarind – a small gooseberry size
• Red chilly – 2-3 nos
• Salt & water – As needed.

To season

• Ghee – 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/ 2 tsp
• Urad dal – 1/2 tsp

Method:

• Remove & Wash the leaves and cook it along with tamarind & red chilly.
• Let it cool & then grind with salt to make a smooth paste.
• Do the seasoning.Serve with plain rice & ghee !!

RIDGE GOURD THOGAYAL

Ingredients

• Ridge gourd – 1 no (medium size)
• Tamarind – Medium gooseberry size
• Red chilly – 5 nos
• Urad dal – 1 tbsp
• Hing – 2 pinches
• Salt & water – As needed.
• Oil – As needed

Method :

• Heat a kadai with a tsp of oil and roast urad dal , red chilly & hing.Set aside.
• Soak tamarind in little warm water and keep aside.
• Peel the skin of ridge gourd using a peeler and cut into small pieces.
• Heat the kadai with a tbsp of oil and saute the ridge gourd pieces till its completely cooked.May take 10 mins in medium flame.
• Let it cool . Finally grind everything to make a smooth paste.
• Serve with plain rice and sesame oil.

CARROT– BEANS PORIYAL

Ingredients

• Carrot – 2 nos
• Beans – 10 nos
• Moong dal – 2 tsp
• Sambar powder – 1 tsp
• Grated coconut – 2 tbsp
• Salt & water – as needed.

To season :

• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
• Jeera – 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves – A sprig

 Method

• Wash & cut carrot , beans into small pieces.
• In a vessel take the veggies along with moong dal , Sambar powder & Salt.
• Add the required amount of water and cook it.Take care the moong dal should not become mushy.It should be just blossomed.
• Once its cooked well , remove & cool.Drain the excess water if any ( I usually add that water to sambar )
• Heat a kadai with a tsp of oil and do the seasoning.Finally add the cooked veggies and toss well.
• Add the grated coconut and mix well. Saute for 5 mins & remove.
• Serve as an accompaniment for Sambhar / Rasam & Curd rice.

BROAD BEANS SAMBAR / AVARAKKAI SAMBAR

Ingredients

• Broad Beans / Avarakkai – 10 nos (cut into two)
• Toor Dal – 1/3 cup
• Tamarind – Big gooseberry size
• Home made Sambar Powder –  2 tsp (Refer at the end of this post)
• Sambar onions / Shallots – 10 nos
• Green chilly – 3 nos (slit cut)
• Tomato – 1 no ( finely cut)
• Curry leaves – a sprig
• Hing /asafetida – 3- 4 pinches
• Salt & water – As needed.

To Season:

• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves – a  few.
• Red chilly - 1 no
• Coriander leaves – To garnish

Method:

• In a Pressure cooker take toor dal with a pinch of turmeric powder and a drop of oil .Add the cut broad beans pieces to it with required water..Cook for 1 –2 whistle till the dal turns mushy.Mash it with a ladle.Set aside.
• Soak Tamarind in warm water for 15 mins and extract the juice from it.
• Peel the sambar onions and Slit cut the green chilly into two.
• Heat a kadai with oil and splutter the mustard seeds &  fenugreek seeds & pinched red chilli.Then add the sambar onions, Green chillies & curry leaves and tomato pieces.Saute well.
• Then add the tamarind extract , Sambar powder , a pinch of turmeric powder , 3 pinches of hing & few curry leaves.
• Cover & let it boil till the onions get cooked.Nice aroma arises.
• Finally add the cooked toor dal along with broad beans and let it boil for another 5 mins.
• Remove & Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with plain rice & ghee !!

URAD DAL VADA

U can refer here for the recipe & preparation.I added a tsp of toor dal & a tsp of raw rice while soaking a cup of urad dal. Remaining the same as given there.

MILK KHEER

U can find the actual recipe in this blog .I just added 2 pinches of cardamom powder.Else the same procedure.It was very tasty & rich. Thanks a lot Jeyashri .

SAMBAR POWDER RECIPE

• Coriander seeds – 1/4 kg
• Red chilly – 1/4 kg
• Fenugreek seeds – 50 gms
• Toor dal – 50 gms
• Channa dal – 50 gms
• Pepper corns – 50 gms
• Jeera – 2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder – 50 gms

Bye for now

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