Tamilnadu Delicacies

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Tamilnadu Delicacies Tamilnadu Delicacies

Topic started by Mrs.Mano (@ 195.229.241.234) on Sat Nov 23 03:55:19 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Dear hubbers,
I am from Thanjavur in Tamilnadu eventhough I am residing in the middle East for the past 27 years. Thanjavur is famous for its filter coffee as Mayiladuthurai is famous for its masal vadai,Kumbakonam is known for its 'kothsu',chetti Nadu[Which consists of Karaikudi,pudhukkottai,sivakangai] is famous for its paniyarams,appams,chicken specials etc,thirunelveli is famous for its 'sothi kuzambu'and Madurai is famous for its briyanis.I really wish to bring out the specials of tamilnadu in this thread so that each and every hubber could be benefitied from it.I also wish to share the recipes from my collection with all of you. All the hubbers from various districts could share their precious recipes here.Here I really miss Mrs.Soma who shared her valuable recipes from rare vegetables. First I am starting with the 'tiffen varieties'.

AAPPAM[with boiled rice]
Ingredients needed:
Boiled rice-1/2 kilo
black gram-one handful,
fenugreek seeds-1sp
thich fresh curd-1/2 cup
one day old cooked rice-1 handful
enough salt to taste
Method:
soak the rice and the black gram with the f.seeds seperately for 8 to 12 hours.
Grind the black gram first and when the batter is soft enough add the cooked rice and the curd and grind it very smoothly.
Then grind the boiled rice seperately to a fine consistency.
Mix both batter very well and let it ferment for the whole night.
In the morning you can make fresh aappams.In the Thanjavur side the accompaniment will be vellappaagu and thick coconut milk.At the serving time we can pour first vellappaagu over the hot aappam and then pour coconut milk occording to our taste.Some people enjoy the aappams with mutton stew or vegetable thengaipaal korma.

Responses:

Old responses
From: Mrs.Mano (@ 213.42.2.6) on: Wed May 7 15:53:44 EDT 2003

Hello Sarah!
Here are some recipes with Paneer.
Usually, paneer pieces should be fried under medium fire. They should be fried only for 2 or 3 minutes and they should not get the brown colour. Then the taste will change. Then they should be immersed in hot water till you are taking them for the gravy. In this method they will remain soft. They should be added at the last minute of cooking.
MUNG PANEER:
Soak ½ or 1 cup whole green gram for 8 hours and then cook them in the pressure cooker for one whistle. Cut ½ kilo paneer in to finger like pieces. Fry them in oil and then immerse in hot water. Heat a kadai and pour 4 tbsp oil. Add 3 chopped onion and fry them to a brown colour. Grind 5 garlic flakes and a small piece of ginger with 5 sambar onions. Add this to the onion with 1sp turmeric powder and 2sp chilli powder and fry them well. Add 1 cup chopped tomatoes and fry until they are well blended. Then add the cooked green gram, enough salt and ½ cup of water. Let it simmer for 5 mintes. Grind 5 cashew nuts, 5 almonds, 2tbsp shredded coconut with 2tbsp curd . Add this masala to the gravy and also add the paneer pieces. If needed, add some water. Let the gravy simmer for 3 minutes and put off the fire. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
PANEER KURUMA:
Fry the paneer pieces[1/2 kilo] as mentioned above and then soak them in warm water. Heat a kadai and add 3tbsp oil and 3tbsp ghee. Add 1 cup of chopped onions and fry well. Powder 2 cardamom, 1 cinnamon piece and 1 clove. Add this powder to the onion and fry for a few minutes. Add 1sp ginger paste and 1sp garlic paste with 1sp turmeric powder. Fry them for a few minutes. Add 1 cup chopped tomatoes and cook until they are well mashed. Grind 3tbsp shredded coconut, 1sp coriander powder, 1sp fennel seeds, 5 green chillies and 1sp kuskus to a fine paste. Add this to the tomatoes with enough water. Add enough salt. Let the gravy simmer for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup thick coconut milk and also the paneer pieces. Let the kuruma cook for 5 minutes. Add 2tbsp chopped coriander leaves and put off the fire.
From: Sarah (@ phantom.pr.sun.com) on: Fri May 9 05:52:26 EDT 2003

Hi Mrs.Mano

Thanks a lot for the recipes ..

Hi aps

Thanks to you too.

I'll try and let you know how they turned out

Sarah
From: d (@ pc45-136.lib.rochester.edu) on: Fri May 9 13:15:50 EDT 2003

will somone please tell me what is "bhrinjal" and how do you cook appams?

thanks!
From: funcook (@ tor-58-26a-209197167100.3web.net) on: Fri May 9 22:46:20 EDT 2003

Hello Mrs Mano!

Interestingly I have never understood why Paneer needs to be fried before adding to a sauce or stir fried as in Kadai. I presume it is an already cooked product.
Perhaps there is a reason to do it!
From: Hemant (@ 203.195.208.26) on: Sat May 10 09:38:01 EDT 2003

Hello Mrs.Mano ,
I have replaced SAMBAR-SADAM recipe in Guest corner.It is numbered as 1.Please click on 1 and read the recipe if it is ok.
From: Mrs.Mano (@ 213.42.2.6) on: Sat May 10 13:25:04 EDT 2003

Hello Funcook!
Thanks for the posting. Usually paneer is prepared using vinegar , or sour curd or lemon juice and whey water of the previous preparation. Some texture is quite crumbly and breakable. So it is generally fried in oil and lightly browned before it is added to the gravy. Some argues that it may not be necessary to fry at all, just enough to immerse them in hot water for sometime and could be added to the curries to attain the softness. I am usually using these two methods. Home made paneer is always safe to use. But the cottage cheese which we are buying from outside always tends to break in the gravy if we straightly use them. If we do not want to fry in oil we can either broil or bake them using a little oil to brush upon them.
From: Mrs.Mano (@ 213.42.2.6) on: Sat May 10 13:31:44 EDT 2003

Hello Mr.Hemant!
I have checked my recipe in yr 'guest's corner' and it is OK. Thanks for re-posting it again!
From: funcook (@ tor-58-26b-209197170251.3web.net) on: Sun May 11 01:39:52 EDT 2003

Hello Mrs Mano!

Thanks for your prompt reply. Although I think there is more to it than the texture part. And again this is just a guess I am making.

Naming Paneer as Cottage cheese is again a misnomer, Paneer is closer to Ricotta than Cottage cheese. not sure why its always described as Indian cottage cheese.

Ready to use Paneer should adhere to its textural properties. More so as it is mechanically pressed under controlled weights.

The practice of frying Paneer is more in restaurants than homes. And that's what am curious about.
My guess is, it is a way of preserving Paneer in a non-refrigerated condition. Frying always increases the shelf life of a product. Unfried Paneer could decompose faster than a fried Paneer. And the reason to soak in water is perhaps to drain off oil.
Again this is based on my own observation, and I could be entirely wrong. Any other opinions on this one?
From: some (@ dialup-67.73.136.102.dial1.chicago1.level3.net) on: Sun May 11 15:40:03 EDT 2003

fried paneer gives more flavour than non fried paneer
From: Mrs.Mano (@ 213.42.2.6) on: Tue May 13 13:37:47 EDT 2003

Hello Funcook!
Though Ready to Use Paneer is prepared by pressing with much weight, some labels immediately crumble when I try to cut them into cubes. Amul Paneer is OK. In some shops they are not kept in fridge but immersed in water. They say that it can be kept like that for a few days. some famous cookery specialists say that the paneer gets more softness when they are immersed it water after having been fried. But I agree with you that this method also removes the oil coating on the paneer.
From: Mrs.Mano (@ 213.42.2.6) on: Fri May 16 15:38:17 EDT 2003

I am posting here some more recipes on Mutton:
MUTTON KUZHAMBU-2:
In a kadai, pour some oil. Fry 2 chopped onions, and 2 big tomatoes which are finely chopped. When the vegetables are cooked, add 1 kg mutton pieces and fry for a few minutes. Add enough water and salt. Cook for some minutes. Add 2 ½ sp coriander powder, 2sp chilli powder and 1sp turmeric powder. Mix well and let it simmer for some more minutes. Grind 1tbsp ginger, 1tbsp garlic, 4tbsp shredded coconut, fennel seeds-1sp and one handful of small onions. Add this paste to the kuzhambu. Mix well. Powder 1sp fennel seeds, 1sp bay leaves and 1sp kuskus. Add this powder to the kuzhambu. When the mutton is fully cooked put off the fire. Add some curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves.
TOMATO MUTTON CURRY:
Grind 4 chopped tomatoes, 8 small onions, 10 garlic flakes, 1tbsp ginger, ½ chopped coriander leaves and 2tbsp shredded coconut to a fine paste. Add this paste with ½ kilo mutton pieces and mix well with enough salt and 1sp turmeric powder. . Pressure cook this mutton for 5 or 6 whistles. Heat a kadai . pour 2tbsp oil and 2tbsp ghee. Powder 1sp fennel seeds, 6 to 8 red chillies, 1sp cumin seeds, 1 piece cinnamon , 2 cardamom and 1sp kuskus. Add this powder to the ghee and fry for a few minutes. Add the mutton masala and cook until the gravy thickens.
UPPU SAARU:
[This preparation is cooked especially for delivered women and unhealthy people to regain the lost strength. A friend gave me this recipe. This is from the south of Tamilnadu. I am yet to try this]
In a pressure pan add 3tbsp gingelly oil. Add 100gm chopped small onions and fry well. Then add ½ kg mutton pieces and fry for a few minutes. Add 2 chopped tomatoes and enough salt. Add 1 cup water. Pressure cook for 3 whistles. Grind 3sp cumin seeds, 2sp fennel seeds, 2 pieces cinnamon, 2 cloves, 1sp peppercorns, 8 small onions and ½ shredded coconut to a fine paste. Add this to the gravy and let it simmer for a few minutes. In a separate kadai, add 2tbsp gingelly oil and add 1sp mustard seeds, curry leaves and 4 red chillies. Add the tampering to the gravy. Let the masala simmer for some minutes. This gravy must not be thick. It must be a little watery.
From: Revathy (@ 213.42.2.6) on: Fri May 16 15:49:33 EDT 2003

THANKS A TON Mrs.Mano ! I had been hunting all over for the dried fish recipes; I'll try it soon & give you the feedback. Many thanks once again.
From: Revathy (@ an2.emirates.net.ae) on: Wed May 21 16:57:01 EDT 2003

Hi Mrs.Mano,
Yet another request from me !!
Last week i had these dishes -- pattani (green peas) poriyal & chicken milagu thanni soup in a Chettinad restaurant out here ; the poriyal was semi-dry with slight masala of some sort -- not the peas masala u get with poori etc. The soup had only chicken pieces & curry leaves & literally looked like water but the taste was amazing.
Can you please post these recipes Mrs.Mano? Thanks.
From: Mrs.Mano (@ 202.9.177.12) on: Mon May 26 10:35:01 EDT 2003

Dear Revathy!
I am in India now. I happened to see yr posting today. I will be back to U.A.E next week. Then I will try to clarify yr doubts. Thanks.

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