Kuzha Puttu

Ingredients:

2 cups Rice flour

1tbsp Chana dal

1 1/2 cups Coconut (grated)

1/2 cup Water

Salt

Also required:

Puttu maker

Pressure cooker

How to:

• Heat a skillet and dry roast the rice flour at medium heat for few mins.
• In a bowl mix the roasted flour and salt together. Also mix 3/4 cup of grated coconut to the flour.

• Sprinkle water over the flour mixture and mix well. Now, try holding in your fist and make sure it doesn't break off.(perfect mixture)

• Mean while, microwave the chana dal for 3 mins with enough water.
• Drain the water, mix it up with the flour mixture and let it rest for 20 mins with lid closed.

• Now, fill a single layer coconut at the bottom of the puttu maker, followed by a fistful of flour mixture. Repeat this alternatively with the top layer as coconut and close the lid.

• Heat water in a pressure cooker and when it starts steaming, place the puttu maker in the place of the whistle.

• Cook until steam comes out of the puttu maker. This should take around 4-5 mins.
• Remove the puttu maker from the cooker, open the lid and push it out from the bottom with a stick.

Serve hot with kadalai curry or banana and sugar.

Eggplant roast

Ingredients:

1 Eggplant

3tbsp Chilli powder

3/4tsp Turmeric powder

1 1/2tsp Rice flour

1tsp Salt

Oil

How to:

• Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch circular or semi-circular pieces.
• Mix the chilli powder, turmeric powder, rice flour and salt and prepare a dry masala.

• Now coat the dry masala on both the sides of eggplant and marinate for 5-10 mins.

• In a skillet, drizzle oil to coat the pan, when the oil is hot, place the marinated eggplant and roast it in a medium flame.

• Cook for 4 mins, then, flip it over and cook for another 4 mins, until the sides starts to blacken.

Remove from pan and serve hot with dal rice.

Sending this dish to Akheela's Torview for the event Food Palette Series ORANGE.

Murukku

Ingredients:

4 cups Rice flour

1 cup Urad dal

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tsp Black sesame seeds

3/4tsp Ajwain seeds

1 1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Asafoetida

Water, for kneading

oil

Murukku maker

Moulds

How to:

• Dry roast the urad dal in a low flame, grind it to a fine powder, sieve and keep it aside. (You can also use urad flour and slow roast it.)

• Mix the rice flour, urad flour, salt, ajwain seeds, sesame seeds, asafoetida and butter (at room temp).

More butter=Broken murukku & Less butter= Hard murukku

• Now, slowly add the water till you get a soft dough and not sticky.

• Dip a clean cloth in water, squeeze it and cover the dough, as to keep the dough from drying.

• Pick a mould design and place it at the bottom of the murukku maker.

• Now stuff small amount of dough in the murukku maker, close it and start rotating the handle and move your hands in circular manner.

• Make the shape on a big flat spoon or spatula and just slide it into the hot oil at medium-high heat and deep fry'em.

• Remove the murukkus before it starts browning.

Crunchy n Munchy!

Sending this dish to the event 'Tea time snack', hosted by Sharmi.