Ingredients:

Green peas – 1 cup

Cooked Potato – 1

Grated Cheese – 1 tsp

Ginger garlic paste – 1/2 tsp

Corn Flour – 2 tsp

Fried gram powder – 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp

Salt and oil – as required

Method:

1. Cook peas and mash it finely.

2. Mash the cooked potato and keep it aside.

3. Take a bowl, add the mashed peas, potato, grated cheese and mix well.

4. Now add ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, corn flour and salt and mix well.

5. Do not add water while mixing.

6. Finally add the powdered fried gram and mix well and make them into small rolls. (like finger)

7. Heat oil and fry the rolls till golden brown.

Ingredients:

Raw Rice – 1 1/2 cups

Urad Dhal – 2 tsp

Toor dhal – 2 tsp

Maida – 1/2 to 3/4 cup

Green chilli – 2 nos

Curry and coriander leaves – little

Salt – to taste

Oil – to fry

Seasoning:

Oil – 2 tsp

Mustard – 1/2 tsp

Urad and channa dhal – 2 tsp

Asafoetida – 2 pinch

Method:

1. Soak rice and dhal in water for 2 hours and get it grinded with chilli, curry and coriander leaves and salt to a fine paste.

2. Now add maida slowly and mix well.

3. Heat oil in a pan and season the batter with the ingredients mentioned in seasoning.

4. The consistency should be like that of the dosa batter.

5. Now heat oil in a tawa, take small amount of this batter and pour one by one into the oil.

6. When you pour, the batter would go to the bottom and as it starts cooking it will come to the top and then you can turn it to the other side and get it cooked.

Karthigai or Karthikai Deepam is the festival of lights in Tamil Nadu and it is observed on the full moon day of the Tamil month Karthigai (November-December) on the Karthigai Nakshatram day.

On this day, temples, homes and streets are decorated with traditional oil lamps. Special pujas and prayers are held at temples.

Karthikai Deepam - Diyas

As a tradition, we prepare some dishes as offering to God on this day.

Some have the habit of preparing pori urundai or puffed rice balls and some have the habit of preparing sweet and savory appams.

Sweet Appam Recipe:

Ingredients:

Raw rice – 1 1/2 cups

Jaggery – 1 1/2 cup

Maida or wheat flour – 1 cup

Cardamom – a pinch

Coconut scrapings – 2 tsp

Oil – to fry

Method:

1. Soak rice for 2 hours and get it grinded along with jaggery and coconut to a fine paste adding little water.

2. Mix maida slowly to this mixture not allowing it to form clumps.

3. The consistency should be like that of the dosa batter.

4. Now heat oil in a tawa, take small amount of this batter and pour one by one into the oil.

5. When you pour, the batter would go to the bottom and as it starts cooking it will come to the top and then you can turn it to the other side and get it cooked.

Sweet Appam

Recipe contributed by Sylvia.

Ingredients:

Fish – 200 gms

Chilli powder – 3 tspn

Coriander powder – 1 tspn

Turmeric powder – ¼ tspn

Fenugreek seeds – ¼ tspn

Coconut Grated – 1 cup

Tamarind – size of 1 grape

Garnishing:

Curry leaves and Coconut Oil – ½ tspn

Method:

1. Soak tamarind in half cup water.

2. Roast chilli powder, coriander powder and fenugreek for 10 sec.

3. Add turmeric powder and coconut. Grind to a smooth paste.

4. Add tamarind water to the ground paste, add salt and bring to boil.

5. Add fish and simmer it till the fish is cooked and the gravy is thick.

6. Garnish with curry leaves and ½ tspn coconut oil.

Ingredients:

Paneer – 2 cups (cut into cubes)

Spinach or palak leaves -10 cups (pasalai keerai)

Finely chopped onion – 3/4 cup

Garlic -4

Ginger – a piece

Green chillies – 2 (finely chopped)

Turmeric powder – a pinch

Tomato puree – 3/4 cup

Garam masala – 1/4 tsp

Oil – 2 tbsp

Salt – to taste

Method:

1. Cook the spinach in a big vessel of boiling water.

2. Drain, wash with cold water and grind it to a fine paste by adding water.

3. Cut the paneer into small pieces and deep fry in hot oil until golden brown.

4. Remove and drain on absorbent paper. Keep aside.

5. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions till they turn pinkish.

6. Add the garlic, ginger, green chillies and turmeric powder and fry again for a little time.

7. Add the tomato puree and keep stirring continuously till the mixture leaves oil.

8. Add the grinded spinach, paneer, garam masala, and salt. Add 1 cup of water and bring to boil.

Serve hot.

Palak Paneer