Kothamalli Thayir Pachadi / Coriander Pachadi

Ingredients:

1.       Coriander Leaves: 2 Handful

2.       Coconut: 1/4 cup (grated)

3.       Green Chilly: 1/2

4.       Mustard: 1 tsp

5.       Red chilly: Small one -1

6.       Oil: 1 tsp

7.       Curd: 2 ladles

8.       Salt

Preparation Procedure:

1.       Grind the coriander, coconut and green chilly in the form of a paste.

2.       Add salt to this paste.

3.       Season the same with mustard and red chilli.

4.        Add curd to this mix and serve

Thaengai Pachadi / Coconut Pachadi

This is nothing but coconut curd pachadi / coconut raitha.

Ingredients:

1.       Coconut: 1 cup (grated)

2.       Green Chilly: 1 (Medium sized)

3.       Mustard: 1 tsp

4.       Red chilly: Small one -1

5.       Curry leaves and coriander leaves: few

6.       Oil: 1 tsp

7.       Curd: 2 ladles

8.       Salt

Preparation Procedure:

1.       Grind the coconut and green chilly in a mixer very well in the form of a paste and transfer it to a vessel.

2.       Add salt to this paste.

3.       Season the same with mustard and red chilli.

4.       Add curd and garnish with curry and coriander leaves.

Velrikkai Thayir Pachadi

Ingredients:

1.       Cucumber : 2 (cut in to very small pieces)

2.       Red chillies: 4

3.       Mustard: 1 tsp

4.       Oil: 1 tsp

5.       Salt

6.       Coriander leaves: few

7.       Curd: 2 ladles

Preparation Procedure:

1.       Take the cut cucumber in a vessel and add salt to the same and leave this aside for 15 minutes. The cucumber tends to become watery when salt is added. Filter out the water from the vessel.

2.       In a kadai, season mustard and Red chillies and add this to the salted cucumber.

3.       Add coriander leaves cut in to very fine pieces

4.       Add Curd at the end. Otherwise, the raitha / pachadi will tend to become watery.

5.       Best would be to add curd before serving.. Usually, it is a good idea to prepare the raitha / pachadi at the end of the menu just before serving so that it remains as fresh as possible and tastes good.

Carrot Thayir Pachadi

This is a very famous Pandigai Samayal recipe and is prepared for most of the nombu / poojai.

Ingredients:

1.       Carrot: 2 (Grated)

2.       Green chillies: 1 Big / 2 small (chopped in to small pieces)

3.       Mustard: 1 tsp

4.       Oil: 1 tsp

5.       Salt

6.       Coriander leaves: few

7.       Curd: 2 ladles

Preparation Procedure:

1.       Take the grated carrot in a vessel and add salt to the same.

2.       In a kadai, season mustard and green chillies and add this to the grated carrot with salt.

3.       Add coriander leaves cut in to very fine pieces

4.       Add Curd at the end. Otherwise, the raitha / pachadi will tend to become watery.

Best would be to add curd before serving..

Daangar Pachadi / Orid flour Pachadi

Popularity: This is a very famous Iyer recipe and is often referred to as  Dangar Pachadi / Dangar ma pachadi.

Ingredients:

1. Orid dal flour: 2 tbsps
2. Jeera: 1 tsp
3. Mustard: 1 tsp
4. Green Chilly: 1 (Medium sized) – Cut in to small pieces
5. Thick Curd: 2 ladles
6. Salt
7. Oil: 1 tsp

Preparation Procedure:

1. Roast the orid dal flour in a dry kadai for a minute or two keeping the stove in sim
2. Transfer the slightly roasted flour to a vessel and add salt
3. Season this flour salt mixture with mustard, jeera and cut green chillies
4. Add curd and serve the pachadi.

You may choose to decorate this with a few coriander leaves..

Simple, easy to make raitha is ready for your meal J

Pachadi Types

Pachadi is south Indian term for Raitha. This is usually an excellent accompaniment to any meals. Again, this comes in a variety. Have listed some of the Pachadi types that is commonly served:

1.       Daangar Pachadi (Orid dal flour Raitha)

2.       Carrot Thayir Pachadi (Carrot Curd Raitha)

3.       Velrikkai Thayir pachadi (Cucumber Raitha)

4.       Thaengai Pachadi (Coconut Raitha)

5.       Kothamalli pachadi (Coriander Raitha)

6.       Mangai Pachadi (Mango Raitha)

7.       Veppampoo Pachadi (Neem flower Raitha)

8.       Vlambazha Pachadi

9.       Onion Raitha / Vengaya Thayir Pachadi

10.     Vendaikkai Thayir Pachadi / Ladys finger Raitha

11.     Pudalangai Thayir Pachadi / Snake Gourd Raitha

Badam Kheer

Very nutritious and healthy recipe and easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

1.       Almonds: 250 gms

2.       Boiled Milk: 800 ml

3.       Sugar: 120 to 150 gms (1/2 Azhakku)

4.       Cardamom powder (elakkai)

5.       Water

6.       Badam essence: 1 drop or two

7.       Saffron (a pinch)

Preparation Procedure:

1.       Soak the Almonds in water for 2 hours and peel the skin and keep it aside.

2.       Grind the soaked almonds very nicely in the form of a paste

3.       In hot boiling milk, add this grinded paste along with sugar and a drop or two of badam essence and saffron and keep stirring very well in sim for ten to fifteen minutes.

4.       Switch off the stove and add a pinch of cardamom powder.

You can serve this hot or keep this refrigerated and serve it chill..

Vazhappoo Vadai

The Procedure is same as that of Aama Vadai by including Vazhappoo (Banana flower) to this vadai.

Refer to the Aama vadai procedure and include 400 gms of vazhappoo (peeled Banana flower) at step 4. If you want the Vadai to be crispy, include uncooked vazhappoo or else you may choose to cook vazhappoo for just 5 minutes by steaming it with little water in a kadai and adding little salt.

You may need to add very little bit extra salt than that of aama vadai since you are adding vazhappoo also to the vadai.

Aama Vadai

Popularity: This vadai is usually called as Aama vadai by the iyers and iyengars because of the resemblance of the outer appearance of the vadai which is as thick and resembles the shell of the tortoise!! Since this vadai is made of paruppu, it is also referred to as Paruppu Vadai / Muparuppu Vadai (meaning that all three types of dal are used for this). Also referred to as Masal Vadai.

There is no thulai (hole) made for this type of vadai.

Ingredients:

1.       Toor Dal: ¾ Ahakku (150 gms)

2.       Gram dal: 40 gms

3.       Orid dal: 15 gms

4.       Green chillies: 3

5.       Red chillies: 2 (Normal sized)

6.       Salt

7.       Asafoedita

8.       Water

9.       Oil

10.   Curry Leaves and coriander leaves

11.   A pinch of turmeric powder

Preparation Procedure:

1.       Soak all the dal together in water for one hour. Take a side 1 tbsp of gram dal alone and soak it separately.

2.       After an hour, filter out the water and grind the dal along with green chillies, red chillies, salt, asafoedita and turmeric powder by adding no water..

3.       Grind it for only few seconds and not very nicely.

4.       Take the semi grinded maavu and mix this with curry leaves and coriander leaves. Add the separately soaked 1 tbsp gram dal to this maavu after filtering out the water.

5.       Make small vadais by your hand and fry it in a kadai of oil once the oil is heated.

6.       Fry it both the sides till golden yellowish brown colour.

This vadai would be very crispy and usually children’s favourite…

Poojai and Rituals where Aama vadai is made include:

1.       Bhogi Pandigai

2.       Avani Avittam

Ulunthu Vadai

Also referred to as Ulutham Vadai / Orid dal Vadai, this vadai is made out of orid dal.

Iyers make this vadai with a thulai (hole) in the middle like all other communities. However, Iyengars make this vadai with no thulai (hole) when serving for any auspicious occasions.

Ingredients:

1.       Orid dal (White Ulundhu): 1 Azhakku (say 200 gms)

2.       Green Chillies: 3 or 4

3.       Ginger: A pinch

4.       Salt

5.       Asafoedita: A pinch

6.       Grated Carrot: A handful

7.       Curry Leaves: around 10

8.       Rice flour: 1 tbsp

9.       Water

10.   Oil

Preparation Procedure:

1.       Soak the Orid dal in water for one hour

2.       After an hour, filter out the water and grind the soaked orid dal along with green chillies, ginger, salt, asafoedita and very little water to a form such that you are able to make the vadai (i.e the mix should neither be too solid or too watery)

3.       Mix the grinded vada maavu with grated carrot, curry leaves, rice flour well with your hand.

4.       In a kadai, keep oil depending on the quantity of vadai maavu.

5.       Heat the oil and once the oil is heated, start making the vadai with your hand and put it in the oil. Allow it to fry one side and then tilt the vadai the other side so that both the sides are fried golden brown and are even.

Take the vadai and serve it hot.. you can put it in a hot case if you are using it as Neivedhyam for some Poojas

Tips: Make the vadais small so that they easily are cooked..

Usually this vadai is made for the following festivals / poojais

1.       April – Tamizh Chithirai Varusha Pirappu (Tamil New Year)

2.       Varalakshmi Nonbu

3.       Gokulashtami & Sri Jayanthi

4.       Pillayar Chathurthi

5.       Saraswathi Poojai

6.       Karthigai

7.       Pongal / Sankaranthi