***Samayal kuripugal***


  1. Use of Residue after making ghee 
When making ghee from butter – do not throw away the residue after straining the ghee. Add 2cups of water to the residue. Boil for a few minutes. Strain it. Use this rich water for mixing your rotis or for your gravies. Furthermore, the vessel used can be cleaned more easily.
To Prevent Milk From Spoiling
In summer to prevent milk from spoiling, boil once more in the evening, change the vessel, let it get cold , cover and keep in fridge. If there are signs of spoiling – mix 1/4 tsp of soda with little milk and mix into the milk before boiling . It prevents Spoilage. If it does spoil make paneer.
To Make Sprouts ( Payir Mulai kattuthal) 
To make sprouts – take whole green gram, soak overnight in water. Next morning wash well, drain off all water and keep covered in a vessel. Sprinkle a little water in the night, cover again and keep overnight. Next morning , long sprouts would have grown. If you want longer sprouts – repeat procedure for one more day. Otherwise, wash well, remove skin which will float on top of the water and use fresh for salads or spring rolls.
 How to get Tandoori Color 
Tandoori colouring is 2 drops of red colouring and 3 drops of yellow food colouring – mix and brush over paneer,chicken etc to get tandoori orange colouring.
For Faster Fermentation  
Fermenting in cold weather is slow, so it is advisable to use an insulated box to help fermentation. An electric lamp kept inside the box can help fasten fermentation. Covering the vessel of batter of curds with a blanket also helps.What is Baking Powder /
Substitution for baking powder  
Baking powder is 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1 1/4 cream of tartar.
Easy Peeling of Tomato
To peel tomatoes – cut across with a sharp knife on the eye of the tomatoes, pour boiling water to cover tomatoes, cover with a lid and keep for 5 – 10 minutes.The skin of the tomatoes peel off easily when you pull it
How to make Curd Faster
To make curds in a hurry – take warm milk and put a tsp of curd culture and a whole green raw chilli with stalk in it. Cover and keep aside in a warm place. In 2 hours time , you have thick, tasty curds.What is Kasoothi methi
Kasoothi methi is dried methi leaves – it is available in almost all indian stores . If put in curries, gives an unique flavour of its own.
Moor Milagai / Curd Milagai
Dried curds chilli is green chillies, which have been soaked in curds with salt and dried in the sun for a few days.They can be bought at all south indian stores.
How to make Koya
To make khoa – Boil 1 – 1 1/2 litres of milk till very thick stirring all the time. Stir till the mass of milk becomes absolutely dry. Collect and keep in freezer.
How to make good amount of Cardamom Powder

 To make a good amount of cardamom powder without having the headache of peeling each cardamom, take a good amount of cardamoms with skin intact. Roast in a dry kadai for a few minutes. When cold, powder with the skin into a fine powder in the mixie. Store it in a jar. Quite economic to use.
How to make Bread Crumbs  
Make bread crumbs by toasting bread either in the oven or letting it dry out on its own . Powder in mixie and bottle it.How to make Paneer Spongy and soft
 To make paneer spongy and soft – for paneer makkani, paneer tikka etc, shallow fry the whole slab of paneer in ghee on both sides – till golden in color. Remove from ghee and cut into cubes and put into warm water which has a little salt, turmeric and mejuice in it.The paneer can be kept in the fridge, in the water for a day. Just strain it and add to any dish. Remains very soft.
Tips for cutting Jack fruit
 To cut raw jack fruit – generously apply oil on hands, knife and cutting board. Cut off the skin with the thorns and also the pit in the center. The fleshy part is used for the biryani – cut into cubes and drop it in water – as it discolours fast. Wash well and use it. Again after cutting -smear oil on hand, board, knife etc. and scrub with soap to clean everything.Tips for making Biscuit Powder
To make biscuit powder (also for bread crumbs) put the biscuits into a plastic bag – put this bag into another plastic bag.Holding the mouth of thesecond plastic bag closed with the hand – pound with a pestle till all biscuits are powdered
 How to Make Paneer
 To make paneer – When milk is boiling add lime juice, curds or citric acid. Enough to set the milk curdling. When milk curdles completely – strain in a muslin cloth, tie it and let the cloth with the paneer hang from the kitchen tap. Let all the water drain off for 5 minutes. Remove cloth from a tap and keep under a weight – for the paneer to flatten and for all the water to drain off.Keep for 1/2 hour. Remove paneer from cloth and freeze it.
To test if Cake is done or not
 To test if a cake is done – insert a knitting needle into the baked cake – if it comes out clean – the cake is done.The same holds for dhoklas.
To get rid of Flies  or Mosquitos 
If you do not want to see flies or mosquitos in the house , put some salt in the water while cleaning the hard floor.
How to prevent Camphor from melting
 If you put few pepper corn in camphor box it will not melt soon.
How to clean Glassware
You have to clean glassware with salt water first and then with clean water to make them spotless

How to keep nuts  fresh for longer time
Cooking Tips : If you put few cloves in the nuts(cashew,badam) jar they will stay fresh for longer time.

To get rid of bad smell from Spoons,Plates etc
Cooking Tips : If you want to get rid of the stingy smell from spoons, plates,pans etc then add some Cooking soda to the cleaning water.
Vegetable cooking tips
Cooking Tips : You should not keep the lid if you are boiling vegetables like plantain, brijal, bottle gourd, pumpkin, cucumber, okra, ridge gourd, tindoora
Frying tips
Cooking Tips : When making puris or vadas add little salt to the oil so that they would not absorb too much of oil
 How to get Fluffy Puris/ flyffy poori’s
Cooking Tips : Add sooji and rice flour to puri dough to get Fluffy puris.
Tips while making Birayani
Cooking Tips : While making biryani if you put some lime juice and milk ,rice will not stick.
How to get Original tase from dries LadoosCooking Tips : If laddoos become dry , mash and mix them with milk and make small balls again to get the original taste.
How to make big and thick Omlette 
Cooking Tips : To make a big and thick omlette add a tsp of maida to egg and mix it well
Cooker Gasket Tips
Tips:If Cooker gasket becomes loose put it in the freezer for sometime
 How to keep corriander leaves fresh for long time
Cooking Tips : Instead of keeping Coriander leaves in plastic bag if u put it in paper bag it will last long
How to retain vitamins while cooking leafy vegetables
Cooking Tips :While boiling leafy vegetables put some sugar in it to retain the vitamins.
To get rid of ants Cooking Tips :
If you see black ants in ur kitchen or some other place sprinkle some salt to get rid of them.
Instant Butter Milk
Cooking Tips : To make instant buttermilk add some lime juice and salt to the milk.
To avid tears while cutting onions Cooking Tips : To avoid tears while cutting onions put them in water for 30mins before cutting.
 To control pests
Cooking Tips : To control pests in rice and dals add few red chillies to it.
How to get rid of bad smell from hands after washing fish
Cooking Tips : After cleaning the fish wash your hands with sour butter milk to get rid of the smell.
To remove ink from  clothes
 Cooking Tips : To remove the ink marks from clothes, rub them with tooth paste and keep them aside for some time and wash with detergent.
 Recipe from left over Rice
Cooking Tips : Mix wheat flour, salt, chilli powder and onion with the leftover rice and flatten them with your hand and deep fry them. Tasty snack is ready.
Variation of left over Rasam

Cooking Tips : To the leftover rasam add a teaspoon of gram flour to get a different taste.
To Cook meat faster Tips: To make the meat cook faster, add a mango leaf to the meat.
To keep Coconut Fresh
Cooking Tips : If you want to keep the coconut fresh then put it in salt water and keep changing the water every 2 days.
 
To get rid of Cabbage smell.
Cooking Tips : If you dont like the smell of cabbage, just put a piece of bread while cooking. It will absorb all the smell

2.Suyan:
wheat. My grandma use to make different types of vada,Pakoda’s etc.This is one among them. This is my hubbys and now my daughters favourite too. No complicated ingredients. Mixture will be ready inminute . This is simplest sweet I have ever seen in my life. I am not includind semi home made items .  This can be taken  as Evening snack.
Suyan
Ingredients
  1. Wheat flour – 1 cup
  2. Sugar – as needed
  3. Pinch of soda salt(sodium bicarbonate)
  4. Oil for frying
  5. if big banana then 1/4 banana

Preparation
  1. Take wheat flour in bowl to it soda salt, mashed banana,and then sugar.
  2. Add water (batte consistency should be like idli batter) and mix well. Just taste and add sugar accordingly.
  3. Heat the oil in Kadai and Using spoon take the batter and pour on oil. It will puff . Deep fry  and then take
3.

Beetroot rice

Just to share with you……
Every body knows how to make beetroot poriyal. I made a slight variation on my own to this poriyal and made this dish.Beetroot Rice is one of the few vegetables which give the rice colr, flavor and subtle sweetness. I hate to peel out,grate or cut the  beetroot  because of the stain caused by it.  So I don’t cook it often but oneday somewhere I read that all food s (both vegetables and fruits) which are purple in color are very good for health.  So, Istarted cooking this veggie often. You can say as beetroot pulav also.
Beetroot rice
beetrootrice

Ingredient
  1. cooked rice – 2 cups (Basmathi is good. All the grains should seperate)
  2. beetroot    – 1 cup ( grated or chopped finely)
  3. frozen peas – 1/2 cup (optional)
  4. onion -1 (small size chopped)
  5. tomato -1 (small size chopped)
  6. mustard – 1/4 tsp
  7. curry leaves
  8. oil – 2 tsp
For paste
  1. garlic pod -1 (1 piece)
  2. ginger – tablet size  (you can substitue ginger and garlic with 1/2 tsp of paste)
  3. coconut – 2 tsp
  4. green chilli – 2
  5. corriander and mintleaves – 2 tsp each
Preparation
  1. Heat little oil in the pan. Add mustard and let it splutter then add curry leaves.
  2. Add chopped onion and tomato anfd fry well.
  3. Add the grinded paste and fry well till the gingergarlic raw smell goes away.
  4. Add the peas, beetroot (grate if for kids or cut for adults)grated or chopped finely and fry well.
  5. To this add little salt just enough for the vegetable.
  6. Add little water (we need dry curry at the end) or sprinkle at regular interval and cook the vegetable.
  7. Once it is done add the cooked rice  sprinkle the needed salt and mix well so that everything gets blended well

4.

Vadakari

Just to share with you…….
This is one of famous recipes in Tamil cuisine, which  I learnt after coming to US.  Chennai people will say about vadakari a lot .  I my place or my hubby’s place we have never heard about this recipe.  Though I heard this name in chennai I have never tried it there.  Two years back only I learnt this recipe from one of my friends Virshali . This goes well with Idli’s and Dosa’s . People used to say ,In hotels vadakari’s are made with left over vada , bajji like varieties what ever it is let us cook fresh vadakari. It comes little bit closer to parupu usali.
Vadakari
vadakari
Ingredients
  1. Channa dhal                   – 1 cup
  2. sombu                            - 1/2 tsp
  3. Onion                              - 1  big
  4. Tomato                           -  1 (big size)
  5. Green chillies                   -  2
  6. Turmeric powder            - 1/2tsp
  7. Chilli powder                   – 2tsp (  depends on your spicy level)
  8. Garam masala                  - 1tsp
  9. Curry leaves                    -  little
  10. Ginger/ Garlic paste        - 1tsp
  11. Cloves                               – 4
  12. Cinnamon                        -1 small piece
  13. Bay leaves                       – 1 big
  14. Cumin seed                     – 1/2 tsp
  15. Salt                                  - As per Taste

Preparation
  1. soak the channa dal for 1 hr and then  grind soaked channa dhal with sombu and  little salt  coarsely. Care should be taken so that it should not be fine paste.
  2. Make vadas (shapes is not a problem) and fry this misture in oil . Don’t fry till it is crisp. If vada is cooked take out from oil.
  3. Cool the vadas and when it is cool, scramble the vada into small pieces and keep aside.
  4. Now in a pan, pour little oil. Splutter Cumin seeds,  , cinnamon, cloves, bayleavesand curry leaves.
  5. Fry  chopped onions . Fry well then add the ginger-garlic paste and fry that well till raw smell goes away.
  6. Add finely chopped tomato, and slited chillies along with above ingredients.
  7. Add turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala, salt to the mixture.
  8. Add 1/2 cup of water, and cook for some time until a thokku consistency is got. (don’t add too much water it will spoil the taste)
  9. Finely add the  scrambled vadas in the gravy.
  10. Mix gently, keep on low flame forfew mins.
  11. Garnish with corriander leaves .
Tips
For those who want to cut down the oil just pour the grinded channa dal mixure in the idli mould . Steam cook and the scramble it and keep aside so that you can add this to the gravy at the end
5.

Poondu Kolumbu

Just to share with you…..
I know some of us don’t like poodu because of its smell but I am a very great fan of garlic. My favourite picke is garlic pickle. I intake poondu in terms of pickle,chutney,gravy,poondu sadam etc.  Since my hubby don’t like poondu I stopped cooking it often. Rarely I used to cook for my self. I can say I have forgotten few recipes since I have not cooking all those. But Recently I have made this curry two times . He liked it a lot. Though he didn’t eat garlic in the curry but he is now a great fan of that curry. Hope people who don’t like garlic also loves this curry. I have heard people saying garlic as poodu,poondu, velanga poodu etc . There might be lot more names also.
Poondu kolumbu
poondukolumbu
Ingredients:
  1. Garlic pods (peeled) – 1 cup
  2. Gingily oil – 2 tsp
  3. Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  4. Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
  5. Asafoetida powder/Perunkayam – a pinch
  6. Curry leaves – a strand
  7. Tamarind  – small lemon size
  8. Salt – as required
Dry roast and grind the following into fine paste
  1. Black peppercorns – 1 tsp
  2. Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
  3. Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
  4. channa dal – 1tsp>
  5. Toor dal – 1 tsp>
  6. Urad dal - 1/2  tsp
  7. Red chillies – 3
Preparation


  1. Mean time ,extract tamarind juice by adding 2 cups of water to the tamarind.


  2. When the garlic turns light brown, add the tamarind juice and bring it to  boil.


  3. While it’s boiling, add the asafoetida powder, turmeric powder and salt. This should be in stove for atleast 5 mins.


  4. After a couple of minutes add the grinded paste and mix well.


  5. Allow the content to boil for atleast 10minutes at low heat. The content will start thickening.


  6. Finally turn of the heat and add the remaining half tablespoon of gingily oil for an extra flavor.


  7. Garnish with corriander leaves if you want. Got well with hot rice.
Tips
If you have added more water and the gravy is not thickening then in that case you can add a tablespoon of besan flour /kadala mava and whisk it in half cup water and pour it in the gravy and stir well. This will thicken the gravy in no time. For any type of gravy you can use this as a thickening agent.



kids recipe








Use of Residue after making ghee When making ghee from butter – do not throw away the residue after straining the ghee. Add 2cups of water to the residue. Boil for a few minutes. Strain it. Use this rich water for mixing your rotis or for your gravies. Furthermore, the vessel used can be cleaned more easily.
To Prevent Milk From Spoiling
In summer to prevent milk from spoiling, boil once more in the evening, change the vessel, let it get cold , cover and keep in fridge. If there are signs of spoiling – mix 1/4 tsp of soda with little milk and mix into the milk before boiling . It prevents Spoilage. If it does spoil make paneer.
To Make Sprouts ( Payir Mulai kattuthal) 
To make sprouts – take whole green gram, soak overnight in water. Next morning wash well, drain off all water and keep covered in a vessel. Sprinkle a little water in the night, cover again and keep overnight. Next morning , long sprouts would have grown. If you want longer sprouts – repeat procedure for one more day. Otherwise, wash well, remove skin which will float on top of the water and use fresh for salads or spring rolls.
 How to get Tandoori Color 
Tandoori colouring is 2 drops of red colouring and 3 drops of yellow food colouring – mix and brush over paneer,chicken etc to get tandoori orange colouring.
For Faster Fermentation  
Fermenting in cold weather is slow, so it is advisable to use an insulated box to help fermentation. An electric lamp kept inside the box can help fasten fermentation. Covering the vessel of batter of curds with a blanket also helps.What is Baking Powder /
Substitution for baking powder  
Baking powder is 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1 1/4 cream of tartar.
Easy Peeling of Tomato
To peel tomatoes – cut across with a sharp knife on the eye of the tomatoes, pour boiling water to cover tomatoes, cover with a lid and keep for 5 – 10 minutes.The skin of the tomatoes peel off easily when you pull it

How to make Curd Faster
To make curds in a hurry – take warm milk and put a tsp of curd culture and a whole green raw chilli with stalk in it. Cover and keep aside in a warm place. In 2 hours time , you have thick, tasty curds.What is Kasoothi methi
Kasoothi methi is dried methi leaves – it is available in almost all indian stores . If put in curries, gives an unique flavour of its own.
Moor Milagai / Curd Milagai
Dried curds chilli is green chillies, which have been soaked in curds with salt and dried in the sun for a few days.They can be bought at all south indian stores.
How to make Koya
To make khoa – Boil 1 – 1 1/2 litres of milk till very thick stirring all the time. Stir till the mass of milk becomes absolutely dry. Collect and keep in freezer.
How to make good amount of Cardamom Powder
 To make a good amount of cardamom powder without having the headache of peeling each cardamom, take a good amount of cardamoms with skin intact. Roast in a dry kadai for a few minutes. When cold, powder with the skin into a fine powder in the mixie. Store it in a jar. Quite economic to use.
How to make Bread Crumbs  
Make bread crumbs by toasting bread either in the oven or letting it dry out on its own . Powder in mixie and bottle it.

How to make Paneer Spongy and soft
 To make paneer spongy and soft – for paneer makkani, paneer tikka etc, shallow fry the whole slab of paneer in ghee on both sides – till golden in color. Remove from ghee and cut into cubes and put into warm water which has a little salt, turmeric and mejuice in it.The paneer can be kept in the fridge, in the water for a day. Just strain it and add to any dish. Remains very soft.
Tips for cutting Jack fruit
 To cut raw jack fruit – generously apply oil on hands, knife and cutting board. Cut off the skin with the thorns and also the pit in the center. The fleshy part is used for the biryani – cut into cubes and drop it in water – as it discolours fast. Wash well and use it. Again after cutting -smear oil on hand, board, knife etc. and scrub with soap to clean everything.
Tips for making Biscuit Powder
To make biscuit powder (also for bread crumbs) put the biscuits into a plastic bag – put this bag into another plastic bag.Holding the mouth of thesecond plastic bag closed with the hand – pound with a pestle till all biscuits are powdered
 How to Make Paneer
 To make paneer – When milk is boiling add lime juice, curds or citric acid. Enough to set the milk curdling. When milk curdles completely – strain in a muslin cloth, tie it and let the cloth with the paneer hang from the kitchen tap. Let all the water drain off for 5 minutes. Remove cloth from a tap and keep under a weight – for the paneer to flatten and for all the water to drain off.Keep for 1/2 hour. Remove paneer from cloth and freeze it.
To test if Cake is done or not
 To test if a cake is done – insert a knitting needle into the baked cake – if it comes out clean – the cake is done.The same holds for dhoklas.
To get rid of Flies  or Mosquitos 
If you do not want to see flies or mosquitos in the house , put some salt in the water while cleaning the hard floor.
How to prevent Camphor from melting
 If you put few pepper corn in camphor box it will not melt soon.
How to clean Glassware
You have to clean glassware with salt water first and then with clean water to make them spotless

How to keep nuts  fresh for longer time
Cooking Tips : If you put few cloves in the nuts(cashew,badam) jar they will stay fresh for longer time.

To get rid of bad smell from Spoons,Plates etc
Cooking Tips : If you want to get rid of the stingy smell from spoons, plates,pans etc then add some Cooking soda to the cleaning water.
Vegetable cooking tips
Cooking Tips : You should not keep the lid if you are boiling vegetables like plantain, brijal, bottle gourd, pumpkin, cucumber, okra, ridge gourd, tindoora
Frying tips
Cooking Tips : When making puris or vadas add little salt to the oil so that they would not absorb too much of oil
 How to get Fluffy Puris/ flyffy poori’s
Cooking Tips : Add sooji and rice flour to puri dough to get Fluffy puris.
Tips while making Birayani
Cooking Tips : While making biryani if you put some lime juice and milk ,rice will not stick.
How to get Original tase from dries LadoosCooking Tips : If laddoos become dry , mash and mix them with milk and make small balls again to get the original taste.
How to make big and thick Omlette 
Cooking Tips : To make a big and thick omlette add a tsp of maida to egg and mix it well
Cooker Gasket Tips
Tips:If Cooker gasket becomes loose put it in the freezer for sometime
 How to keep corriander leaves fresh for long time
Cooking Tips : Instead of keeping Coriander leaves in plastic bag if u put it in paper bag it will last long
How to retain vitamins while cooking leafy vegetables
Cooking Tips :While boiling leafy vegetables put some sugar in it to retain the vitamins.
To get rid of ants Cooking Tips :
If you see black ants in ur kitchen or some other place sprinkle some salt to get rid of them.
Instant Butter Milk
Cooking Tips : To make instant buttermilk add some lime juice and salt to the milk.
To avid tears while cutting onions Cooking Tips : To avoid tears while cutting onions put them in water for 30mins before cutting.
 To control pests
Cooking Tips : To control pests in rice and dals add few red chillies to it.
How to get rid of bad smell from hands after washing fish
Cooking Tips : After cleaning the fish wash your hands with sour butter milk to get rid of the smell.
To remove ink from  clothes
 Cooking Tips : To remove the ink marks from clothes, rub them with tooth paste and keep them aside for some time and wash with detergent.
 Recipe from left over Rice
Cooking Tips : Mix wheat flour, salt, chilli powder and onion with the leftover rice and flatten them with your hand and deep fry them. Tasty snack is ready.
Variation of left over Rasam
Cooking Tips : To the leftover rasam add a teaspoon of gram flour to get a different taste.
To Cook meat faster Tips: To make the meat cook faster, add a mango leaf to the meat.
To keep Coconut Fresh
Cooking Tips : If you want to keep the coconut fresh then put it in salt water and keep changing the water every 2 days.
 
To get rid of Cabbage smell.
Cooking Tips : If you dont like the smell of cabbage, just put a piece of bread while cooking. It will absorb all the smell