Paal palagaaram

This is a grandma recipe found in almost all villages of Tamil Nadu. I am sharing what my grandmother, mother and aunts made for me and what I tried....

Ingredients

Idly rice -- 1 cup
( The rough equivalent of an aazhakku or 250 gms)
Urad dal -- 1/8 cup
( I took a fist full of urad dal and put it in the measuring cup and it was roughly 1/8)
Oil -- for deep frying
Milk -- 1/2 liter
Sugar -- 1 cup (I have a sweeeet tooth! Reduce if you want)
Cardamom -- 4-5
Salt -- to taste

Method

1. Soak the rice and dal for 4 hours and grind together like dosa batter. Add salt to taste.
     (Use the grinder not the mixie. It makes a difference.)
2. Boil the milk and almost reduce it. Add sugar and stir till it dissolves.
3. Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Once hot reduce the flame to medium.
4. Pour a ladle of the batter and wait for it to become fluffy and lift up.
    ( It shouldn't change colour -- ie become red.)
5. Drain the excess oil and put it in a bowl of hot water.
6. Take it out immediately and squeeze. This will reduce the oiliness of it.
7. Now add this to the hot milk.
8. Let it soak for 10-15 mins.
9. Garnish with crushed cardamom and serve.


Points to note

1. No need to ferment the batter. You can make it immediately after grinding the batter.
2. Don't over-fry the palagaaram. For this, the oil should be in correct heat. Don't let the oil smoke. And at the same time, don't fry on a low flame. It will take time to fluff up and will become very oily in the process.
3. Fry only 3-4 at a time according to the width of the pan.
4. Don't soak it for more than 15 mins. It will become too soft and will break when you try to take it with a spoon.
5. I would suggest that you transfer it to individual serving cups after 10 mins. Then, you can leave it for any amount of time. But, it is better to eat it warm.
6. Always have some sweetened, warm milk handy. If the dish absorbs milk, by the time you serve, you can add more.


Variation One

1. Grind the batter using little water like the way you grind for bonda.
2. Pluck a little of the dough and put it in the oil and fry it. Don't shape it round. It should be shapeless, like that of pakoda.
3. These small, small palagaarams can be soaked in sweetened, warm milk and served.

Variation Two

1. Use sweetened thengaai paal/coconut milk instead of regular milk.

Chidambaram Gothsu

Ingredients

Brinjal - 3
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Small Onions - 10 (finely chopped)
Tamarind juice - 1 tbsp
Chilly powder - 2 tsp
Dhaniya powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Jaggery - 1 tbsp
Oil
Salt

For Tempering
Mustard
Urad Dal
Bangal Gram
Red Chillies
Curry Leaves

To Grind
Bengal Gram - 1 tsp
Dhaniya/Corriander seeds - 1 tsp
Tuvar Dal - 1 tsp
Red Chillies - 3
Khus Khus/Poppy seeds - 1/2 tsp


Method
1. Dry roast the items for grinding and grind to a coarse powder.
2. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a kadai.
3. Slice brinjals, tomato and onion lengthwise and saute till the brinjals are almost cooked.
4. Cool this mixture and grind to a smooth paste.
5. Heat 1 tbsp oil and add mustard, urad dal, bengal gram, curry leaves and red chillies. Let it splutter.
6. Add finely chopped small onions(big onions are also ok) and saute till transparent.
7. Add the brinjal paste and little water.
8. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder and dhaniya powder. Cook till the raw smell disappears.
9. Add salt, tamarind juice and jaggery. Close and cook on medium heat for 2-3 mins.
10. Add the powder and mix well. Remove from fire.

This is a great accompanient for idly and dosa.
The sweetness of jaggery will give a different taste to it.

Kumbakonam Kadappa

Kadappa is a side dish for Idly. Though it goes well with dosa and chappathi also, the traditional combination is Idly and Kadappa!

Ingredients

Payittham paruppu/Moong dal - 1 cup
Potato - 2
Onion - 1 medium size
Tomato - 1 small size
Green chillies - 2 or 3 nos
Garlic - 6 pods
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Dhaniya powder - 2 tsp
Saunf/Perunjeeragam - 1 tsp
Khus khus/poppy seeds - 1 tsp
Cloves, Cinnamon, Caradamom - 2 each
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves
Oil
Salt

Method

1. Pressure cook the moong dal and mash it well.
2. Boil the potatos, peel them and mash them coarsely, the way you would do for poori masala.
3. Grind coconut, dhaniya powder, saunf and khus khus to a smooth paste.
4. Slice the onions and tomatoes length wise. Finely chop the garlic. Slit the green chillies.
5. Heat oil in a kadai. Add cinnamon, cloves and caradamom and let them splutter. Add curry leaves.
6. Add onions, garlic and green chillies. Saute till onions turn translucent. Add tomatoes and cook till they are soft.
7. Add the coconut paste and required water. Add salt and let it come to a boil.
8. Add the mashed potatoes and the moong dal. Cook on medium heat for 2-3 mins.
9. Remove from stove and add lemon juice. Stir well and serve with hot idlis!!

Intro

Hi Friends,

I've been reading, enjoying, trying out and eating all your blogs!! Now, am starting my own.
I am Swetha and I belong to Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. Right now, am married and living in Bangalore. I would like to share some of the recipes we prepare at home.

Some are traditional ones, some are innovations by my grandma, mom, mother-in-law and by me myself :-)

Hope you all enjoy...