Onion Pakora

1 cup Gram flour (called besan in India)

1/4 cup rice flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Salt to taste

¼ teaspoon red chilly powder

One large onion chopped fine

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Optional – chopped green pepper (Serrano or Thai or find something milder)

One pinch Asafeotida (called Hing in Indian store)



Dry mix all above in a mixing bowl. Add about half cup water, mix it up. Add more water till we get to a thick mix.



Heat up cooking oil, after it is heated up use a tablespoon and drop the mix one TBSP at a time. Should be able to fry 4-6 TBSps at a time, make sure they don’t stick to one another.

Flip one side to other and fry till golden brown.



Enjoy with a chutney of your choice.

Chenai Puzhuku

Cut vegetables into cubes - following can be used
Mainly Chenai and one Raw Banana,

In a vessel add some water and add a pinch of turmeric powder and some curry leaves
Cook in a pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles. This will depend on your cooker to cook the Chenai

Take about 1 cup grated coconut, one teaspoon of cumin seeds, some green chillies, one red chilly and grind them coarse.

Add the ground mixture to the cooked vegetables, after 2-3 minutes add 1-2 Tablespoon of coconut oil and some more curry leaves.

No other garnishing is required.

Thengai Araicha Kuzhambu

Select either one vegetable or a variety

Single could be - okra (ladies finger) or white pumpkin, along with drumstick

Variety could include a mixture of vegetables -
Drumstick, White pumpkin, etc

Use small quantities of each vegetable and cut them as cubes

In a vessel add some water and cook the vegetables, add a pinch of turmeric powder and some curry leaves

When vegetables are reasonably cooked (dont want to cook too much to make them pasty - al dente should work) add small quantity TAMRIND extract juice. Let it cook together for couple of minutes. Adding the TAMRIND juice at first will make the vegetables tart.

Fry half teaspoon fenugreek seeds, couple of red chillies and add to 1 cup grated coconut and grind them coarse.

Add the ground mixture to the cooked vegetables, and cook for 2-3 minutes till it froths.

Garnish with mustard seeds tempered in oil

VARIATION: Along with fenugreek seeds and red chillies you can also add 1 teaspoon Urad dal and fry, This will give a different taste.

VARIATION: Add a little churned yoghurt - 2-3 Tablespoons after everything is complete and mix it up. Heating with the yoghurt will curdle

Aviyal recipe

This is the recipe from my mother.

Cut vegetables into long one inch pieces - following can be used
Carrot, Drumstick, White pumpkin, Raw Banana, green beans etc

Use small quantities of each vegetable

In a vessel add some water and cook the vegetables, add a pinch of turmeric powder and some curry leaves

When vegetables are reasonably cooked (dont want to cook too much to make them pasty - al dente should work) add small quantity TAMRIND extract juice. Let it cook together for couple of minutes. Adding the TAMRIND juice at first will make the vegetables tart.

Take about 1 cup grated coconut, one teaspoon of cumin seeds, some green chillies, one red chilly and grind them coarse.

Add the ground mixture to the cooked vegetables, after 2-3 minutes add 1-2 Tablespoon of coconut oil and some more curry leaves.

No other garnishing is required.