Sakkara I Pongal

 Sakkarai Pongal 

Even though the name suggests sakkarai meaning sugar this dish is prepared using jaggery. 

This dish is a must for the festival Shankranthi which is known as Pongal in Tamil Nadu 

Ingredients:

1. Raw Rice : 1 cup 

2. Moong Dal : 1/8th. Cup (half of 1/4th cup) additionally 1 table spoon of Channa dal can be added. This  is optional 

3. Jaggery : 1and 1/2 cup 

4. Ghee :  4 to 6 table spoons 

5. Milk  : 1 cup 

6. Cardamom  6 to 8

7. Nutmeg : little

8. Cashews: 10 to 15

9 . Dried grapes (kismis) :  about 20. 

Method:

Roast Moong dal ( with little ghee) in a kadai ( add the channa dal if using)  

Once it turns light golden switch off stove add the rice and turn it well 

Clean the rice and dal and pressure cook it with 1 cup of milk and 2 and 1/2 cup water ( total 1: 3and 1/2)

Once cool remove from pressure cooker add little ghee and with a thick spoon make the cooked rice mushy.

Take a hard bottomed vessel add the jaggery (powder it and add) and a little water.  Once it starts boiling filter it for any impurities . Keep the filtered liquid jaggery on stove and add the mushy rice and add the remaining ghee. Do this in a low flame and let the jaggery and rice mix well. Keep mixing it with spoon

In a separate kadai roast the cashews in ghee till light golden color.  Switch off stove and add the dried grapes. Mix it well and keep it separate.

In the same kadai roast the nutmeg ( very small quantity) in ghee and powder it and keep it separate.

Powder the cardamom after removing skin.

Once the mixture of cooked rice and jaggery starts boiling ( slow fire) and is in a homogeneous Pongal consistency , add the cashew and dried grapes and also the nutmeg powder and  cardamom powder.

Sakkarai Pongal is ready 

Serve it hot. 

Ven pongal

 Ven pongal

This is a breakfast dish very commonly prepared in Tamil Nadu 

Ingredients:

1. Raw Rice : 1cup

2. Moong dal : 1/8 th cup ( half of quarter cup) 

3. Black Pepper :  1 t spoon

4. Jeera/Cumin seeds :  1 t spoon

5. Ginger : one small bit (approximately 1” cube) 

6. Curry leaves : little

7. Ghee :  3 to 4 table spoons 

8. Cashew : about 10 or more 

9. Salt to taste 

 Method:

Finely chop ginger into small pieces after removing the skin.

Coarsely powder the pepper in a stone mortar and pestle.

Roast Moong dal in little ghee for few minutes in hot Kadai. 

Switch off stove  

Add rice and turn it for few minutes along with the moong dal in hot kadai 

Wash the rice and moong dal. add water I : 3 and  half  proportion  and pressure cook it by giving 3 or 4 whistles 

Once cool take out from pressure cooker add salt and little ghee and make it mushy with a thick spoon   

Add little ghee in kadai and roast the cashew till they are golden brown.   keep it aside  

Add some more ghee in the kadai  Roast the broken black pepper and jeera in ghee and add the finely chopped ginger and curry leaves.  Add the mushy rice and mix thoroughly  add the remaining ghee and also the roasted cashew nuts.  

Remove from stove

Serve the Pongal  hot with chutney or Sambhar  

Keerai masiyal/ spinach side dish

 Ingredients:

1. Spinach :  One bunch 

2. Moong dal : 1/4 cup

3. Coconut gratings : 1 Plus Table spoon 

4. Green chilies : 1/2 or 1 depending on the variety (‘karam’ spicy)

5. Jeera / Cumin seeds : one T spoon 

6. Salt to taste

7. Garnishing things 

Method 

Soak the Moong dal for half an hour

Clean and cut the spinach into very small bits.

Pressure cook the spinach and moong dal together ( one whistle)

Grind coconut, chilies and jeera to a paste

Open the cooker once the pressure is down, add the ground masala and salt to taste.

Give one boil

Keerai is ready 

Give ‘tadka’ (garnish)  with mustard seeds, jeera and urad dal in ghee or coconut oil. 

Carrot Kheer

 Ingredients:

Carrots. 1/2kg 

Sugar 3/4 cup. ( according to taste)

Milk 1/2 litre 

Cashew nuts  10

Almonds (Badam). 20

Cardamom powder 1 t spoon 

Saffron 2 or 3 strands 

Method 

Soak Almonds in hot water.  ( It is preferable to soak either overnight or few hours before  preparation for best results ) peel the skin 

Soak cashews in water This can be done just before starting  

Boil milk and keep aside.

Peel the skin of carrots and cut it into pieces of about 1 inch cube and pressure cook it by adding little water.

Take a Blender add soaked cashews ( drain water) and soaked and peeled almonds ( drain water) add little water while blending to make it into paste consistency .  The water used to pressure cook the carrots can be used here.  Add cooked carrots and blend everything to a  smooth smoothie consistency. 

You can peel cardamom and add the seeds while blending the almonds etc , if you don’t have cardamom powder. 

Keep a thick bottomed vessel on stove (medium to low flame) pour the carrot smoothie into it. Keep stirring. In five minutes add Sugar.  Once this starts boiling add hot milk and keep stirring. After few minutes,  Switch off stove. Now add cardamom powder and the saffron. 

Have it either hot or chilled kheer kept in the fridge  depending on the weather 

Tomato Juice/Tomato Popsicle

Very easy to prepare
Ingredients
Ripe Tomatoes. ( not the Roma Variety). 10
Sugar 1 or 2 Table spoons
A pinch of Salt
Water 1 or 2 cups
Method:
Wash and cut the tomatoes.
Add sugar and salt and blend it in a blender or Juicer.
Filter and keep the juice aside
Again  blend the remaining portion on top by adding little water
Filter and add it to the juice kept aside
Add water according to taste
Juice is ready chill it and drink
Fill up the juice (without water) in the popsicle containers / stand and freeze it
Tomato Popsicle is ready

Poories

                                                                 Poories 


Ingredients:
 Wheat flour.     2 cups
Water  about 1/4 cup
Oil. 1 table spoon 
Salt to taste 
Oil for deep frying 

Method :
Make a tight dough with wheat flour water salt and oil. Add water little by little and just add enough to make the dough tight  ( This should be harder than the dough prepared for making rotis/ chapathis) 
 This need not have to sit for long just make the dough about 15 minutes before you deep fry the poories 

Heat oil oil a thick bottomed frying pan 
Take small quantities of dough and roll them into round flat poories 
Keep little oil in a cup and use it to knead the dough into flat poories 
Test the oil if it is ready
put a very little/small  piece of dough ball into hot oil and if it comes up immediately the oil is ready for deep frying 
Slowly put the flat poori into oil ( slide it carefully from the side) ( we use ladle  called Kannu  Chattuvam in Tamil meaning a ladle  with lot of eyes) 
Using the ladle just gently touch the poori's surface in the oil. Slowly the poories start  to pop up. Gently turn it using the ladle. When it turns light brown remove it and keep it out on a kitchen tissue.   Deep fry one by one the poories and be very very careful  while deep frying as the oil,will be very hot. 
Eat it with alu masal  curry 

Vangibath

This Vangibath is usually done with eggplants. It can be done with Bellpeppers(Capsicums) also


Ingredients:

1. Egg plants 3 or 4 if long ones ( take 10 if it is baby eggplants, if Big Eggplant is used take one ) or Bell Pepper  1 big 
2. Potatoes 1 big ( optional) 
3. Oil 1 table spoon.
4. Chilli powder 1/2 t spoon
5. Green chilli. 1 small
6. Ginger. One small bit
7. Curry leaves 
8. Mustard seeds 1 t spoon
9. Urad dal 1 t spoon
10. Channa dal 1 t spoon
11. Turmeric powder 1/2 t spoon
12. One onion 
13. Salt to taste

Ingredients for masala powder to be added

1.  Channa dal  1 tspoon
2. Coriander seeds 2 t spoon
3. Urad dal 1 tspoon
4. Cinnamon  a small piece
5. Red chillies 3 
6. Black pepper 4 or 5
7. Jeera /cumin seeds 1 tspoon
8. Copra or dry coconut 2 table spoons

Method:
Dry fry the ingredients  till golden brown for masala in a thick bottomed 'kadai' except for dry coconut .
Fry coconut separately till it is golden brown
Powder  all the ingredients together  in a blender and keep aside.
This powder can be made in larger quantity and kept in fridge for multiple use.
( for this quantity approximately 2 to 3 table spoon s of powder is required)

Cut the Bellpepper into small pieces.
If  Eggplants  is used cut it into lengthwise pieces.
Peel the skin of potato and cut into length wise rectangular cubes.
Cut onions into length wise pieces.
Cut the green chilli in the middle and  ginger into small bits

Take a thick bottom 'kadai'. Add oil.
Add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add urad dal and channa dal
Once golden brown add the green chilli, ginger curry leaves and onions. .
Onions have to turn light brown.
Add the  cut Bell Pepper  or Eggplant.
After few minutes add the cut potato , turmeric powder, chilli,powder, salt to taste.
Turn it well and keep it covered. .
Cook it on a slow flame.
Once the Bell Pepper /Eggplant  and Potatoes  are cooked. Add the masala powder.
Mix thoroughly and switch off stove in few minutes.
One t spoon ghee can be added for flavour.
Add cooked plain rice to the ' curry' and mix well. ( quantity of rice can be altered depending on taste)
If cooked Basmathi  rice is used it will taste better.  But any cooked rice can be used for this dish 

Pudina ( Mint leaves) Rice

Ingredients:

1. Pudina/ mint leaves : 1 bunch 
2. Fresh grated coconut : 2 to 3 Table Spoons
3. Green chillies :  1
4. Cinnamon/Dalchini : one small bit
5. Potato: 1 big or 2 small 
6. Cooking oil: 1 table spoon
7. Mustard seeds : 1/2 tspoon 
8. Broken urad dal : 1 tspoon
9. Channa dal : 1 tspoon
10. Cashew nuts : few broken into small pieces
11. Coriander leaves and curry leaves for garnishing 
12. Salt to taste and a little turmeric powder 

Method:
Peel the skin and cut the potatoes into small cubes.
Clean and cut the pudina /mint leaves into small bits
Grind pudina leaves, green chilli, cinnamon, and coconut coarsely ( not very pasty )
Take a ' kadai' or a pan and heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. Once it splutters add urad dal, channa dal and cashew nuts. Once it turns light golden colour add the curry leaves and the cut potatoes.  Add turmeric powder and half salt,  keep the kadai covered.  Once the potatoes are half done add the ground pudina mixture and the remaining salt. Keep it covered. Keep in low fire. Once the potatoes are completely cooked. Remove from stove.
Mix this with cooked rice and Pudina rice is ready. Add cooked rice according to taste. Garnish with cut coriander leaves

Kallakand

This is made using a Micro Oven. 

Ingredients:

• Full Cream Milk Powder. 2 Cups
• Sugar.   1 Cup ( or little less if desired )
• Fresh Milk 1/2 Cup
• Whipping Cream. 1/4 Cup
• Ghee  1 tsp

Ingredients for Garnishing 

• Cardamom powder
• Nutmeg powder
• Almond powder
• Pista powder

Method

Mix all the ingredients in a Microwaveable big glass bowl 

Whisk well

Microwave for 4 minutes

Whisk in between as it raises.

Microwave another 2 minutes or till right colour and consistency 

Spread ghee on a plate  or a flat bowl and press mixture down 

Spread / Garnish with all the powders on the Kalakand

Paruppu Podi

Paruppu Podi.
This is another podi which can be eaten with hot cooked rice.

Ingredients:
1.Tur Dal   1 cup
2. Chana Dal  1 cup
3. Red chillies 1 if big or 2 if small
4. black pepper  few pods
5. Salt to taste.
6. Asafoetida /hing   little
7.oil 1 and  1/ 2 t spoon for roasting.

Method.
take half teaspoon of oil and roast the Tur dal till golden brown.  keep aside
take half teaspoon of oil and roast the Chana dal till golden brown. keep aside.
take half teaspoon of oil and just roast for few minutes the chillies and the black pepper .  add the salt and asafoetida powder.  switch off the stove.
powder all the ingredients in a mixer and 'paruppu podi' is ready.

There is a slight variation and taste if Chutney dal (pottu kadalai) is used  to make the powder and this can also be eaten with Cooked rice.

Ingredients:
1. Chutney dal  1 cup
2. grated Copra ( dry coconut) 3 to 4 table spoons 
3. 1 or 2 red chillies
4. salt to taste.
Method
dry roast the grated copra till golden brown. 
roast the chillies for few minutes.
switch off the stove and then just put the chutney dal in the hot kadai and keep stirring.  (it should not be fried)
now add salt and grind all the ingredients and the powder is ready.

Kadalai Paruppu/Payatham Paruppu Payasam

This is called as 'kadale Bele, Heserbele payasa in kannada.  That is Channa Dal and Moong Dal Kheer.
Ingredients:
Kadalai Paruppu/ kadale Bele/ Channa Dal    1/4 cup
Payatham paruppu/ Heser bele/ Moong Dal  1/2 cup
Vellam/ Bella/ Gud/Jaggery  1 and 1/2 cup
Rice 1 t spoon
Grated Coconut 1/2 cup
Ellakkai/ Elachi/ elakki /Cardamom  5 or 6
Milk  1/2 litre to 3/4 litre

Method:
Dry roast Channa Dal and Moong Dal.  wash it  and add water and pressure cook it  and keep aside.
boil milk well  and keep aside.
soak the rice in water for one hour and grind the soaked rice with grated coconut and Cardamom into a fine paste.
Add little water to jaggery and boil it in a thick bottomed vessel. Once it melts use a wired filter/strainer to remove any impurities. keep aside.

Take the Rice /coconut paste add some water and keep it on the stove  and stir it.
 once it starts boiling add the cooked dals (smash it well with a thick spoon before adding).
Simultaneously add the clean jaggery (liquid) .  Keep stirring.
 Add the boiled milk to this mixture and once it comes to boil switch off the stove.  The 'Payasam/Kheer' is ready 

Chutney Podi

This is a powder which can be eaten with cooked rice.
Ingredients:

1. Channa  Dal/ Kadalai Paruppu. 1 cup
2. Urad Dal / Ulautham Paruopu  1 cup
3. Dry/Red  Chillies 🌶 about 10 to 12  (few byadagi chillies in this will give colour to the powder)
4. Copra/ Kopparai/ Dry Coconut. Half or one side of the whole Copra 
5. Salt to taste. Around 2 t spoons 
6. Gud/ Vellam/ Jaggery a small piece
7. Tamarind a small bit {optional ( paste can not be used)}
8. Mustard seeds for garnishing 
9. Oil for garnishing 
10. Coriander leaves cleaned,  and finely chopped for garnishing 

Method
Dry Roast Channa Dal and Urad Dal separately till golden/light brown.
Grate the Copra and roast till golden brown.
Roast Red chillies in half t spoon of oil. Switch off stove and add salt and tamarind piece.
Powder the roasted dals  in a mixer.  Keep aside. Powder Roasted Chillies, Roasted Copra, salt, tamarind and Gud/ Jaggery together.
Mix all the powdered ingredients.
Keep 2 t spoon of oil in a strong bottomed vessel/Kadai on stove. Add half t spoon of mustard seeds and once it splutters add the finely chopped coriander leaves ( it should not be wet, so once washed dry it with a towel or paper towel) . Turn the coriander leaves thoroughly and switch off the stove. Add garnishing into the powder and mix well and Chutney powder is ready to use.
It will be tasty if eaten with ghee on hot cooked rice.  Alternately Sesame ( NallaEnnai) oil can be used.

Thakkali Vengayam (Onions/Tomatoes side dish)

This is a simple side dish  for chapathis, which can be made quickly.

Ingredients:

•  Onions 2 small or one big
• Tomatoes 3 or 4 medium size. 
• Green chillies one or two 
• Ginger small bit
• Turmeric powder little 
• Oil 1 t spoon 
• Mustard seeds 1/2 t spoon
• Chennai dal 1 to 2 taprooms.
• Coriander leaves to garnish (optional)

Method.
Cut the onions and tomatoes into small bits keep separately. Cut the chillies ( I cut it into big piece instead of mincing it so that it is visible after the dish is made or while eating and can be discarded). Cut the ginger into small bits. Chop the coriander leaves.

Take a kadai or a thick bottom vessel. Add the oil and put the mustard seeds.  Once it splutters, add the channa dal. When it turns brown add the ginger and chillies fry for a few seconds and add the cut onions.  Keep stirring off and on and once it turns light brown( need not be very brown) add the tomatoes , turmeric powder and salt to taste.  Keep the kadai covered.  After a few minutes add a little water. Once it boils if you feel the dish is very watery you can thicken it with rice powder added in water or wheat powder added in water. Once it boils add coriander leaves and switch off the stove. To enhance the taste 1/4 t spoon of sugar can added just before switching off.

Ready to eat Vettrilai (Paan)

I really don't know what to call this.  To eat Vettrilai /Pakku (Villedale in kannada, Paan in Hindi) is good for digestion.
One need not have to make the home made Vettilai Pakku everyday. This can be made and kept in Fridge  and  a spoon of this mixture can be eaten every day after food.

 If not every day this will be really good on the stomach if  eaten after a heavy meal.

This is how the end product will look.

This is a dry version of the end product.

The Vettrilai and pakku, (Villedele Adike, Paan leaves with Arcanuts.)

                                                            Chuna 

Cardmoms(Elachi),Cloves (krambu/lavanga), Palm Sugarcandy (Panam Kalkandu, Kallu Sakkare)

                                              Pachai Karpuram /edible camphor

Ingredients:

1. Vettrilai/villedele/Paan leaves  40 to 50 in number
2. Arcanuts/pakku/ adike  2 or 3 small packets if it is sachets or 3 or 4 if it is full pakku.
3. Chuna/Chunanbu    This is a edible variety  very little quantity. 
4.  Cardmom/Elakkai /elachi/elakki    10 to15
5. Cloves/krambu /lavanga  10 to 20
6. Pachai Karpuram/edible camphor   A pinch 
7. Palm Sugarcandy/ Panam Kalkandu/Kallu Sakkarai(ordinary sugarcandy can be used. If not available sugar can be used.     few chunks. 

Method:
Clean the leaves nicely with water. Wipe with a clean cloth.    Remove the centre stem from the
 leaves and dry it in shade.  {it can be dried in Hot sun if you need it in dry powder form (in the picture 2)  Alternately it can be dried in Micro wave also.}
Once it is dry, add all the ingredients and put it in the mixer and grind it .  It will be  semi paste if the leaves are  dried in shade and will be  dry powder if the leaves or dried in Hot sun.
Store it in a clean bottle in the Fridge.
A little Gulkand (  which is made from Rose petal and available in stores) can be added to this, as it will enhance the taste.

Ragi Huri Hittu

This is called as Kali or Pori Maavu in Tamil.  This title I have used is a Kannada word.

Ingredients.

1. Ragi Powder  1 cup
2. Jaggery/Vellam/Gud  1/2 cup
3. Ghee  2 Tspoons.
4. Milk  1 Cup or a little less
5. Honey 1 t spoon  (optional)
6. Elachi / elakkai powder (optional) a pinch

Method.
Take a thick bottomed Vessel.  Put the powdered jaggery and Milk.  When it starts boiling add the Ghee and  add the Ragi Powder gradually.  Stir well.  When the whole thing is mixed well add Honey and the Elachi powder and stir a bit and switch off the stove. This can be eaten as a snack.

This is very good for health.
The Ragi powder can be made into a 'Muddhe' and eaten with any  side dish. (instead of cooked rice Ragi Muddhe can be eaten at meal time)  Just boil a cup of water and add the ragi powder and make it into  a 'muddhe' or 'Kali' consistency.  (The consistency is what you see in the picture.)

Ragi powder can be bought directly from shop.  Ragi can be made into a powder at home.  Soak Ragi for a day.  allow it to sprout.(even if it does not sprout it is alright)   then drain water and Roast it in a 'kadai' without oil.  Powder this in Mixer and use it for the Huri Hittu.

My mother used to make a powder out of Ragi for small babies.

She used to sprout the Ragi and then grind it nicely and take the milk out of it ( just like taking coconut milk out of coconut) and then used to sun dry this thick ragi milk.   This will form soft blocks and powder it and keep it in a tight container.

Make Kanji or porridge out of this powder and mix it with milk add little sugar and give  it to the babies.  Small quantity of Ragi powder  is used when the baby is 4 months old and slowly the quantity increased as the baby grows.  This can be given to babies for more than one feed.  This is very good for the growing children.
To Make Kanji  Mix one table spoon of powder with half a cup of water and boil the mixture while stirring.  This is Kanji.  More quantity can be made  in the morning and kept  aside and used at other times of the day.

Gooseberry Pickle (Nellikkai oorugai)

Ingredients:

1. Gooseberries  25 numbers.
2. Oil (Any Vegetable oil) 1 table spoon.
3. Salt 1 Table spoon
4. Chili Powder  2 Table spoons
5. Turmeric powder 1 t spoon
6. Mustard seeds 1 t spoon.
7. Asafotida powder little (hing or perungayam)
8. Methi seeds/Vendhayam  1 t spoon.

Wash the berries, and boil them in water in a big vessel till they are cooked.  Add little salt while boiling.
Drain the berries. Keep the  drained water aside.
Take a thick bottomed vessel/kadai/iluppachatti and put the oil in it. Add the mustard seeds.  once it splutters, add the drained berries.  Now add salt, chili powder and turmeric powder.  Pour little water which you have kept aside to this. ( not everything just one or two table spoons).  Keep the kadai covered.  Keep stirring the berries once in a while.
once the raw smell of the chili powder is not there, the pickle is done.  If it becomes very dry add little  drained water.
add asafotida powder ( can be powdered from solid asafotida by frying a piece of that in little oil and then powdering it. or use ready made powder.  the methi seeds are to be fried dry till golden brown and then powdered.)  and methi seeds powder.
Switch off the  stove and store in clean dry jars.
This pickle will not last long as it has been boiled in water.   Store the pickle in Fridge.

Mango Pickle or Mango Thokku

 Ingredients:

1. One Medium Size  Raw Mango (mankkai).
2. Oil 1 Table Spoon.
3. Turmeric Powder 1 t spoon.
4. Chili Powder.  2,to 3 Table spoons.
5. Asafotida  little. (Hing or Perungayam)
6. Salt  1 to 2 Table spoon.
7. One Red Chili
8.  A small bit of Jaggery
9. Mustard seeds 1 t spoon.
10. Methi seeds Vendhiayam  1 t spoon.

Method.

Wash and Wipe the raw  mango with a Clean Towel. Remove the Skin with a Peeler and Grate the Mango in a Carrot Grater.

Take a thick bottomed Vessel ( A kadai or a iluppchatti).  Put the Oil and add the mustard seeds and the Red chili. when mustard seeds splutter , add the grated mango and reduce the flame of the stove to Sim.  (the Pickle needs slow cooking) turn it over with a flat ladle .  Add turmeric powder,Salt,  and Chili powder and the jaggery piece. 

{If the Mango   is very sour more Salt and Chili Powder will be needed.   Add the above quantity of ingredients  and mix well and taste and if the mixture is very sour add more salt and chili powder depending on what is needed.  (The asafotida can be added as powder, or if you have a bar of Asafotida, make it into pieces and  take a small piece and fry it in  very little oil and then powder it )

Fry the Methi seeds without oil  in a kadai till Golden Brown and powder it. }

 Let the Mango cook in the slow fire. Keep turning the mixture on and off .  Once it is done,  the Oil in the pickle will start separating from the sides. Add asafotida powder and fried methi powder and switch off the stove.   Store it in a clean dry jar.

Masal Vada/Paruppu Vadai

Masal Vadai or Paruppu Vadai is a very common dish in South India and prepared  for many festivals.

Ingredients:

1. Channa Dal  1 cup.
2. Green Chillies 1 
3. Red Dried Chillies 2
4. Ginger 1 small bit
5. Curry leaves a few
6. Coriander leaves cut finely a Table spoon
7. Little pudina (mint leaves) finely chopped. ( optional)
8. Asafoetida  'hing' very little.
9. Grated Coconut 1 table spoon (optional)
10. 1 small onion (optional)
11. salt to taste  ( 1 teaspoon.) 

Method.
Soak the Channa Dal in water for an hour. Strain the water and  Grind in a mixer,  Channa Dal, green chillies, red chillies , ginger  to  coarse paste. It is important that the batter is coarse.

do not add water while grinding.
Take out the batter, add coconut, hing , curry leaves, cut coriander cut pudina  , salt and onions (cut into small pieces).  mix thoroughly.  (If done for any festival onion is not added, but to just munch with tea onions give a very nice taste .)

Keep a 'kadai' or a frying pan on the stove add oil.  let the oil get heated.
To test oil just put a little small ball of batter into the oil and if it comes up immediately the oil is just ready to deep fry.
take out a small ball and flatten it in your hands into a round shape and put it carefully in oil.  For one time 6 to 8 vadas can be deep fried together depending on the quantity of oil in the pan.
Turn it and once it is golden brown in color remove and keep it on a kitchen tissue so that extra oil on the masal vadai will be taken away by the tissue.  This is best eaten hot but tastes quite good even afterwards. 

Rava Kesari

This is also called Sojji in Tamil,  Sheera in Marathi  Kesari Bath in Kannada.

This is a sweet which can be made  very fast and in a jiffy.  If you get unexpected guests and has to serve them some sweets (as is (was)  the tradition in India ) this was one sweet made  quickly.

This was also part of  Tamilian culture of making this   'Sojji'    along with a savory called 'Bajji'  when a prospective Groom visited the house of the Bride to   'see'   the Girl which was called as 'ponnu pakkarathu'

Ingredients:

1. Rava or Semolina  1 small cup
2. Sugar 1and 1/2 cups to 2 Cups (same size as you measured the Rava)
3. Ghee 1/4 Cup or little less than that
4. Water 2 cups.
5. Dried grapes (kismis) Cashew nuts   both of these few pieces.
6. Permitted food Colour Orange very little 
7. Few strands of kesar (saffron or Kumkuma poo)
8. Elachi or Cardamom Powder 1 tea spoon.

Method.

Fry the Cashew nuts (light golden brown) and kismis in little ghee and keep aside.

Fry the Rava in a thick bottomed vessel with a Teaspoon of Ghee till light brown. Boil water in a separate stove and add the boiling water to the fried Rava.  Add the water slowly and keep stirring so that there are no lumps of Rava  in the Vessel.  Keep stirring for some time till the Rava is cooked and add the sugar and the  color mixed in a little milk and also the Kesar mixed in little milk.   (Colour need not be added, but  only  Kesar without orange colour  will give a lighter tinge to the Rava Kesari )

Add Ghee bit by bit and keep stirring.   when the whole mixture evenly comes to boil with a good texture without lumps add elachi powder and the fried cashew nuts and kismis.  switch off the stove. and serve the Rava Kesari hot.

Slight Variation:

Instead of Water, Milk can be used   (half milk half water or completely Milk) to make  Rava Kesari.

One Ripe Banana can be mashed and added after the milk is added and Rava cooked. Sugar can be reduced a little.  The Banana, Milk , Kesari is made without adding any colour (not even Kesar) for the 'Satyanaryana Pooja' and it is given as prasad and is white in Colour.

Pinappple pieces  (cut into very  small pieces) can be fried a little  bit in ghee and added after adding the Water/Milk. Then This becomes the Pineapple pudding.  For this Kesar and Colour can be added.

Vadai/Thayir (Dahi) Vadai/Sambhar Vadai/Rasa Vadai

Ulundu Vadai/or Vada.
Ingredients:

1. Urad Dal   1 cup
2. Oil  for deep frying.
3. Rice   1 teaspoon
4. Green chillies 2
5. Ginger  1 small cube
6. Salt to taste
7. Asafotida/Hing Powder little.
8. Curry leaves few and a little coriander leaves finely cut.

 Optional:
A few black pepper can be added  in the batter, and one red dry chili can also be added in the batter.
Method:
Soak the Urad Dal  along with the rice in water for an hour or little less.
Wash the Dal and rice  and drain  in a strainer.
Grind the Dal  and rice in  a Grinder or a Mixer.  Be careful when adding water.  very little water should be added while grinding.  (the well drained urad dal will require roughly 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup  of water added little by little,)  Water should be sprinkled while grinding.  It should become a smooth paste and  when  taken out, one should be able to make the vadai shape out of the batter. ( it will take around 20 minutes to half an hour to grind the Dal )  If a Mixer is used the water used to grind should be ice cold.  Keep the water in the fridge and use it to grind the Dal .
Take out the batter,
Cut the green chillies into very fine pieces (minced), grate the Ginger.
Add the minced chillies, Grated Ginger, Salt, Asafotida powder, finely cut curry leaves and coriander leaves and mix with hand thoroughly.

The secret in getting crisp Vadai  is the mixing of batter by hand thoroughly for five plus minutes till the batter becomes fluffy.  
(The black pepper and red chili should be added now.  pepper can be whole, red chili should be made into pieces)
Heat oil in a Kadai or a Iluppachatti.

just put little batter  into the oil to see if it is heated enough for deep frying.  If the dough comes up, the oil is ready.  Keep in medium flame.
Make the Vadai in the proper shape with hole in the centre on a  thick plastic sheet.  Hand should be dampened with water  for the vadai to come in shape. and remove carefully and very  carefully put it in the oil.   4 or 5 vadais can be put in oil depending on the quantity of oil used in the kadai.
Turn it around . once the vadai is golden brown remove it and it should be served hot with coconut chutney.
Finely cut onions can be added to the batter and lovely vengaya vadai can be made.

Thayir Vadai/Dahi Vada
Take 2 cups of thick Curd(yogurt/Dahi) .  grind 2 table spoons  of fresh coconut with one small green chili and mix it with the Curd.  Add little salt.  one table spoon of milk should be added so that the  yogurt is not very sour.
 
Keep it ready while you deep fry  the vadas.
Keep hot water in a wide mouthed vessel next to the Curd mixture.
Take out the deep fried vadais put it in the hot water.  Keep a separate spoon in the water and immediately transfer the vadais to the Curd mixture.
Once all the 5 or 6 vadais which are deep fried are put in the Curd Mixture, fry the next round of Vadais.  Just when it is turning brown, remove the Thayir vadais/Dahi Vadas into another vessel so that there is enough space for the fresh fried vadas to get soaked in the Curd.
Garnish with Coriander if you like.
For Sambhar vadai keep the hot  sambhar ready and before serving put the  required number of vadais in the sambhar and serve.
Similarly for Rasa vadai also keep the  hot Rasam ready and just put the required number of vadais to be served into the Rasam.

Mysore Bonda.
The batter is same, red chillies and black peppers must. along with that cube shaped coconut pieces very small should be mixed in the batter.  Method is same.
Shape is easy to make,  just make into round balls (Bonda Shape) and deep fry.  and Mysore Bonda is ready.