Low-fat Microwave therattipaal (Milk Halwa)

Ingredients:

1 tin fat-free sweetened condensed milk
3 tbsp fat-free yogurt (unflavored)
1 tbsp ghee/melted butter
Cardamom (Elaichi) powder

Method:

Mix all the first three ingredients in a fairly deep microwavable bowl.

Cook in the microwave for 2 mins on high. Then remove
and mix well and microwave again for another 2 minutes on
medium.

Continue to do this until the mixture thickens to a
halwa consistency. Add cardamom at the very end.
It takes about 10-15 mins to make it but tastes as good as the stove-top method.

Note: The mixture should be light brown when done.
It tends to become darker after removing from the microwave.
Stir everytime you take it out of the micowave.

Chutneys

Peanut chutney

Peanuts - 1 cup
Dried red chillies - 5
Small onion - 1
Garlic clove - 1 or 2
Tamarind - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Seasoning: 1 tsp each - Cumin, Mustard seeds, Urad dal and few curry leaves, & 1 tsp oil

Dry roast peanuts, keep aside.
Roast the rest of the ingredients in oil till golden brown, add to the peanuts, and grind till smooth with a little water.
Fry the seasoning in 1 tsp oil till mustard seeds splutter, and mix with the chutney, along with salt and serve.

Onion chutney

Onions - 6
Red chillies - 8 (or more if you like it hot)
Garlic - 4 cloves
Corainder - A handful
Cumin seeds - 1 tbs
Sesame oil - 3 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Fry the cumin seeds, chopped onions, garlic, red chillies until onions become transparent.
Cool a little, and grind with the coriander leaves & salt with a few splashes of water.
Seasoning: 1 tsp each - Mustard seeds, Urad dal and few curry leaves, fried in 1 tsp oil.
Mix seasoning and chutney before serving.

Coconut chutney

Grated coconut - 2 cups
Pottu kadalai (Roasted gram)- 2 teaspoons
Ginger peeled and chopped - 1 inch root
Coriander leaves chopped - A handful
Green chillies chopped - 3
Jeera - 1 tsp

Seasoning:
1 teaspoon each of mustard seeds and Urad dal
½ teaspoon asafoetida powder
6 curry leaves
1 red chillies broken into bits
2 tablespoon oil
Salt to taste

Grind the coconut, roasted pottu kadalai, green chillies, coriander leaves and ginger to a fine paste using a little water. Pour the chutney into a bowl and adjust the consistency using suitable amount of water.
For seasoning, heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, urad dal, red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida powder. Fry briefly till mustard splutters, and add to chutney. Add salt and serve.
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Tips:

• A add a little sesame oil if too spicy at the end.
• Too hot?... Check if the salt is low in the chutney.
• Seasoning for all chutneys are pretty much the same.
• A pinch of Asafoetida added to oil along with the seasoning gives an authentic south Indian flavor.

Indian lentils and spice names in English-Hindi-Tamil

English Name	Hindi Name	Tamil Name
Beaten Rice	Poha	Aval
Bengal gram	Channa	Konda kadalai
Split/Whole Black gram	Urad dal / kaali dal	Uluntham paruppu
Broken/Cracked Wheat	Dalia	Samba kodumai
Chickpeas (brown)	Kala Channa	Karuppu kadalai
Chickpeas (white)	Kabuli Channa	Vellai kadalai
Gram flour	Besan / Chane ka atta	Kadalai maavu
Green gram	Moong dal	Payatham payiru
Whole green gram	Sabut moong	Pasi payaru
Puffed Rice	Kurmura	Pori
Red Kidney Beans	Rajma	Rajma
Red Lentil	Masoor dhal	Mysore paruppu
Refined flour	Maida	Maida maavu
Rice	Chawal	Arisi
Sago	Sabudana	Jawarisi
Semolina	Rava / Suji	Ravai
Split Bengal gram	Chana dal	Kadalai paruppu
Split gram/Yellow lentil/Toor dhal	Tuvar dal / Arhar dal	Thuvaram paruppu
Wheat	Gehun	Kodhumai
Wheat flour	Gehun ka atta	Kodhumai maavu
Roasted gram	Buna channa	Pottu kadalai
Dry ginger	Sont	Sukku
Ginger	Adrak / Sonth	Inji
Sesame seeds	Thil	Ellu
Gingelly oil	Thil ka thel	Nallenai
Carom Seeds / Thyme	Ajwain	Omam
Dried Mango Powder	Amchoor	Mangai podi
Grapes	Angoor	Dhrakshai
Almond	Badam	Badam
Corn Cobs	Bhutta	Solam
Sapota	Chikoo	Sapotta
Dates (Dried)	Chhuara	Percham pazham
Curd	Dahi	Thayir
Cinnamon	Dalchini	Pattai
Coriander Leaves	Dhania Patta	Kothamalli elai
Coriander seeds	Dhaniya	Dhaniya
Green Cardamom	Elaichi (Chhoti)	Elakkai
Clarified Butter	Ghee	Nei
Green Chilly	Hari Mirch	Pacha molagai
Asafetida	Hing	Perumkaayam
Turmeric	Haldi	Manjal podi
Poppy seeds	Kuskus	Kasa kasa
Tamarind	Imli	Puli
Nutmeg	Jaiphal	Jaathikai
Cumin Seed	Jeera	Jeerakam
Cashew Nut	Kaju	Mundhiri
Caraway Seeds	Kala Jeera / Black Cumin Seeds	Perun Jeerakam
Rock Salt	Kala Namak	Kal uppu
Black Pepper	Kali Mirch	Molagu
Curry Leaves	Kari Patta	Karuveppilai
Dried Whole Milk/Thickened Milk	Khoya, Mawa	Khova
Currants	Kishmish	Kaanja dhrakshai
Garlic	Lasan / Lahsun	Poondu
Clove	Laung	Kraambu
Cream	Malai	Edai
Butter Milk	Mattha (Chhaach)	Moar
Fenugreek Seeds	Methi	Vendhayam
Chilly	Mirch	Molagai
Groundnut	Moong Fali	Ver kadalai
Cottage Cheese	Paneer	Paneer
Cabbage	Patta Gobi	Gose
Mint Leaves	Pudina Leaves	Pudina
Mustard Seeds (Small)	Raai / Raee	Kadugu
Aniseed	Saunf	Sombu
Capsicum	Shimla Mirch	Koda molagai
Bay Leaf	Tej Patta	Brinji elai

Oats Okkarai

While experimenting with various possible ways of making dishes with oats as the primary ingredient, I discovered this wonderful dish for people with a sweet tooth.

Ingredients:

Oats - 2 cups
Jaggery - 1/4 cup
Peanuts - 1/4 cup
Sesame seeds - 2 tbsp
Cashwenuts - 1/4 cup
Cardamom - 1/2 tsp

Dry roast peanuts and sesame till crisp and grind them till smooth.
Grind oats into powder and mix with the above mixture. Powder jaggery and mix everything together.

Add roasted cashews and serve.
Note: Reduce the amount of jaggery if you wish to eat healthful.