Recipes

Dr. K. Kanthimathi was a perfectionist as a cook, just as she strived for perfection in everything else. She cooked traditional and day-to-day dishes to perfection, but was not afraid to experiment with more esoteric fare. This recipe collection is from Dr. Kanthimathi's own cooking notebooks, and the recipes are presented in her handwriting whenever available. Some of these recipes have her own twist on a well known or traditional dish, some are simple and were meant to be shared with someone with not much experience and trying to cook them for the very first time, while others are recipes she saw somewhere and thought worthwhile to record and preserve for trying sometime.   

North Indian Curries (Sabji)

Bhaingan Bartha (Eggplant Masala) [in her own handwriting]

​Ingredients:
  1. Eggplants – 6 – finely chopped
  2. Turmeric Powder – 1/2 teaspoon
  3. Red Chilli Powder  – 1 teaspoon
  4. Cilantro (Coriander) Seed Powder – 1 teaspoon
  5. Salt – to taste
  6. Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 teaspoon
  7. Red Onions – 3 – finely minced
  8. Tomatoes – 2 – finely chopped
  9. White Sesame Seed Powder – 2 teaspoons
  10. Peanuts Powder – 2 teaspoons
  11. Reduced Fat Coconut Milk – ¼ cup
  12. Cilantro Leaves – a few
  13. Vegetable or Canola Oil – 4 tablespoons

Procedure:

Marinate the chopped eggplant pieces in some turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander seed powder and salt and set aside for 15 minutes. Stir fry these eggplant pieces in a non-stick pan or wok with very little oil. In another wok, heat 3 teaspoons of oil and then add the ginger garlic paste and onions and stir fry till the onions start to brown and then add the tomatoes and turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander seed powder and continue to fry. Once the tomatoes start to mash, add the white sesame powder, peanut powder and salt along with the eggplant pieces and stir fry till well cooked. Garnish with the cilantro leaves and serve hot.

Aloo Mutter (Potatoes and Peas Masala) [in her own handwriting]

​Ingredients:
  1. Redskin or Yellow Potatoes - 4 - peeled and chopped (1/2 inch cubes)
  2. Cooked Green Peas – 1 cup
  3. Red Onions – 1 (large size) or 2 (medium size) - finely chopped
  4. Tomatoes  – 2 (medium size) - chopped 
  5. Red Chilli Powder – 2 teaspoons
  6. Cilantro (Coriander) Seed Powder – 2 teaspoons
  7. Cashews - 10
  8. Poppy Seed Powder – 1 teaspoon
  9. Cumin Seeds – 1 teaspoon
  10. Black Peppercorns – 2 teaspoons
  11. Turmeric Powder – ¼ teaspoon
  12. Salt – to taste
  13. Vegetable or Canola Oil – 2 tablespoons
  14. Cilantro Leaves – a few

Procedure:

Grind all the ingredients from above except 1 through 2 and 13 through 14 in a powerful blender or mixer/grinder to a fine paste. Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a large wok, add the finely ground paste and stir fry until the raw smell of the paste (smell of the spices, onions) is eliminated. Then add the chopped potatoes and cooked peas and continue to stir fry till potatoes soften a little. Then add the salt to boiling water (sufficient quantity but not too much) and add to the wok and allow the entire ingredients to boil for a while till the potatoes are fully cooked. Later, you can add fresh cream (if you like) and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve.

Rice Dishes

Kaalaan Saatham (Mushroom Rice) [in her own handwriting]

​Ingredients:
  1. Rice - 1 cup
  2. Red Onions - 1 medium
  3. Ginger - 1 inch piece
  4. Garlic - 2 cloves
  5. Mushrooms - 2 cups
  6. Scallions - 2
  7. Oil - 2 tablespoons
  8. Chilli Sauce - to taste
  9. Soy Sauce - 2 teaspoons
  10. Black Pepper Powder - to taste
  11. Salt - to taste​

Procedure:

Cook the rice separately and set aside. Chop the onions in small, long and thin strips. Mince the garlic and ginger into tiny pieces. Chop the scallions into small pieces. In a large wok, stir fry the onions, ginger, and garlic till it is well cooked. Then add the mushrooms and continue to stir fry till it is well done too. Then add the chilli sauce, soy sauce, black pepper powder and salt and stir for 5 minutes in low medium flame. After the 5 minutes, add the cooked rice and scallions, mix well and cover and let it stand when it is still hot. The rice is ready to serve soon after.

Keerai Paruppu Saatham (Spinach and Dhal Rice) [in her own handwriting]

​Ingredients:
  1. Rice - 1 cup
  2. Thoor Dhal (Pigeon Peas) - 1/3 cup
  3. Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
  4. Water -  3 cups
  5. Spinach - 2 cups, finely chopped
  6. Garlic - 3 cloves, finely minced
  7. Cumin Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon, crushed
  8. Ghee (clarified butter) - 1 tablespoon
  9. Salt – to taste

Procedure:

Cook the rice, thoor dhal (pigeon peas), turmeric and water in a pressure cooker till well done and the pigeon peas are mushy. Place everything in a large wok or sauce pan and add the finely chopped spinach, finely minced garlic, crushed cumin, salt and stir well with the clarified butter (ghee). Serve hot.

Curries (Kuzhambu/Koottu)

Peerkangai Paal Koottu (Ridge Gourd Juice Curry)  [in her own handwriting]

Ingredients:
  1. Coconut Oil – 3 teaspoons
  2. Mustard Seeds – 1 teaspoon
  3. Cumin Seeds  – 1.5 teaspoons
  4. Dried Red Chilies – a few
  5. Ginger – a small piece, minced
  6. Fresh Green Chilies – a few
  7. Red Onions – minced – ½ cup
  8. Curry Leaves – leaves from one small twig
  9. Ridge Gourd - 2 or 3, chopped
  10. Reduced Fat Coconut Milk – ¼ cup
  11. Salt – to taste
  12. A small portion or pinch of semi ground coconut

Procedure:

Place a wok or large sauce pan over a medium flame on a burner and heat 3 teaspoons of coconut oil. Fry the mustard and cumin seeds till the mustard seeds sputter, then add the dried red chilies, ginger, fresh green chilies, red onions, and curry leaves. Stir fry until the onions are browned. Then add the pieces of ridge gourd and sauté till they are fairly well cooked. Now add the coconut milk and salt and allow it to cook. Add the portion of semi ground coconut and let the dish boil to cook for a while. In a separate smaller sauce pan, heat one teaspoon of coconut oil, sputter some mustard seeds and curry leaves and add on top as the flavoring garnish.

Capsicum (Green Bell Peppers) Curry

Ingredients:
  1. Green Bell Peppers  – 2 (cut into big square pieces)
  2. Onion – 1 (sliced and sautéed)
  3. Coriander (Cilantro) Leaves  – ½ cup
  4. Grated Coconut – ½ cup
  5. Roasted Peanuts – ½ cup
  6. Ginger/Garlic Paste – 1 tablespoon
  7. Coriander (Cilantro) seeds powder – ½ teaspoon
  8. Fresh Green Chilies – 3 large or 4 small
  9. Red Chili Powder – 1 teaspoon
  10. Tamarind Paste  – 3 tablespoons
  11. Turmeric Powder – 1pinch
  12. Salt - to taste
  13. Vegetable or Canola Oil – 1 tablespoon

Procedure:

Grind the above ingredients (except the bell pepper pieces and tamarind paste) to a paste. Heat the oil in a large wok and stir fry the green bell pepper pieces. Add the ground paste and cook for 5 minutes. Now add the tamarind and cook in medium flame for another 10 minutes. 

Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu (Dhal Ball Curry) [in her own handwriting]

Ingredients:
  1. Thoor Dhal – ½ cup
  2. Channa Dhal – ½ cup
  3. Dried Red Chilies – a few
  4. Fennel Seeds  – 2 teaspoons or less
  5. Red Onions – minced –2 cups
  6. Curry Leaves – leaves from one small twig
  7. Coriander (Cilantro) Seeds  – 1 teaspoon
  8. Fresh Green Chilies – a few
  9. Ground Coconut – 1 cup
  10. Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
  11. Cumin Seeds – 1 teaspoon
  12. Fenugreek seeds – 1 teaspoon
  13. Salt – to taste
  14. Freshly minced garlic – 1 tablespoon
  15. Tomatoes – chopped (about 3 medium)
  16. Red Chili Powder – 1 teaspoon or more
  17. Turmeric Powder – a pinch
  18. Tamarind dissolved in water – ¼ cup
  19. Poppy Seeds – 1 teaspoon
  20. Vegetable or Canola Oil – 1 tablespoon

Procedure:

Soak the ½ cup of thoor dhal and ½ cup of channa dhal in water for a few hours until it is nice and soft. Grind the dried red chilies, fennel seeds and the dhals together until it is coarsely ground. Then mix the salt, finely chopped red onions, chopped up curry leaves, coriander seeds, finely chopped green chilies, and ground coconut (small portion). Hand mix it in a bowl and knead it into a well-mixed mass. Then make it into small balls and steam them in a pressure cook so they are well cooked. In a wok or large sauce pan, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. When they sputter, add the fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and stir fry and then add the remaining minced onions, minced garlic and stir fry until the smell of onions and garlic reduces. Then add the chopped tomatoes, chili powder, powdered coriander seeds, and turmeric powder, and continue to stir fry until the smell of the spices are well blended in. Now add the tamarind dissolved in water and some salt to taste and allow to come to a boil once. Now add the dhal balls and allow to boil for 5 minutes on a medium flame. Now add the coconut and poppy seeds ground together and allow it to come to a boil again and then add some curry leaves at the end. 

Desserts

Sarkarai (Sweet) Pongal  [in her own handwriting]

Ingredients:
  1. Raw Rice – 1 cup
  2. Green Gram Dhal (Moong Dhal) – 1/3 cup
  3. Jaggery (Indian Palm Molasses) – 1.5 cups
  4. Cashew Nuts – few
  5. Cardamom Seeds – 4 nos., crushed or powdered
  6. Clarified Butter (Ghee) – 1/4 cup

Procedure:

Take rice and dhal together and wash well. Cook both together by adding 4.5 cups of water, similar to cooking rice. Heat jaggery with half a cup of water until it dissolves completely. Strain/filter the jaggery syrup to remove dirt. Add it to the cooked rice and dhal and mix well on medium heat for a few minutes. Fry the few cashews in a little clarified butter (ghee) and add to the pongal along with the cardamom. Finally add ¼ cup of ghee and mix well. Serve hot or cold. 

Paal Paayasam (Milk Kheer)  [in her own handwriting]

Ingredients:
  1. Basmathi Rice  – 1/2 cup
  2. Milk – 5 cups
  3. Sugar – 1/2 cup
  4. Cashew Nuts – 10 whole nuts
  5. Cardamom Seeds – 4 nos., powdered
  6. Clarified Butter (Ghee) – 2 teaspoons

Procedure:

Boil the milk. Fry the cashews in one spoon of ghee and set them aside as well. Wash and rinse the basmathi rice in water and drain the water fully. Add the washed rice to a wok or large frying pan and add the remaining ghee and lightly toast the rice on medium heat, ensuring that there is no change in color of the rice and then set it aside. Take two cups of water and one cup of milk in a pressure cooker and bring to a full boil. Then add the toasted basmathi rice and cook it all together on medium heat. It is good to cook the paayasam like this without covering it and allow the rice to soften to a porridge consistency. After it is cooked to this point, use a heavy scoop ladle to mash the rice. Now add the remaining 4 cups of milk and stir continuously. Next, add the sugar and then the cardamom powder and fried cashews. Once it is all well blended, delicious Paal Paayasam is ready!

Rava Kesari  [in her own handwriting]

Ingredients:
  1. White Rava (Indian Cream of Rice)  – 1 cup
  2. Sugar – 2 cups
  3. Kesari Powder (food color - yellow or orange) - 1 pinch
  4. Cashew Nuts – 10 whole nuts
  5. Cardamom Seeds – 4 nos., powdered
  6. Clarified Butter (Ghee) – 1/4 cup

Procedure:

Add one teaspoon ghee to a frying pan on medium heat, add the rava and lightly toast it. Transfer it to a bowl. Fry the cashews in a little ghee and set them aside as well. Take 3 cups of water in the frying pan, add the Kesari powder (food coloring) and allow it to boil. Add the rava in little increments and stir well with a flat ladle. The rava should be cooked to ‘Uppuma’ consistency (consistency of a solid porridge). At this stage, add sugar and stir well on low heat. When it becomes a semisolid mass, add ghee, then the cardamom and cashews and  mix well. Serve hot or cold.

Beetroot Halwa  [in her own handwriting]

Ingredients:
  1. Beetroot  (grated) – 2 cups
  2. Milk – 1 cup
  3. Sugar – 1 cup
  4. Cashew Nuts –few
  5. Cardamom Seeds – 4 nos., powdered
  6. Clarified Butter (Ghee) – ¼ cup

Procedure:

Take the 2 cups of grated beetroot and one cup of milk in a small pressure cooker or pressure pan and get it fully cooked (2 whistles) on medium heat. After 10 minutes, open the lid and add one cup of sugar and stir it well on medium heat. When it solidifies, add ghee. Fry the cashews in a separate pan, add them and then add the cardamom powder. Mix it well. Halwa is ready. Transfer it to a serving bowl and serve hot or cold. The same recipe can be used for Carrot Halwa by switching the beets for carrots.