Naan without yeast

Recipe Source: Raks Kitchen

Ingredients
All purpose flour: 2 cups
Fresh thick curds: 1/2 cup
Warm milk: 1/2 cup
Sugar: 1 tsp
Salt: 1 tsp
Baking powder:3/4 tsp
Baking soda: 3/4 tsp
Melted butter: 1 tablespoon


Procedure:
Step1:
Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together

Step2:
Whisk together butter,sugar,curd and milk

Step3:
Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients

Step4:
Gather the flour and mix well and allow it to rest for 2 hours(No need to knead the dough at this point)

Step5:
After 2 hrs, knead the dough for 10 minutes


Step6:
Divide the dough to 6 equal parts.Dust some maida (the dough will be little sticky) and roll them to circular shape and then pull the edge slightly to get the naan shape


Step7:
Wet the naan on one side and turn over it on the hot tawa with wet side down


Step8:
Close with a lid and cook for 2 minutes in medium flame.

Step9:
The naan would have puffed up a bit.Now turn the naan and cook in direct flame for a minute

Step10:
Once cooked on both sides, brush the naan with little melted butter


Note:
This can also be done in oven
Preheat the oven to 500F
Bake the naan for 3 minutes
However the naan made in stove top was much more softer than the ones made in oven

Suggested Accompaniments

Paneer butter masala

Carrot Beans Poriyal

Ingredients
Chopped Carrot: 1 cup
Chopped Beans: 1 cup
Grated Coconut:1/4 cup
Salt: 1 tsp
Oil: 2 tsp
Hing: a pinch
Mustard Seeds: 1 tsp
Urad dhal: 1 tsp
Curry leaves : a sprig


Procedure:
Step1:
Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.Once it starts spluttering, add urad dhal, hing and curry leaves


Step2:
Add the chopped beans and carrot and 1/2 of water and cook in low flame for 10 -15minutes.Close the pan.
Check for every 3 minutes if there is enough water.Add more if required.

Step3:
Once the vegetables are completely cooked add grated coconut and salt and stir for 2 minutes.

Udipi Sambar

Ingredients
Toor dhal:1/2 cup
Chopped vegetables (preferably brinjal/drumstick/yam)
Small onions (shallots):8
Tumeric powder:1/4 tsp
Hing: 1 pinch
Tomato (chopped): 1 medium sized
Tamarind: lemon sized
Grated jaggery:1 tsp (optional)


To roast and grind
Coriander seeds: 3 teaspoon
Channa dal: 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds: 1.5 teaspoon
Fenugreek:1/2 tsp
Urad dal: 1 tsp
Poppy seeds: 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut: 1/4 cup
Red chillies: 4


Procedure:
Step1:
Pressure cook toor dhal with enough water, turmeric powder and hing and mash it

Step2:
Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Then add the red onions and saute for 3 minutes.


Step3:
Now add chopped tomatoes and other vegatables and saute for another 3 minutes

Step4:
Add the tamarind extract and cook for another 5 minutes or until all the vegetables get cooked


Step5:
Dry roast the spices required for sambar powder and powder them.(Add the coconut after roasting the other spices)

Step5:
Add the mashed toor dhal,salt,grated jaggery and the ground sambar powder and cook for a couple of more minutes

Pudhina/Mint Chappathi

Bookmarked this recipe from Mharo Rajasthan Recipes.Loved the flavor of mint in it

Ingredients
Wheat flour/Atta: 1 cup
Mint leaves: 1 cup
Chopped onion: 1/4 cup
Red chilly powder: 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder: 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder: a pinch
Coriander powder:1/2 tsp
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Oil: 2 tsp
Cumin seeds (Jeera): 1 tsp
Warm water: 1/2 cup


Procedure:
Step1:
Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan and add cumin seeds.Once it starts sputtering add the finely chopped onion

Step2:
Once the onion becomes translucent add the chilly powder, coriander powder and salt

Step3:
Add the chopped mint leaves and fry for a minute and switch off the flame

Step4:
Once it cools down add wheat flour and make a soft dough using warm water

Step5:
Divide the dough to 6 equal parts and make the chappathi in a griddle in medium flame with little oil

Sending this to Aipi and Priya's "Bookmarked Recipes event"

Kumbakonam Degree Coffee

Today is the last day of the Blogging Marathon.My posts on TamilNadu recipes would not be complete without the South Indian Filter Coffee.

Filter coffee & Neer more (spicy butter milk) are the welcome drinks offered in most South Indian households.Most of them wake up in the morning with the fresh aroma of the filter coffee and the day starts with davara tumbler(tumber specifically used for serving coffee) in one hand and 'The Hindu' on the other hand

The perfect filter coffee is called as 'Kumbakonam degree coffee' which is prepared with fresh milk without adding water

Ingredients
Filter coffee powder: 2 tablespoon
Water:1/2 cup
Milk:1.5 cups
Sugar: as desired


Procedure:

• Boil water until it bubbles up
• Put 2 tablespoon of coffee powder in the perforated container of the coffee filter
• Press it slightly with spoon. Do not press too tight.The coffee powder should not stick to the vessel
• Pour the boiling water in the perforated container and quickly close it
• Open the filter after 15 minutes. You will find the decoction collected in the lower container
• Boil 1.5 cups of milk without adding water
• Pour 1/4 cup of decoction in a tumbler and add 3/4 cup of milk ,sugar and mix well
• Swish it using a dabara

Notes

• Do not reheat the coffee.You will lose all the flavors
• Close the lid of the coffee filter as soon as you pour boiling water
• Do not add the decoction to the milk.Only milk has to be added to the decoction
• If you want to store the decoction is refrigerator, add 1/2 of sugar and then store it.It will remain thick.You can reheat the decoction alone but not the mixed coffee
• Coffee has to be swished before serving.You should be able to see the froth on the top
• Always store the coffee powder only in air tight container
• For a kumbakonam degree coffee do not add water to the milk and always use the first decoction

Checkout the other famouse recipes of TamilNadu.

Kancheepuram Idli

Thirunelveli Halwa

Srivilliputhur Palkova

Kadambur Poli

Pazhani Panchamirtham

Thanjavur Thavala adai

Kumbakonam Filter coffee

Thanjavore Thavalai Adai

Thanjavur is famous for its art(tanjore paintings, thalai aati bommai) and architecture(Brahadeeswara temple).It is also known as Rice Bowl of Tamil nadu.There are so many authentic dishes that are famous in Tanjore district( Ashoka halwa,Poricha kootu,Thavala adai to name a few)
Thavala adai is very easy to prepare dish that can be had as either breakfast or evening snack.It can be prepared in minutes.It is shallow fried and shaped as that of vadai.It is crispier outside and soft inside.

Ingredients:
Rice Rava: 1 cup *
Toor dhal: 1 tablespoon (optional)
Grated coconut: 1/2 cup
Salt: to taste
Pepper corns: 1 tsp
Jeera (Cumin seeds): 1 tsp
Oil: to fry


* To prepare Rice Rawa, take 1 cup of raw rice and wash it thoroughly. Dry it for a while and powder it in a mixie (to a coarse powder).
Can also do this in bulk in flour machine and can be used for thavala adai, arisi upma, upma kozhukattai etc

Procedure:
Step1:
Soak tur dhal fpr 20 minnutes
Grind coconut, cumin seeds, tur dhal and pepper together to a coarse paste

Step2:
Boil 3/4 cup of water in a pan and add the rice rava, salt and ground paste and stir for 1 minute to make a thick dough

Step3:
Divide the dough to 12 lemon sized balls


Step4:
Flatten  the balls in plaintain leaf/butter paper and make a small hole in the center like ulundhu vadai

Step5:
Place these balls in the sides of the heated pan and pour some oil around them

Step6:
Close the pan and cook in the low flame for 2 minutes. 


Step7:
Turn the adais and repeat the same

Some snaps of Tanjore painting and dolls that we displayed in our workplace for a festival

Pazhani Panchamritham

Pazhani is one of the famous abodes of Lord Muruga.Panchamirtham is used for Abhishekam which is then offered as Prasatham.It is belived that this Panchamirtham has medicinal properties as well since it is used for Abhishekam and also stays good for a longer period of time without refrigerating.The taste and flavor is unique here.
Pancha - Five Amritham - Nectar indicates that this prasad is made of five major ingredients.There are various versions of Panchamirthams with different ingredients (e.g curd, milk, rasins etc). I got the basic information of Panchamirtham prepared at Pazhani at http://www.palanimurugantemple.org .It is said that Virupachi banana is used that has less water content  mixed with Kandasari sugar.
I am posting a simple Panchamirtham recipe which can be prepared in minutes and ideal for all the poojas at home

Ingredients
Ripe Banana: 2 medium sized (Hill banana)
Chopped Dates: 4
Grated Jaggery : 2 tablepoons
Honey: 1 tsp
Ghee: 1 tsp
Cardomom: 2 pods


Procedure:
Step1:
Mash the banana

Step2:
Add the finely chopped dates

Step3:
Add jaggery and mix well

Step4:
Finally add honey, ghee and cardomom and mix well.At this stage you will definitely feel the divine aroma

Thanks to Priya of NowServing for reminding me of a classical melody of Sudha Raghunathan
"Kumara malai kuyilinam koovum isai ketkuthu' where she sings about Pazhani Panchamirtham
"Pazhani malai panchamirtham naavile inikuthu..."

Kadambur Poli

Kadambur is a small city located in between Tuticorin and Kovilpatti. I have not been to this town.However I have seen the vendors selling Poli at the Kadambur Railway station when I was travelling in Pearl City express from Chennai to Tuticorin.That is where I came to know that Kadambur is famous for Poli
I dont have the exact recipe for Kadambur Poli.I am posting the one that I learnt from my Mother in law.She used to make these poli for Bogi festival every year and it tastes equally good as Kadambur Poli.

Ingredients

For making Dough

All purpose Flour/maida - 1  cup

Salt: a pinch

Tumeric powder: 1/2 teaspoon

Oil: 2 tablespoon

Water:1/3 cup

For Puran:

Channa Dhal (kadala Parupu)- 3/4 cup

Jaggery - 1 cup

Grated cocunut - 3/4 cup

Cardomom - 4

Ghee: to fry
The above quantity yields 10 polis

Procedure:

Step 1:

Mix maida, salt, and water and knead to pliable dough. It should be a little bit loose than the chapathi dough. Coat the dough with 1 teaspoon of oil (to avoid getting dried) and leave it covered for 1 hr

Step 2:

In a heavy bottom pan, dry roast the channa dal until it turns reddish brown.(may take 5 min)

Step3:

Once done remove from the flame and add hot water to the dhal and leave it covered for 30 min so that it gets cooked in the hot water itself (No need to cook in the stove)

Step4:

After it gets cooled, drain the water from channa dhal and add grated jaggery, cocunut, cardomom powder to it and grind it in a blender with adding less adding water

Step5:
Cook the mixture in a pan(approx 5 minutes) until it becomes thick (like puran)

Step5:
Divide both dough and puran into 10 equal parts

Now take a banana leaf/butter paper and place a small round of dough in it and press it. Now take the puran and place it in the dough. Pull the dough from the sides to close the puran and make a ball. This is similar as how we make the parathas (Refer picture)

Press the dough in butter paper

Place puran

Pull the sides and close it

Step6:

Now press this ball of dough to a circle shape. This can be done easily by hand by patting it gently.It should almost transparent (i.e you should be able to see the puran slightly).
Grease your hands with little ghee

Step7:

Heat the skillet/tawa, and toast the poli using ghee.

Step8:

Toast on both the sides

Step9:

Serve Hot