Mrs.Mano's Tamilnadu Delicacies

[Mrs.Mano]

Dear Kamakshi!

Other than using for Non Vegetarian dishes and pulao varieties, I do not know any other use with the bay leaves. In some recipes, we have to powder the bay leaves with other ingredients. This is added to get the extra flavour only.

[Mrs.Mano]

Hello R!

Baking powder is added to get the smoothness. Sometimes, the hung curd will look like bread crumbs if we add it directly into the oil. It depends on the quality of the curd. So it will be better to beat it before adding it to the curry.

[R]

Thanks for explaining. What you have said is entirely true, the curd became like bread crumbs which did not expect! Otherwise, the taste was really great.

My son was telling that he loved that curry so much and he was eating simply that curry alone without chappathi!!

Bye.

[shanta]

Hi Mrs.Mano,

I would also love to have a copy of your recipe collection, I had PM'ed you my request for this along with my email address a few days ago. When you get a chance, could you please email me your recipe collection?

Thanks,
shanta

[Uma Ramanan]

Hello Mrs Mano,

Thanks a ton for sending me the recipe collection. I've already started preparing dishes using your recipes.

Regards,
UR

[Cindy]

Could anyone please tell me how to cook "sundakkai" (not the vathal)...

[pr]

Dear Mrs Mano
We had a couple of guests this weekend and i prepared ur karamani karakuzhambu . They really liked it and told that its different and tastes real good . Thanks for postin wonderful recipes .
Bye And Take care

[R]

Hi Kamakshi,

Can you repost here the recipe for cabbage pakoda-the one you posted a long time back?

Thanks and Bye.

[nalabaagam]

Could anyone please tell me how to cook "sundakkai" (not the vathal)...

This is a famous recipe from Chettinad side...

1. Take a little oil in a kadai and add Mustard seeds and Urad dhal.
Let it splutter.
2. Add finely chopped onions (1 big onion) and garlic and stir till golden brown.
3. Add the sundakai (say 100gms, fresh ones without much seeds, cut them into 2 pieces) and keep stirring. (The raw smell should disappear).
4. Add turmeric powder and salt and keep stirring.
5. Then add thick tamarind juice (squeezed for lemon size tamarind).
6. Let the sundakai boil in the juice and get into a thick gravy.
7. Add dhaniya powder, sambar powder / chilli powder and mix the gravy.
8. Add nicely boiled and smashed toor dhal (1/4 cup for 100gms sundakai) and mix in the gravy.
9. Add asafoetida(hing) powder before putting off the stove.
The gravy should become like a thick pachadi.

This goes well with rice. You can also have it as a side dish by making it more thick.

[R]

You can make sundaikkai sambar and kootu as well.

Also, pls note Mrs.Mano's recipes' collection; she has posted a recipe based on sundaikkai, guess.