Nellikai Sadam, Paruppu Poli, Paruppu Vadai

In a traditional vegetarian Tamil household, a type of ‘sadam’, vadai (lentil fritters without onions and garlic) and a dessert are always made. This traditional platter includes the healthy nellikai sadam/gooseberry rice, paruppu vadai and the paruppu poli, a complete festive meal.

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Paruppu Vadai
  • Duration:1 hour 20 minutes
  • Serves:4 people

Authenticity Slice

Tamil

You can get the traditional taste and texture by adding a tablespoon of soaked chana dal to the ground batter.

Ingredients

  • Bengal gram (chana dal) (1 cup)
  • Pigeon peas (arhar dal) (1/4 cup)
  • Dry red chillies (sukhi lal mirch) (5)
  • Curry leaves (kadi patta) (10–15)
  • Asafoetida (hing) (pinch)
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Oil (for frying)

Method

  • Soak the dals for an hour, drain and grind them along with other ingredients to a coarse batter.
  • Grease foil/banana leaf with oil.
  • Heat oil in a deep kadhai.
  • Shape round or cylindrical vadais.
  • Now, fry them till golden brown.
  • Serve the fritters hot and crispy along with some chutney on the side.

Paruppu Poli
  • Duration:4 hours
  • Serves:6 people

Authenticity Slice

Tamil

Kneading the dough till it is soft and resting it is essential to get thin, soft and flaky polis.

Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour (maida) (2 cups)
  • MTR Haldi/Turmeric Powder (1/4 tsp)
  • Salt (a pinch)
  • Oil (1/4 cup)
  • Water (1 cup)
  • Ghee (1 tbsp)
  • Oil (1 tbsp)
  • label (For the dal stuffing:)
  • Bengal gram (chana dal) (1 cup)
  • Jaggery (gud) (powdered) (1/4 cup)
  • Cardamom (elaichi)x (2, powdered)
  • Clarified butter (ghee) (1 tsp)

Method

Method

  • In a large bowl, add flour, MTR Haldi/Turmeric Powder, salt and mix well.
  • Pour oil and blend it with the flour.
  • Add water little by little and knead it into smooth dough.
  • Grease a bowl with oil, transfer the dough and cover it with a lid or cling film for at least an hour.

For the dal stuffing:

  • Dry roast chana dal till fragrant.
  • Wash and soak in water (about one inch above the dal) for an hour.
  • Pressure-cook the dal on medium flame for up to 3 whistles.
  • Remove excess water, mash with a masher or ladle.
  • Heat a pan with a teaspoon of ghee. Add dal and powdered jaggery.
  • Cook on low flame until the jaggery melts and mixes well with dal and the excess moisture is absorbed.
  • Add cardamom powder and switch off.
  • When the mixture cools, shape the entire batch into lemon-sized balls.
  • Take a small portion of the dough and make a peda (ball) with the help of your palms.
  • Keep it on a butter paper, place a cling film or a polythene cover on top and roll it out with a rolling pin to make a small circle.
  • Now place a lemon-sized filling in the centre of the circle and seal the edges with the dough.
  • Pinch the dough on the top to seal the filling completely.
  • Now press gently with your palm and place it on the butter paper.
  • Place a cling film and start rolling to make a thin chapatti (circle).
  • Spread some ghee or oil on a heated tawa (gridle) and place the poli on it.
  • Let it brown a little on one side. Turn and spread ghee/oil on the front side as well as around the corners of the poli.
  • After repeating it on both sides, remove from the pan.
  • Serve paruppu poli while it is hot, for a mouth-watering experience.
     

Nellikai Sadam
  • Duration:30 minutes
  • Serves:2 people

Authenticity Slice

Tamil

While cooking rice for nellikai sadam, add a teaspoon of sesame oil to get the authentic non-sticky fluffy rice. Also, use grated gooseberry (amla/nellikai) instead of chopped ones, to give the rice a uniform flavour.

Ingredients

  • Cooked rice (2 cups)
  • Gooseberry (amla/nellikai) (2 large, grated)
  • Fresh coconut (nariyal) (grated) (1 tbsp)
  • MTR Haldi/Turmeric Powder (1/2 tsp)
  • MTR Lal Mirch/Red Chilli Powder (1/4 tsp)
  • Salt (to taste)
  • label (For tempering:)
  • Sesame oil (til ka tel) (2 tsp)
  • Mustard seeds (sarson) (1/2 tsp)
  • Bengal gram (chana dal) (1/2 tsp)
  • Split black gram (urad dal) (1/2 tsp)
  • Green chillies (halved) (2)
  • Curry leaves (1 sprig)

Method

  • Heat oil in a pan and temper with the ingredients given under ‘tempering’.
  • Mix grated gooseberry, MTR Haldi/Turmeric Powder, MTR Lal Mirch/Red Chilli Powder, salt and cook over low flame for 5 mins.
  • Add the cooked rice and grated coconut, stir well to mix.
  • Serve the healthy and delicious nellikai sadam piping hot.

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