Tamilnadu Lunch Menu 1- South Indian Lunch Menu Ideas

                         Tamilnadu-lunch-menu-recipes
Last week my in-laws were here .We spent 5 beautiful days together.I prepared these dishes for lunch.Generally we have thogayals for lunch.So i prepared Ridge Gourd thogayal , Gooseberry – curd pachadi , Puli keerai ,Broad Beans sambar , Carrot – beans poriyal,Urad dal Vada , Papad & milk kheer .I am sending this post to my SIL’s  “Show wat u cook for Guests“ event.

Tamilnadu-lunch-menu-before-serving

PULI KEERAI

Let me start from Puli keerai.Hope u can find out from the dishes.I normally prepare keerai kadaiyal.For a change , i tried puli keerai by asking my mom.It was very tasty when had with plain rice & ghee.So here comes the ingredients & method of preparation.

Ingredients

  • Arai Keerai / Mulai keerai –2 cups (chopped)
  • Tamarind – a small gooseberry size
  • Red chilly – 2-3 nos
  • Salt & water – As needed.

To season

  • Ghee – 2 tsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1/ 2 tsp
  • Urad dal – 1/2 tsp

Method:

  • Remove & Wash the leaves and cook it along with tamarind & red chilly.
  • Let it cool & then grind with salt to make a smooth paste.
  • Do the seasoning.Serve with plain rice & ghee !!
RIDGE GOURD THOGAYAL


Ingredients

  • Ridge gourd – 1 no (medium size)
  • Tamarind – Medium gooseberry size
  • Red chilly – 5 nos
  • Urad dal – 1 tbsp
  • Hing – 2 pinches
  • Salt & water – As needed.
  • Oil – As needed

Method :

  • Heat a kadai with a tsp of oil and roast urad dal , red chilly & hing.Set aside.
  • Soak tamarind in little warm water and keep aside.
  • Peel the skin of ridge gourd using a peeler and cut into small pieces.
  • Heat the kadai with a tbsp of oil and saute the ridge gourd pieces till its completely cooked.May take 10 mins in medium flame.
  • Let it cool . Finally grind everything to make a smooth paste.
  • Serve with plain rice and sesame oil.
CARROT– BEANS PORIYAL

Ingredients

  • Carrot – 2 nos
  • Beans – 10 nos
  • Moong dal – 2 tsp
  • Sambar powder – 1 tsp
  • Grated coconut – 2 tbsp
  • Salt & water – as needed.

To season :

  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
  • Jeera – 1/4 tsp
  • Curry leaves – A sprig

 Method

  • Wash & cut carrot , beans into small pieces.
  • In a vessel take the veggies along with moong dal , Sambar powder & Salt.
  • Add the required amount of water and cook it.Take care the moong dal should not become mushy.It should be just blossomed.
  • Once its cooked well , remove & cool.Drain the excess water if any ( I usually add that water to sambar )
  • Heat a kadai with a tsp of oil and do the seasoning.Finally add the cooked veggies and toss well.
  • Add the grated coconut and mix well. Saute for 5 mins & remove.
  • Serve as an accompaniment for Sambhar / Rasam & Curd rice.
BROAD BEANS SAMBAR / AVARAKKAI SAMBAR

Ingredients

  • Broad Beans / Avarakkai – 10 nos (cut into two)
  • Toor Dal – 1/3 cup
  • Tamarind – Big gooseberry size
  • Home made Sambar Powder –  2 tsp (Refer at the end of this post)
  • Sambar onions / Shallots – 10 nos
  • Green chilly – 3 nos (slit cut)
  • Tomato – 1 no ( finely cut)
  • Curry leaves – a sprig
  • Hing /asafetida – 3- 4 pinches
  • Salt & water – As needed.

To Season:

  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Fenugreek Seeds – 1/4 tsp
  • Curry leaves – a  few.
  • Red chilly – 1 no
  • Coriander leaves – To garnish

Method:

  • In a Pressure cooker take toor dal with a pinch of turmeric powder and a drop of oil .Add the cut broad beans pieces to it with required water..Cook for 1 –2 whistle till the dal turns mushy.Mash it with a ladle.Set aside.
  • Soak Tamarind in warm water for 15 mins and extract the juice from it.
  • Peel the sambar onions and Slit cut the green chilly into two.
  • Heat a kadai with oil and splutter the mustard seeds &  fenugreek seeds & pinched red chilli.Then add the sambar onions, Green chillies & curry leaves and tomato pieces.Saute well.
  • Then add the tamarind extract , Sambar powder , a pinch of turmeric powder , 3 pinches of hing & few curry leaves.
  • Cover & let it boil till the onions get cooked.Nice aroma arises.
  • Finally add the cooked toor dal along with broad beans and let it boil for another 5 mins.
  • Remove & Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with plain rice & ghee !!

URAD DAL VADA

U can refer here for the recipe & preparation.I added a tsp of toor dal & a tsp of raw rice while soaking a cup of urad dal. Remaining the same as given there.

MILK KHEER

U can find the actual recipe in this blog .I just added 2 pinches of cardamom powder.Else the same procedure.It was very tasty & rich. Thanks a lot Jeyashri .Smile

milk kheer


 SAMBAR POWDER RECIPE

  • Coriander seeds – 1/4 kg
  • Red chilly – 1/4 kg
  • Fenugreek seeds – 50 gms
  • Toor dal – 50 gms
  • Channa dal – 50 gms
  • Pepper corns – 50 gms
  • Jeera – 2 tbsp
  • Turmeric powder – 50 gms

Bye for now Wave

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52 thoughts on “Tamilnadu Lunch Menu 1- South Indian Lunch Menu Ideas”

  2. Ash

    Hey Chitra,

    The entire pic looks very delectable. But me personally like the milk kheer better.

    Because just recently I had prepared for my hubby, & we enjoyed it cold like rabdi. Yum………………
    And I felt "J", hearing about the wonderful time u spent with in laws, as it has been quite some time since I have been to Ranchi. May be this year…. I hope…. Please pray that it be possible….

    Love,
    Ash…………
    (http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)

    Reply
  9. Saraswathy Balakrishnan

    MY MY Chit very delicious spread of food esp the vadai…looking so tempting which made to soak some ural dhal to make for the evening snack..

    Reply
  10. Tulip

    Very nice spread… 🙂 Thanks for the Sambhar powder recipe…a friend gave me a bottle of home made powder, maybe next time I can make following your recipe 🙂

    Reply
  16. Jeyashris Kitchen

    nice spread chitra. Like the way u make the beans carrot poriyal.new for me. will try next time.
    And glad to know the milk kheer turned out well.Thank u so much.

    Reply
  27. GEETHA ACHAL

    சித்ரா, பார்க்கும் பொழுது இப்ப வாய் ஊருகின்றதே…

    எனக்கும் ஒரு தட்டு வைத்து எல்லாம் சாப்படும் எடுத்து வையுங்க…இதோ வந்துகிட்டே இருக்கேன்..

    சூப்பராக இருக்கு…

    Reply
  36. Unknown

    Simply super…All the recipes look awesome and delicious…:) love your pulikeerai especially. Do visit my blog when u find time…

    Reply
  40. Sandhya Hariharan

    Hi Chithra,

    Thanks for dropping by my blog. Wow.. wat a feast !!
    Good to know you are from Blore.. We are based in Blore as such .. but in London for sometime 🙂

    Will visit often…..
    happy Blogging!!

    Reply
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