Home-made (Tomato based) Pasta Sauce

 

Ready-made sauces are available in plenty now-a-days, yet nothing can beat the taste of home-made sauce with fresh ingredients. With some Italian Herbs, widely available in the market and fresh vegetables, we can make excellent sauce which goes very well with Pasta as well as Pizza.

  

Ingredients:

Large Ripe Tomatoes (cut into wedges) – 5 to 6

Big Onion (roughly chopped) – 1 to 2

Garlic Cloves (cut into quarters) – 5 to 6

Green Bell Pepper/Capsicum (cut into small dices) – 1 (optional)

Red Chili Powder – 1 to 2 tsp. (according to the spice level)

Salt – to taste

Seasoning:

Italian Mixed Herbs – ½ tsp.

Dried Basil – 1 to 2 tsp.

Dried Parsley flakes – 1 tsp.

(Or) Fresh Parsley leaves – few stalks

Olive Oil – 1 tbsp. & 1 tsp.

Method:

In a pan pour 1 tsp. of oil and add garlic and onion and sauté for 2 minutes, now add tomatoes and sauté for few more minutes. Switch off and let it cool.  Grind the above in a mixer/blender and set aside.

Pour 1 tbsp. of Olive oil in a pan and add the Italian mixed herbs, followed by dried basil.  Stir in the capsicum and sauté for few minutes. Now reduce the heat and cook for few more minutes until the capsicum is cooked well.  Now add the ground mixture, along with red chili powder and salt and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.  Garnish with fresh or dried parsley.  Delicious home-made pasta sauce is ready to serve with pasta.

 This can be used for Pizza as well.

Tips Tips Tips...


Along with Bell Pepper/Capsicum, you can also add diced Button Mushrooms, Carrots, Beans, to enhance the taste as well as nutrition.

Pasta Shells topped with Sauce and Cheese!

 

 

Pasta with Tomato, Garlic & Basil Sauce

 





Spirals from San Remo!

 

Gnocchetti Sardi from granoro!

Penne Pasta!

 

 There are different varieties of pasta available, take the pasta of your choice, cook  Al dente and serve with pasta sauce. It will be an instant hit with children and adults alike.

 

How to Cook Pasta?

Pasta should not be too soft or too hard, it’s best to cook pasta 3/4^th, which is firm to bite. This is what we called ‘al dente’.

For 1 to 2 cups of pasta, pour 4 to 6 cups of water in a large pot and add a tsp. of Olive oil and salt to taste.  When the water boils, add the pasta and cook until firm, not too soft.  Drain the pasta and save the drained water to add it to sauce later.  Adding the drained water enhances the taste. (Quarter to half a cup will be fine.)

As you drain, rinse the pasta in cold water, so that the pasta doesn’t stick to one another.

Now mix the sauce with pasta, (or serve the pasta topped with sauce) garnish with Parsley and/grated Cheese, serve hot.

 For Home-made Pasta sauce recipe, refer to:

http://singaporechettinadrecipes.blogspot.sg/2014/04/home-made-tomato-based-pasta-sauce.html

 
 

Cooked Al dente!

 

With Sauce on top..

 

 

Mixed with Sauce!

Chettinad Malli Thokku/Coriander Pickled Chutney

Malli Thokku/Coriander pickled chutney is my mother’s special Recipe, very popular in Chettinad.  It’s an all time favorite for all of us.  It goes very well with Idli, Dosa, Uthappam and Curd Rice.  It’s best suited for travel, either taken with Idli or Curd Rice. (Rice with Yoghurt)

Malli thokku stays fresh in room temperature for about 2 to 3 days, after which you have to refrigerate.  For that, you have to cook the ground chutney in low heat for 15 to 20 minutes in low heat, until all the water content evaporates.

Ingredients:

Malli Thazhai/Fresh Coriander leaves – 2 to 3 large bunches

Chinna Vengayam/Small Onion/Shallots – 25 to 30

Vellapoondu/Garlic Cloves – 15 to 20

Green Chilli – 15 to 20

Puli/Tamarind Pulp – lemon sized ball/1 tbsp.

Salt – to taste.

Tempering Ingredients:

Kadugu/Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp.

Perungayam/Asafetida – 1/2 tsp.

Oil – 2 t0 3 tbsp.

Ground paste!

All the water content evaporated..

  

Method:

Rinse the Coriander leaves/Malli thazhai thoroughly and chop roughly.  Peel small and onion and garlic.  In a pan/Kadai pour 2 tsp. oil; add Kadugu/Mustard seeds and Perungayam/Asafetida roast well.  Add small Onion and garlic cloves, sauté for few minutes until golden brown. Toss the green chillies and coriander leaves/malli thazhai.  Add salt and cook for few more minutes.  Allow it to cool, before you grind it to a fine paste.

In a pan/Kadai, add 2 to 3 tbsp. of oil and gently transfer the ground paste, cook in high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, keep stirring. Then reduce the flame and cook in low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Delicious Malli Thokku/Coriander Pickled Chutney is ready.

With Idlis!

Vanjira Meen Milagu Varuval/Seer Fish Pepper Fry

 

 

This is a common variety of fish, most of the people like.  It has fewer bones, so suitable for feeding children.  It involves shallow frying which consumes much lesser oil compared to deep fry.  I prefer to use non-stick pan/tawa,

Ingredients:

Vanjira Meen/Seer Fish – ½ kg.

Lime – 3 to 4

 

 

 

Masala ingredients:

Milagu thool/Ground Black Pepper Powder – 2 tsp.

Seeraga thool/Cumin Powder – 2 tsp.

Red Chilly Powder – 1 tsp.

Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp.

Poondu/Garlic cloves – 6

Chinna Vengayam/Small Onions – 4 to 5

Thayir/Natural Yoghurt/Curd – 2 tsp.

Salt – to taste

Curry leaves – few

 

 

 

 

 

can cut into small pieces as you cook.. (optional)

 

 

 

 

Method:

Rinse thinly sliced Vanjira meen /Seer fish, rub some turmeric powder and pour juice of 1 or 2 limes.  Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes.  Wash thoroughly and it is ready to coat masala.

In the meantime, in a blender grind the small onions and garlic with little water if needed.

Combine all the masala ingredients including salt; coat this masala over the fish and set aside to marinade. Adding Thayir/Yoghurt will give a nice tangy flavor.  Toss some curry leaves and mix well. Let the fish rest at least for 15 to 30 minutes.  Ideally you can leave the marinade for an hour or two, so that the masala gets absorbed by the fish.

Now it ready to fry.  Add 1 to 2 tsp. of cooking oil, gently transfer the fish in a non-stick tawa/pan and fry for few minutes, turn over and cook for another few minutes. Cooking in low-medium heat will ensure that it’s cooked well.

Do not over-cook the fish; otherwise it will turn hard and rubbery.

Sprinkle few drops of lime juice over the fish and serve hot.

 

Idli Dosai Podi/Poondu Karuveppilai Podi/Spice Chutney Powder with Garlic and Curry leaves

Poondu Karuveppilai Podi/Spice Chutney Powder

 

This is my Mother’s special recipe; it’s very popular among her friends and relatives.

My Mother-in-law also does similar podi, but ingredients slightly differ, I combined the best of both and came out with this particular recipe, which has become our family’s favorite now.

 

Ulundu/Black gram/Urad dhal!

 

Curry leaves!

 

Vara Milagai/Dry red Chilly!

 

Ingredients:

Ulundu/Black gram/Urad dhal – 1 Cup

Vellai Ellu/White Sesame seeds – ½ Cup

Vara Milagai/Dry red Chilly– 1 and ½ Cups (if you want it less spicy, make it 1 Cup)

Garlic Cloves – 20 to 25

Curry leaves – ½ Cup

Perungayam/Asafetida - 1 tsp.

Salt – to taste

Gingelly Oil – 1 tbsp.

 

Roasted well!

 

Golden brown..

 

 

Ready to grind..

 

 

 

 

 

Method:

Dry roast Ulundu/Black gram and Vellai ellu/Sesame seeds, separately until golden brown, it will emanate a wonderful flavor as it get roasted.

Pour 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan and sauté the garlic cloves until golden brown.  Now, pour another teaspoon of oil and sauté the dry red chillies for few seconds, until it turns warm, not more than that, unless it will burn.

Dry roast the curry leaves until it becomes crispy.

Dry roast Perungayam/Asafetida and salt. Let all the ingredients cool for at least 20 to 30 minutes.

Now grind all the ingredients together in a mixer/blender.  Avoid grinding too much; the texture should be slightly coarse.

Spread it in a large plate and pour the gingelly oil and mix well.  Let it rest for a while, before you store it in an air-tight container.

Poondu/Karuveppilai Podi/ Spice Chutney Powder with Garlic and Curry leaves is a perfect combination for Idli/Dosa. Always serve with Gingelly Oil or Melted Ghee!

 

 

With Gingelly Oil and Soft Idlis!