Recipe for Paya – Veg version. Delicious served with idli. Recipe for veg paya with step by step pictures.
This post will get my share of trolling from my non-veg loving friends. Bring it on. I was first served this version of veg paya with mini idlies at a wedding and I really liked it. I contacted the “saraku master” and he told me that it was made with moong dal and a kurma masala. It was a delightful combination from the monotonous idli-sambar. I tried it at home with my own masala and it turned out to be very delicious. The mini idlies dunked in paya is breakfast made right. Do try it at home. I am sure this will be a winner. There is no better way to start the day than good food.
Prep Work Cook 3 tablespoon of moong dal with 1 cup of water and set aside. I cooked for 4 whistles in a cooker and allowed the pressure to settle on its own.
For the Veg Paya Masala Grind all the ingredients listed under paya masala to a smooth paste adding about a cup of water while grinding. Set aside. I have used ready made chicken masala powder today for making the masala paste. You may use your home-style masala or curry masala powder.
Making Veg Paya Heat oil in a pan and add in the fennel seeds, cinnamon, clove, cardamom and kalpasi (stone flower).
Add in the finely chopped onions, whole green chillies and saute for five minutes. The whole chillies are just for the aroma and flavour. If you want a spicy paya, you may slit the chillies and add them.
Add in the tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are soft.
Add in the ground masala paste, two cups water and the cooked moong dal.
Cover the pan and let the veg paya simmer for 15 minutes on a low flame.
Veg Paya is ready. Serve the veg paya with idli .
Veg Paya Masala
- 7 - 8 cashew nut
- 1 tablespoon khus khus, white poppy seeds
- 1/3 cup fresh shredded coconut
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 2 teaspoon ready made chicken masala
- 2 green chillies
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 inch piece ginger
- 6 cloves garlic
Other Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon moong dal
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil / sunflower oil
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 inch piece cinnamon
- 1 clove
- 1 cardamom
- 1 teaspoon kalpasi (st one flower)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 whole green chillies
- 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
- Cook the moong dal and set aside. Grind all the ingredients listed under paya masala to a smooth paste adding about a cup of water while grinding. Set aside
- Heat oil in a pan and add in the fennel seeds, cinnamon, clove, cardamom and kalpasi.
- Add in the finely chopped onions, whole green chillies and saute for five minutes.
- Add in the tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are soft.
- Add in the ground masala paste, two cups water and the cooked moong dal. Cover the pan and let the veg paya simmer for 15 minutes on a low flame.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: curry
- Cuisine: South Indian
Veg Paya Masala
- 7 - 8 cashew nut
- 1 tablespoon khus khus, white poppy seeds
- 1/3 cup fresh shredded coconut
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 2 teaspoon ready made chicken masala
- 2 green chillies
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 inch piece ginger
- 6 cloves garlic
Other Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon moong dal
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil / sunflower oil
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 inch piece cinnamon
- 1 clove
- 1 cardamom
- 1 teaspoon kalpasi (st one flower)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 whole green chillies
- 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
- Cook the moong dal and set aside. Grind all the ingredients listed under paya masala to a smooth paste adding about a cup of water while grinding. Set aside
- Heat oil in a pan and add in the fennel seeds, cinnamon, clove, cardamom and kalpasi.
- Add in the finely chopped onions, whole green chillies and saute for five minutes.
- Add in the tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are soft.
- Add in the ground masala paste, two cups water and the cooked moong dal. Cover the pan and let the veg paya simmer for 15 minutes on a low flame.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: curry
- Cuisine: South Indian
Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/veg-paya-recipe-paya/
Recipe for Spicy Nethili Meen Varuval, Deep fried Anchovies – நெத்திலி மீன் வறுவல். Anchovies marinated in a Tamil style masala with spices and herbs and deep fried. Crispy and crunchy Nethili Meen Fry recipe.
I love deep fried anchovies. They never made anchovies at my home. We had access to only river water fish when were young. Sea fish was very hard to come by in Coimbatore. The first time I had anchovies was in Chennai when I was young with Babu Uncle . When the deep fried anchovies arrived at the table, I took one and was incessantly trying to remove the tiny bones. He stopped me and told me to just eat it all. I was like “எனக்கு போன் சாப்பிட்டு பழக்கம் இல்லையே” – I am not used to eating bones in a fish (I was actually scared if the bones would poke me). He just casually took an anchovy and enjoyed it. He told that the tiny bones are so soft and so crisp that you will never realize that there were bones to begin with. I had my first deep fried anchovy – It was crispy, crunchy, salty and so full of the flavors of the sea. It has become one of my favorite fishes. I like it deep fried. Here is how to do Nethili varuval, my style. We will need gutted and cleaned Nethili fish for this fish fry. Clean and wash the Nethili in salt water. Set aside to dry. If the anchovies are small, keep the bones in. If the anchovies are big (More than 2 inches), its easy to remove the bones from the anchovies. Today I had big anchovies. So I removed the bones. Refer to this video in you tube for deboning anchovies.
Take a bowl and add in the cleaned fish. Add in the crushed ginger and garlic. I use a mortar and pestle to crush the ginger and garlic.
Add in the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, black pepper powder and salt. Add in the rice flour and maida.
Add in the vinegar. Plain regular vinegar works just fine. No fancy vinegar is required. Add in finely chopped curry leaves. Curry leaves is what gives that southie flavour to the fish. Do not omit the curry leaves.
Mix everything well to combine. Sprinkle few drops of water while mixing. Let the fish marinate for 30 minutes to an hour at room temperature.
Heat vegetable oil / sunflower oil in a kadai until really hot. The masalas wont separate if fried in really hot oil. When the oil is hot, gently place the marinated anchovies and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add in few sprigs of curry leaves to the oil. Try not to disturb the fish after placing in oil.
Fry till golden.
Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel.
Squeeze some lemon juice on the fish and serve hot with some sliced onions. Serve immediately.
- 250 grams Anchovies, cleaned and gutted, deboned if big
- 2 sprigs curry leaves, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1/2 inch piece ginger
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon plain vinegar
- 2 tablespoon rice flour
- 2 tablespoon maida
- Vegetable oil / Sunflower oil to deep fry
- lemon wedges and sliced onions to serve
- Clean and wash the Nethili in salt water. Set aside to dry.
- Add in finely chopped curry leaves, crushed ginger and garlic, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, black pepper powder and salt.
- Add in the vinegar. Add in the rice flour and maida.
- Mix everything well to combine.
- Let the fish marinate for 30 minutes to an hour at room temperature.
- Heat vegetable oil / sunflower oil in a kadai until really hot. The masalas wont separate if fried in really hot oil. When the oil is hot, gently place the marinated anchovies and fry for 2-3 minutes. Try not to disturb the fish after placing in oil.
- Fry till golden. Serve immediately.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Tamilnadu
