Azhagar Kovil Dosai

About Alagar Temple / Azhagar kovil: Azhagar means charming person. Here it represents a beautiful God Krishna. Azhagar Kovil (Alagar temple),is a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu (aka., Lord Krishna) situated 21 km from the city of Madurai, which lies in the Tamil Nadu state of India.It is situated on a very beautiful hill with lush herbal forest. Specialities: Dosa: As Panchamirtham in Palani and Laddu in Tirupathi, in the Kallazhagar temple, Dosa is very famous. The grains donated to the temple are ground and made to dosas and offered to the visitors as prasadham (divine food) here. Noopura Ganga or Silambaru: This is a perennial river flowing from the feet of Rakkayee Amman from a cave in the temple. The theerthamn (holy water) from a spring inside the Temple is believed to run through so many rare herbs. So it is considered as a healing water for so many uncurable diseases. The lamp in the temple is kept burning for ever. Azhagar Kovil dosai: In the madapalli (the vegetarian kitchen to prepare offering for God), they prepare a crispy and unique dosa for offering to God and then distribute it to visitors. Actually they deep fry the dosai batter in ghee. But I have modified the preparation technique to suit our life style. I tasted this in my childhood while my chithappa (Gandhi chithi) worked there as temple EO.  Ingredients: Whole black gram (with skin) – 1 cup Raw rice (pacharisi/ unboiled rice) – 2 1/4 cups Fenugreek seeds – 1 tbsp Salt – 2 tsp whole Black pepper - 2 tbsp cumin seed - 1tsp curry leaf - 2 brig asafoetida - 1/8 tsp mixture of ghee 1 tsp + sesame oil 1 tbsp Batter preparation: Wash and soak rice separately for 8 hours or overnight. In another vessel wash and soak the urid dhal and fenugreek seeds together for about 8 hours. Grind dhal to coarse texture. Rice should be ground separately and finely. Don't add lot of water. The batter should be thick like softened butter. Add salt and mix the ground urad dhal with the rice mixture . Store this in a large vessel so that there is enough space for batter to rise. Grinding and storing of batter should be done the previous day, preferably in the night so that the batter would be ready the next day. The batter should be allowed to ferment for about 15 – 18 hours. I usually keep it inside the oven to get warmth. Home made Azhagar koil dosai: Grind the black pepper, cumin seed, curry leaf to a coarse powder.Just before we start preparing the dosa mix the asafoetida powder and the ground powder and mix well with the batter. Heat a dosa tawa (non stick or iron).Drizzle 2 drops of sesame oil+ghee over the pan. Using a clean cloth or wooden spatula rub the oil uniformly over the tawa. Take a ladle of batter and pour it gently over the tawa and do not spread it or press it.Reduce the flame to medium heat. Generously pour a 1/2 tsp oil+ghee around the dosa. You can add more ghee for kids:) Turn over the dosa when it starts getting mild red. cook both sides and take out the dosa . Again increase the flame, apply oil and repeat the above process to make more. Serving suggestions: This Azhagar koil dosai won't even need any side dish. But we can serve it with idly podi or butter or coconut chutney or idly sambar. Event: Sending these Azhagar kovil dosas to Divya Vikram's Show me your breakfast event. Note: Water should not be added the next day after it ferments. Dhal should be ground preferably in a grinder for at least 20 minutes and rice for 30 minutes. The batter can also be made using an "Indian Mixer". keep the remaining batter refrigerated.

Chicken Salna for Parotta

Other names: Chicken chalna / road side stall parotta kuruma.

If you stroll along the streets of Madras or any place in TamilNadu(India) like Madurai , Tuticorin ,Kovilpatti , Tirunelveli etc., in the night , you won't miss to hear the word parotta and salna. Parotta with Salna is a common street food in TamilNadu and kerala. It is called the staple food of the bachelors and Truck drivers there.
Chicken with some bones and skin is the flavor riser in a salna. It is made in a jiffy way to satisfy the taste buds of hard workers (but loved by all classes). We can make a vegetarian version with potato , cauliflower, beans also but the popular one is with chicken.
The chicken salna is much equivalent to a kuruma or soup except for its less addition of chicken and some different ingredients. Look at the simple ingredients like besan flour and groundnut.... don't add cashews or poppy seeds to get the original taste. You cannot relish the salna unless otherwise you make it along with parotta.
I am narrating a parotta stall version for the famous chicken salna (chalna).



Event:
Including this Chicken salna to the event The potluck - chicken ' hosted by me.


Ingredients:
Chicken (with bone) - 200 gm
Red Onion - 1
Tomato - 2
cilantro + mint leaf - a handful
Potato - 2
curry leaf - 2 brig
Bay leaf - 2
fennel seed - 1 tsp
cinnamon (pattai)- 2 inch
ghee / vanaspathy - 3 tbsp

Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste

To grind :
Shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
Green chilli - 4
cardamom - 4
cumin - 1 tsp
(roasted)groundnut or puffed channa dal - 2 tbsp

Ginger - 2 inch
Garlic - 3 pods

besan flour - 1 tbsp
Sour Curd - 2 tbsp

Method:
Chop the chicken pieces along with some skin and bone (approximately 150 - 200 gms).
Wash and clean the chicken . Apply Turmeric, 1 tbsp curd and keep aside.

Chop onion, Tomato separately and keep aside.

Grind ginger + garlic together.
Grind the other items given to grind and keep aside.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok.
Add the fennel seeds, cinnamon, bay leaf and let the fennel get red.

Then add the chopped onion , curry leaf, cilantro, mint and saute till the onion becomes golden.
Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute well.
Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook till oil oozes out.

Then add the chopped chicken, chilli powder, coriander powder ,salt, potatoes and stir well.
Add a cup of water and cook the chicken for 15 minutes or till the meat is cooked completely.

Then add the ground masala with 3 cups of water.
Let it come to a boil.

Beat the 1 tbsp curd with besan flour and add 1 cup water .
Pour this mixture into the boiling salna.
Cook for another 30 minutes in medium heat.
The consistency of the salna should be thin.

switch off flame.
Sprinkle a few slit green chillies, crushed cardamom (2) and close the lid.

Chicken salna is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve hot with parotta , Idly, Idiyappam .
Makes 1 liter of Chicken salna.
Parotta with salna:

Click here to see How to make parotta at home.

The very thought of the hot parotta loosened and mixed with the chalna packed in a banana leaf makes me nostalgic. Oh , yeah . That's how they pack in India before the arrival of plastic sheets:) The flavor of the banana leaf and the parotta chalna can definitely lit up a lot of smile in our faces:) Hope you all fall in love with this combination forever.
Happy cooking friends!