Poori Masal

Poori with potato masala is one of the most common combo in south India. Both poori and masal are very easy to prepare. Just half an hour and a bowl full of pooris and a kadai full of masal will be ready. Here is how it is done.

Potato masal

Ingredients:

Potatoes - white skinned - medium - 6 to 7

Onions - preferrably red onions - medium - 2

Green chillies - 4 to 5

Ginger - 1 inch - scrape the outer skin and chop it very finely

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Oil for seasoning

Mustard seeds - half teaspoon

Urud dal - 1 tablespoon

Turmeric powder

Asafoetida powder

Salt as required

Method:

Cook the potatoes: Half the potatoes, wash them and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Wash the cooked potatoes in cold water and peel of the skin. Keep it aside.

Chop the onions length wise.

Chop the green chillies.

Heat oil in a kadai and add the mustard seeds and urud dal.

When the mustard seeds pops, add the green chillies, ginger and chopped onions and fry onions until it turns transperant.

Add the potatoes and pour a cup water.

Mash the potatoes here and there and allow it to boil.

Add the turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, salt and mix well.

Stir occasionally let it cook until the gravy thickens a little. (i.e the consistency should not be watery)

Turn off the heat and serve it with pooris or chapathis.

This is a very basic recipe for potato masal.

Poori:

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour - 2 to 3 cups

Salt - quarter teaspoon

Water - as needed

Oil - 1 tablespoon

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Take the flour in a large mixing bowl.

Add the salt and one tablespoon oil.

Mix using the tip of the fingers.

Pour half to three fourth cup water or as needed.

Knead to a stiff dough.

Heat oil in a Kadai.

Make small balls out of the dough. Take one ball and roll into 3 to 4 inches diameter by dredging in rice flour diameter and slide it into the hot oil carefully. Rice flour is used so that the oil can be resued.

Using a ladle (with holes - kannu somutu) press it a little.

The poori will puff into a ball.

Carefully turn to the other side and in few seconds (or until the sizzling stops), take out the poori by draining oil in the side of the kadai.

Transfer it to kitchen paper towel lined in a bowl and let the excess oil absorb in the paper towel.

Make poories one at a time. Repeat until the dough is over.

Enjoy these delicious poories with Potato masal or Channa masala.

The potato masal for pooris/chapathis is my entry to Curry Mela hosted by Srivalli of Cooking for all seasons.

Tomato mint masala kootu

This is one tasty dish that contains two star ingredients tomato and mint. Tomato is a versatile vegetable that forms a base to most gravies. I have used Mint (pudina) in this recipe. The fragrance of mint adds flavor to this healthy gravy. The base recipe is Mallika Badrinath's Tomato masala kootu in her book delicious vegetarian curries. I have slighty modified the original recipe to my taste. In the recipe below, the onions can be omitted to make a 'No onion gravy'. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 big - finely chopped (can be omitted)

Tomatoes - Large red ripe juicy - 3

Oil for seasoning

Turmeric powder - quarter teaspoon

Mustard seeds- half teaspoon

Urud dal - 1 teaspoon

Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Salt as required

Grind together using very little water:

Mint leaves - 1 small bunch

Coriander leaves - 1 small bunch

Grated fresh coconut - half cup (I used 2 tablespoons of dry, ground desiccated coconut)

Poppy seeds (khas khas or gasa gasa) - one and half tablespoons (soak in wate for 10 minutes)

Grind chillies - 3

Cumin seeds - half teaspoon

Mustard seeds - quarter teaspoon

Method:

Blanch the tomatoes: Boil water and add the tomatoes. After a few minutes the skin will peel off. Drain water and cool it. Remove the skin completely.

Cut the blanched tomatoes into one and half inch cubes. Keep it aside.

Heat oil in a kadai and add the mustard seeds. When it pops, add urud dal and curry leaves.

Add the chopped onions anf fry till it changes color.

Add chilli powder and turmeric powder. Stir for a minute and add the ground masala.

Mix required amount of salt and stir till good smell comes.

Add the tomato cubes and half cup water. Allow it to boil till the gravy thickens. Stir occasionally.

Garnish with mint leaves and serve hot with iddli, dosa or chapathi.

This is my entry to Herb Mania - Mint hosted by Dee of Ammalu's kitchen. Thank you Dee for starting a herb event.

This is also my entry to Curry Mela hosted by Srivalli of Cooking for all seasons.

Sorekayi hesaru bele sihi kootu

This is one authentic dish of south India. Sorekayi is bottle gourd and hesaru bele is moong dal in kannada. The two key ingredients of this recipe are bottle gourd and moong dal (I used split green gram dal). Both are highly nutritious. As for the bottle gourd, the cooked vegetable is cooling, diuretic, sedative and anti­bilious. I found a very interesting article about gourds HERE. Moong dal is rich in protein and next best to soy. A wonderful protein substitute for vegetarians. Since I have egg and soy allergy, moong dal is one nature's gift to me for a good protein substitute. It is very easy to prepare. Goes well with chapathi or rice, or can be relished like a soup. Here is the recipe.

I have used bottle gourd in this recipe. Chayote squash (chow chow) or cabbage can be substituted in the place or bottle gourd. finely chopped carrots and beans can be added to this kootu.

Ingredients:

Bottle gourd - 1 medium sized ( it should not taste bitter)

Moong dal / split green or yellow moong dal - half cup

Oil for seasoning - 1 tablespoon

Mustard seeds - half teaspoon

Urud dal - half teaspoon

Dry red chillies - 3 to 4 (green chillies can be substituted)

Turmeric powder - quarter teaspoon

Asafoetida powder - a pinch or two

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Salt as reqired

Grind together the following:

Fresh shredded coconut - 2 tablespoons

Poppy seeds / khus khus - 1 teaspoon

Cumin seeds - 2 teaspoons (optional)

Black whole pepper - half teaspoon (optional)

water - quarter cup

Desiccated coconut can be substituted for fresh coconut. I used two tablespoons of powdered dry desiccated coconut available in the Indian grocery store.

Method:

Peel the bottle gourd skin and chop the vegetable into small cubes and add it in water as and when you chop. Otherwise it will turn brown.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed kadai. Add the mustard seeds, urud dal, curry leaves and red chillis.

When the mustard pops, add the chopped bottle gourd and mung dal.

Add 3 cups of water and allow it to boil.

When it starts bubbling, add the salt, turmeric powder and asafoetida powder.

Keep it partially closed and let the content cook until the dal is mushy and the vegetable is tender. Stir occasionally.

When it is done, add the ground coconut and let it boil for a minute. The kootu is ready. Turn down the heat completely.

Serve with steaming white rice or as a side dish for chapathi.

This is my entry to VOW - bottle gourd hosted by Pooja of My creative ideas. Thank you Pooja for hosting this event.

I am sending this entry to Eat healthy - Protein rich event hosted in Art of Indian cooking. Sangeeth, I have used moong dal which is protein rich. Thank you for hosting this event.

Healthy tomato spring onion moong soup

Here is one simple and healthy soup with tomatoes, green onions and the moong dal. It is so delicious and filling too and a great soup for weight watchers. This dish can be had both as a soup as well as a side dish for chapathis. Before I head to the recipe, I would like to share the nutrition facts about the few key ingredients used in this recipe. Just googled for the nutrition information and found tons of sites that speak about the nutrition facts of these ingredients.

Tomato:
Source: www.lifeplusvitamins.com

Tomatoes are lipophilic, which means their nutritional value is increased by being cooked in some fat.

Cooked tomatoes may be more beneficial to your health than raw tomatoes.

Tomatoes are rich in vitamins (A, C Calcium) and fiber.

Tomatoes are rich the antioxidant Lycopene.

Green onion / Spring onion:

Source: www.oceanmist.com

Green Onions are a great source of vitamin A.

Research has shown eating Onions may result in a number of health benefits, including lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Onions also contain a substance that prevents the formation of blood clots.

Green Onions are also a good source of vitamin C (providing 15 percent of the daily requirement); iron (10 percent), and calcium and fiber (six percent).

Mung / Moong bean:

Source: www.answers.com

Whole or split seed of Vigna radiata (Phaseolus aureus, P. radiatus), green gram. A 150-g portion is a rich source of folate, copper, and selenium

a good source of vitamin B6, iron, and zinc

a source of protein and vitamin B1

provides 3g of dietary fibre; supplies 90kcal (380kJ)

Ingredients:

Tomatoes (red ripe juicy) - 3 large

Green onions - 2 bunches

Moong dal (split green gram) - half cup

Water - 3 to 4 cups

Turmeric powder - quarter teaspoon

Ground pepper - quarter teaspoon

Oil or butter for seasoning - 1 tablespoon

Salt as required

Masala powder - half teaspoon (garam masala or any masala of your choice. I used tandoori masala powder)

Note: you can substitue or add vegetables like broccoli, carrot, green beans to this soup.

Method:

Blanch the tomatoes: Boil water and add the tomatoes. After a few minutes the skin will peel off. Drain water and cool it. Remove the skin completely. Mash using a masher or grind without adding water.

Chop the green onions: cut and separate the green part and the white bulb. Chop the green part finely and keep separately. Cut the ends in the white onion bulbs and chop finely. Keep it side.

Wash the split green gram (split green moong dal).

Heat oil or butter in a heavy bottomed kadai and add the chopped white onion bulbs.

Fry for a minute and add the crushed or ground tomatoes.

Fry for a couple of minutes and add the washed split moong dal.

Add 3 to 4 cups water and stir gently.

Allow the content to boil partially closed. When you see bubbles, add the turmeric powder, salt, black pepper powder, and the masala powder of your choice.

Let the content cook until the dal is mushy and is well blended with the tomatoes and spices.

Stir occasionally while it is cooking.

Now add the chopped green part of the green onions. Stir and let it cook for a couple of minutes.

Turn down the heat and serve warm.

It makes a healthy soup or a good and healthy side dish for chapathis/rotis.

This soup is my entry to:

Eat healthy - Protein rich event hosted in Art of Indian cooking. Sangeeth, I have used moong dal which is protein rich. Thank you for hosting this event.

Monthly one dish event event hosted in Archana's kitchen. Archana, I have used tomatoes (vegetable) and green onions (leaf) in this soup. I have also used moong dal which is protein rich. Thank you for hosting this event.

Healthy cooking: event hosted in Fun and food for WIC - Be healthy of California. Mansi, all the key ingredients used in this soup is healthy and also very easy to prepare. Thank you for hosting this event.

Bele saaru / Paruppu rasam

South Indian lunch or dinner is not complete without rasam/saaru. Rasam forms the second course in a traditional South Indian meal after huli,samabar or kootu. The rasam powder that is used to prepare rasam is different in each household. There are different kinds of rasams like goddu saaru, bele saaru, pineapple saaru, more rasam, murungakka rasam, kathirikka rasam, thakkali poondu rasam etc. Of all these different rasams, paruppu rasam (tamil) or Bele saaru (Kannada) stands special. Saaru anna with spicy crispy potato palya, cabbage palya or any deep roasted palya is one delicious meal. It makes a healthy soup too. Here is the recipe. Please click here for rasam powder recipe.

Ingredients:

Red ripe juicy tomatoes - 2 large

Tamarind - small lemon size or quarter teaspoon tamarind concentrate

Toor dal - half cup cooked

Rasam powder / Saaru pudi - 2 or 3 teaspoons

Water - 2 to 3 cups

Turmeric powder - half teaspoon

Asafoetida powder - 2 pinches

Salt as required

Curry leaves

Chopped coriander leaves

For seasoning:

Ghee - one teaspoon

Mustard seeds - half teaspoon

Cumin seeds - half teaspoon

Method:

If using fresh tamarind: Soak in water for an hour or microwave with little water for a minute. Then, squeeze out the tamarind using hands, strain the tamarind pulp and use the water with tamarind extract.

Blanch the tomatoes: Boil 3 cups water and add the whole tomatoes. After you notice the skin peeling out (approximately 5 minutes), drain the water. Wash tomatoes in cold water and peel off the skin. Mash the tomatoes and keep it aside.

Boil 3 cups water in a sauce pan.

When it starts boiling, add the tamarind extract or the tamarind concentrate, crushed tomatoes, Turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, curry leaves and salt. Excess water that is used to cook the dal can be used instead of plain water.

Allow the content to boil for atleast fifteen to 20 minutes in medium heat.

Now add the rasam powder/saaru pudi and reduce the heat. Allow the rasam to boil for another 5 minutes.

Mash the cooked toor dal and add it to the rasam.

Now, do the seasoning. First heat the ghee. Add the mustard and cumin. When it sizzles, add it to the rasam carefully.

Turn offf the heat and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with steaming white rice with a dab of ghee accompanied with palya/cooked vegetable.

This is my entry to JFI - Tamarind hosted by Sig of Live to eat. Thank you Sig for hosting this event.

Cauliflower palya

Boiled Cauliflower is an excellent source of Dietary fiber according to WHfoods.org. Dietary fiber is undoubtedly one of the most talked about nutrients for health promotion and disease prevention.

Wiki: Cauliflower can be roasted, boiled, fried, steamed or eaten raw. When cooking, the outer leaves and thick stalks are removed, leaving only the florets. The leaves are also edible, but are most often discarded. The florets should be broken into similar-sized pieces so they are cooked evenly. After eight minutes of steaming, or five minutes of boiling, the florets should be soft, but not mushy (depending on size).

In this recipe, cooked cauliflower is seasoned with salt and mustard seeds and it makes a healthy accompaniment, especially to the south Indian rice varieties like rasam rice or sambar rice.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1 large or medium
Salt as required
Oil for seasoning
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - one fourth teaspoon

Method:

Discard the outer leaves and thick stalk. chop the florets.

Cook Cauliflower in one of the following ways.

Boiling method: Boil water and add the chopped cauliflower florets and let it boil until the florets are tender. Then, drain water.

Steaming method: Boil water and place a steamer rack and add the florets. Cover and cook until the florets are tender.

Microwave method: Add the florets to a microwave rice cooker or any microwave safe container. Wash and drain water. Cover it partially open. Cook in high for 10 minutes. Drain excess water.

After cooking the chopped florets in one of the aforesaid method, heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, when it pops, add the cooked cauliflower and mix in turmeric powder and salt until even distribution. Enjoy the cauliflower palya.

I can have this palya as an accompaniment to Saaru anna or Huli anna as well make a wrap with chapathi.

This is my entry to 'Eating healthy'- Fiber rich food event hosted by Sangeeth of Art of Cooking Indian Food . Thanks Sangeeth for hosting this event.

Pineapple gojju / Pineapple sweet and spicy gravy

Here is an authentic recipe for Pineapple gojju. Pineapple lovers and people who like sweet cum spicy dish will love this gojju/gravy. Coming to the recipe, I used one full pineapple for this gojju. You can either use the fresh fruit or buy readymade canned pineapple chunks for this.

Ingredients:

Fresh ripe pineapple - 1
Tamarind - extract pulp from small lemon sized tamaraind. or use half teaspoon tamarind concentrate
Jaggery - three fourth cup (substitute with 1 cup brown sugar if you don't have jaggery)
Oil - 1 tablespoon for seasoning
Mustard seeds - half teaspoon
Curry leaves
Turmeric powder - quarter teaspoon
Salt as required

Roast the following in half teaspoon oil and grind to a coarse powder:

Urud dal - 2 tablespoons
Fenugreek seeds - 1 teaspoon
Dhania - 2 teaspoon
white sesame seeds - 2 teaspoons
Red chilli powder - 4 to 5
(preferably use redchillis that do not have much heat. In that case use at least 10 to 12 red chillis)
Kobri - half cup (substitute with desiccated coconut that can be bought in Indian store)

Method:

I cut pineapple this way:

cut the leafy head off and the bottom too. Now the pineapple will stand steadily in a flat surfact. All you have to do is hold the pineapple well and with the knife cut the rough outer skin carefully all sides. Cut into four parts leaving the middle part. Discard the middle part. With the remaining 4 pieces, cut into small chunks.

Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds. When it pops, add the pineapple chunks and let the content heat up.

Add half a cup water, tamarind, salt, turmeric powder and curry leaves. Keep the kadai partially closed and let it cook until the pineapple chunks are tender.

Add the jaggery and the ground masala to the gravy (mix masala with half a cup water so as to avoid lumps while adding)

Again let the gojju boil partially covered for two to three minutes.

Turn off the heat and serve the hot pineapple gojju with steaming white rice with a dash of ghee. Serve with pappads.

1. The pineapple gojju is my entry to Mixed rice varieties event hosted by EC of Simple Indian Food.

My other entries for this event are

Kashmiri pulao
Mixed vegetable rice
Chinese style vegetable fried rice
Green peas pulao
Beetroot pulao
Pongal gojju
Capsicum rice

2. The pineapple gojju picture is my entry to 'Click - the photo event' hosted by Jugalbandhi.

The team organising the JUNE edition of CLICK at Jugalbandi has organised a fundraiser to help Bri and her family meet her out-of-pocket medical costs for ONE YEAR.

CLICK is a monthly theme-based photography contest hosted by Jugalbandi. This month’s theme is: YELLOW for Bri.

The entries can be viewed HERE. The deadline for entries is June 30, 2008. The fundraiser will extend until July 15, 2008.

The target amount is 12,000 U.S. dollars. We appeal to our fellow bloggers and readers to help us achieve this. Bri deserves a chance to explore all options, even if her insurance company thinks otherwise.

There’s

a raffle with exciting prizes on offer. After viewing the list, you may make your donation HERE or at the Chip-In button on any participating site.

Your donation can be made securely through credit card or Pay Pal and goes directly to Bri’s account.

This month’s photo contest also has some prizes. Details

HERE.

You can support this campaign by donating to the fundraiser, by participating in CLICK: the photo event, and by publicising this campaign. Thank you. My prayers and best wishes to Bri.

Poondu Kuzhambu / Garlic Gravy

Here is a fantastic tasty recipe for poondu kuzhambu. The base recipe is from Sri Ranjini of 'To Indulgence'. She has posted a wonderful recipe for Poondu Kuzhambu in her blog. I took the masala part of it and tried the same in my style. Thank you Sri Ranjini, your masala for kuzhambu is very tasty. We all loved it.

Ingredients:

Garlic pods (peeled) - 1 cup
(please use quarter cup garlic if using garlic in India as Indian garlic is much stronger and pungent than the garlic we get in the US)

Gingily oil - 2 tablespoons

Mustard seeds - half teaspoon

Turmeric powder - half teaspoon

Asafoetida powder - a pinch

Curry leaves - a strand

Tamarind concentrate - half teaspoon

(If using tamarind, use one small lemon size and soak in water. Squeeze and extract the pulp. Remove the seeds)

Water - 2 cups

Salt as required

Dry roast and grind the following:

Black peppercorns - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds – 1 ¼ tsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Channa dal – 1tsp
Toor dal - 1 tsp
Urad dal - ¼ tsp
Red chillies – 1 or 2 as per your taste

Method:

Heat one and half tablespoons of oil. Add the mustard seeds, when it pops, add the peeled garlic pods and curry leaves.

When the garlic turns light brown, add the tamarind and two cups water. Bring it to a boil.

While it's boiling, add the asafoetida powder, turmeric powder and salt.

After a couple of minutes add the ground masala powder little by little whisking at the same time as as to avoid lumps.

Allow the content to boil for atleast 10 minutes at low heat. The content will start thickening. If you added more water and it takes a longer time to thicken, you can add a tablespoon of besan flour and whisk it in half cup water and pour it in the gravy and stir well. This will thicken the gravy in no time.

Finally turn of the heat and add the remaining half tablespoon of gingily oil for an extra flavor.

You can serve this hot kuzhambu with steaming hot white rice. Serve with pappad for a delicious wholesome lunch or dinner.

This is my entry to the JFI garlic hosted by Mathy of Virundhu. Thank you Mathy for choosing a wonderful nutritious ingredient for the event.

Kadai Paneer

Kadai paneer is a simple tomato gravy infused with garlic and other spices. Usually capsicum is added to this gravy. This is such a wonderful tasty dish and is my entry to the JFI garlic hosted by Mathy of Virundhu.

Ingredients:

Juicy tomatoes - 5

Readymade Paneer - 8 oz - thaw to room temperature and cut into small cubes

Garlic - 5 pods

Capsicum/green bell pepper - 2

Dhania powder - 3 tablespoons

Cumin powder - 2 teaspoons

Tandoori Masala Powder - 1 teaspoon (optional)

Turmeric powder - half teaspoon

Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

Oil - 1 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Method:

Boil a quart of water and add the tomatoes. You will notice the tomato skin peeling out. Take the tomatoes out carefully and peel away the skin. This method is called blanching the tomatoes. Finely chop or crush the tomatoes and keep it aside.

Chop the garlic and capsicum.

Heat half a tablespoon of oil in a kadai and add 2 tablespoons dhania powder.

Add the garlic and the chopped/crushed tomatoes and allow it to cook.

When the content comes to a boil, add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, half a cup water and salt. Add the tandoori masala powder if you are using. Reduce the heat and allow it to cook, partially closed.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a kadai and add the dhania powder. Add the chopped capsicum and fry until three-fourth cooked. Add the panner cubes and fry for a couple of minutes.

Transfer this to the tomato gravy. Kadai paneer is ready. Serve warm for soft chapathis/Rotis.

Note:

If we cook the capsicum and tomato in the same kadai, the capsicum will end up being very mushy. Capsicum should be sautéed and should not be overcooked. Hence I used a separate kadai for capsicum.

Paneer can be home made too. Just bring half a gallon of milk to a boil and add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and give it a stir. The whey will separate from paneer. Transfer the paneer to a muslin cloth and drain the water completely. You can just add the crumbled homemade paneer to this dish instead of adding the paneer cubes.

This dish is usually served in a kadai and hence gets it's name as kadai paneer.

Chinta Chiguru Pappu / Tamarind Leaves Dal

Yet another arusuvai ingredient arrived at my door. This time it was from Uma of Essence of Andhra. She sent me a the surprise ingredient with loads of goodies - a cuddly teddy bear, a beautiful card, a cute little photo frame, chocolate and 2 ingredients. One was urud dal and channa dal which I used it for seasoning in the chinta chiguru dal and the other one was (which I didn't guess it right) dry tamarind leaves.

I googled for a recipe with the dry tamarind leaves and landed on Sreelu's chinta chiguru pappu. Thanks Uma for sending me all the things that I love and for sending the nellore special dry tamarind leaves. Thanks for introducing me to a new taste. Thanks to Sreelu for the wonderful recipe. We loved the dish.

Chavli Curry

Arusuvai ingredient arrived at my door again. Manasi of A Cook @ Heart sent me a packet with 2 wonderful ingredients as part of the Arusuvai Friendship Chain. She sent me two wonderful spice powders and a beautiful letter in which she gave me a clue to find what spice powder those were. When I opened the packet, the aroma instantly filled the place. It was really a surprise for me as I did not expect two ingredients. Thanks Manasi.

I have now used the second packet that she sent. It is the spice mix for (One Hot Stove) Nupur's Chavli Curry. Thanks Nupur for the recipe. I just followed the recipe word by word. We just loved the dish and many thanks to Manasi for sending me the chavli curry spice powder. I just soaked and cooked the black eyed peas and as the spice mix was already there, I finished the tasty curry in no time. We had this curry with soft chapathis and the combo was just out of the world. This was the first marathi dish I ever made. We will be doing this curry more often from now. Thanks once again to Nupur and Manasi.

I have not used the other ingredient. Will be posting soon after I use the spice powder.

Aloo Gobi / Potato Cauliflower gravy

Aloo gobi is one delicious gravy which is healthy and filling. This is a typical Punjabi dish but I added mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds to the gravy for a south Indian touch. I have omitted ginger garlic paste and kasoori methi in my recipe. You can add it for an extra flavor if you wish.

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 5 to 6 small size - quarter the potatoes with skin
(I do not peel the skin as it is a concentrated source of dietery fiber)

Cauliflower/Gobi florets - 1 cup

Onion - 1 medium - thinly sliced

Oil for seasoning

Mustard seeds - quarter teaspoon

Fenugreek seeds - half teaspoon

Cumin seeds - half teaspoon

Turmeric powder - quarter teaspoon

Red Chilli powder - half teaspoon

Dhania powder - 1 teaspoon

Salt as required

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

Rub fenugreek seeds with little salt in your palm, to reduce the bitterness. Wash and drain. Keep it aside.

Heat oil in a wide kadai. Add the mustard seeds, when it pops, add the cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds.

Add the onions and fry until light brown. Add the potatoes, cauliflower and 2 cups of water and allow it to boil.

When the content heats up, add the salt, red chilli powder, dhania powder and turmeric powder and stir.

Cook until the vegetables are tender. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve warm with Chapathis.

This recipe is my entry to “Ode to Potato” event hosted by Sia of Monsoon Spices.

Nimbu Saaru / Lemon Rasam with no tomatoes

I learnt this 'instant lemon rasam with no tomatoes' recipe from my mom. This is my entry to the JFI - Lime/Lemon hosted by Coffee. Thanks for hosting this event coffee and for choosing a wonderful ingredient.

Ingredients:

Toor dal (cooked) - 3 tablespoons

Water - 2 cups

(you can cook 2 to 3 tablespoons of toor dal in 2 cups water and use the entire content for this rasam)

Ginger (grated) - 1 teaspoon

Green chilli (slit vertically) - 1

Asafoetida powder a pinch

Turmeric powder - quarter teaspoon

Rasam powder - 1 teaspoon

Lemon juice - 2 tablespoons (use readymade or squeeze juice from 2 lemons)

Salt as required

Ghee - 2 teaspoons

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Chopped coriander leaves

Method:

Mix the dal and water. Add turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, green chilli, ginger and salt and allow it to boil in medium heat.

Keep the lemon juice ready.

Add the rasam powder and let it boil for a minute. Now, reduce the heat and add the lemon juice. Stir well and remove from heat.

For the seasoning, heat ghee and add cumin seeds, when it sizzles, add it carefully to the rasam. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with white rice.

Majjige huli with winter melon

This is a traditional south indian dish called majjige huli or majjige palidha in Kannada and Moru kozhambu in Tamil. As the name says, this gravy is a mixture of ground coconut and buttermilk (majjige), spiced with green chillies and flavoured with cumin that is added to the vegetable. I have used winter melon which is called vellai pooshani kaai in tamil. There are different versions of preparing Majjige huli and this is my mom's recipe.

Ingredients:

Winter melon - 2 cups - diced into 1 inch cubes

Oil for seasoning

Mustard seeds - half teaspoon

Urud dal - half teaspoon

Butter milk - 1 cup

Turmeric powder - half teaspoon

Asafoetida powder

Curry leaves - from 2 strands

Salt as required

Grind together the following:

Grated fresh coconut - half cup

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Green chillies - 2

Channa dal - 1 tablespoon (which is soaked in water for 15 minutes) - optional

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai and add the mustard seeds, when it pops, add the urud dal. When it turns light brown, add the diced winter melon, curry leaves, asafoetida powder and salt. Stir for few seconds and add one or one and half cups of water. Let it boil until the vegetable is cooked.

Meanwhile, add turmeric powder to the buttermilk and mix well. Keep it aside.

When the vegetable is cooked, add the ground coconut masala and mix well.

When it starts bubbling, reduce the heat and add the buttermilk.

Wait for just one boil and remove from heat.

This can be done using different vegetables:

Potato: Follow the same recipe, substitute potato in the place of winter melon.

Okra/ladies finger - cut into 1 inch length: Instead of adding water to cook, roast the okra.

You can substitute with other vegetables of your choice but winter melon and okra & potato are the popular vegetables for this majjige huli.

Serve with white rice. Enjoy with a spicy roasted vegetable or pappad.

This is my entry to LIVESTRONG DAY 2008 - the taste of yellow hosted in the winosandfoodies.com

Brinjal Coriander leaves curry

I used Thai eggplants/brinjals to prepare this delicious no onion curry. Want to add cilantro/coriander leaves to your diet? here is a wonderful curry that goes well with white rice or even rotis. Infact, I used it as a bread spread too. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:

Brinjals - 6 - preferably green brinjals (Thai green egglplant)

Oil - 1 teaspoon

Grind together the following adding half cup water

Coriander leaves - 1 bunch

green chillies - 2

Ginger - half inch

Salt

Asafoetida powder

Coconut - dry or fresh - 1 tablespoon (I used the desiccated coconut)

Method:

Dice the brinjal and add it to water as and when you cut.

Heat oil in a kadai.

Drain water from the eggplant, (leave away the seeds that are in the water) and add the diced brinjal and fry until half cooked stirring occasionally.

Add the ground coriander paste and mix well.

Cook covered until the all the moisture is absorbed. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking to the kadai.

That's it. The curry is ready. Serve with white rice and ghee.

(Thai Eggplant Photo from Wiki)

This is my entry to Vegetable of the Week hosted by Pooja of Creative Pooja

Kaara Kuzhambu

This recipe is by Renuka R, a featured "Chef" on Ammas.com. This Kaara Kuzhambu is a typical south Indian delight and is a tasty, spicy dish especially during winter. I altered the recipe a bit, but the base recipe is Renuka's. Thanks to her. This is my entry to JFI Onion hosted by Radhika. Thanks Radhika, for hosting this event.

Ingredients:

Tamarind - 1 big lemon sized ball.

(if using tamarind concentrate, use half teaspoon)

1 Onion

2 small Tomatoes

2 Green chillis slit vertically

1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste

(or use 1 teaspoon grated ginger and 2 to 3 pods garlic)

1 tablespoon Oil (preferably sesame seeds/gingily oil)

1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

1 teaspoon Urud dal

1 teaspoon Cumin seeds/Jeera/Jeeragam

Curry leaves from atleast 4 strands

Turmeric Powder

Red Chilli Powder

Asafoetida Powder

2 teaspoon raw rice

6 whole pepper

A small piece of jaggery

Salt to taste

Grind the following adding very little water

Half onion (chopped)
Raw rice
Whole pepper
Curry leaves from 2 strands

Ginger

Garlic

Method:

Blanch and remove the tomato skin. Chop and keep it aside.

Chop the remaining half onion.

Heat oil in a kadai. Add the mustard seeds. when it sputters, add the urud dal, green chillies, curry leaves, cumin seeds. Add the onion and fry until tender.

Add the tomatoes. Fry for a couple of minutes and add the ground masala, turmeric powder, tamarind, red chilli powder and salt to taste.

Pour 2 cups of water and allow it to boil. Stir occasionally.

After some time, the kuzhambu will start thickening. Add the Jaggery. Stir and turn off the heat.

Serve it with hot white rice. Can also be served with Idlis and Dosas.

Navaratna Kurma

This is my version of the navaratna kurma with lots of nuts and fruits. This delicious dish is so filling and is a treat for any special occasion. Navaratna means nine gems and the nine gems in my recipe are carrot, peas, potato, cauliflower, onion, tomato, almonds, pineapple and paneer. I added tutty fruity to add an extra punch to this rich gravy. Here is how I prepared.

Ingredients:

2 cups Mixed Vegetables - Cooked (carrot, peas, potato, cauliflower)

1/2 cup Paneer Cubes - Fried (make thin slices out of the fried paneer cubes)

1/2 cup Pineapple Chunks

Tutty fruity - 2 tablespoons (optional)

1 tablespoon Ghee

1 tablespoon butter (room temperature)

2 tablespoons chopped Almonds or Cashews

Salt to taste

Dry Masala:

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

2 teaspoons Poppy Seeds (Khus Khus)

1 teaspoon Cardamom Powder

Wet Masala - 1

grind together:

1 large Onion

2 ripe blanced tomatoes

2 green chillis

Wet Masala - 2

grind together:

1/4 cup Shredded Coconut

1/2 cup Cream (or evaporated milk)

1/2 cup Milk

Method:

Heat Ghee in a kadai and roast the nuts. Keep it aside.

Add the Butter and fry the Wet Masala - 1 for 5 minutes. Keep stirring. Add the Dry Masala and fry for a couple of minutes.

Add the Vegetables and Salt and mix well. After two to three minutes add the Paneer, Fruits and Nuts and the Wet Masala - 2. Let the gravy thicken. Turn off the heat and serve with Naan, Chapathis/Rotis or Parathas.

Note: Other ingredients that can be added to the gravy are apples, raisins and green beans.