Curry leaves raita

I found this recipe on this blog. It has never occurred to me that one can use ground curry leaves in raita, especially considering that I love the curry leaf flavor. So, trying out the recipe was a no brainer. The raita is delicious.

Here is my slightly modified take on the original recipe:

Curry leaves raita

Curry leaves raita

Ingredients (enough for two):
3 sprigs tender curry leaves (the mature ones could taste a little bitter)
A small piece of ginger
6 pepper corns
A few pinches asafoetida
A small piece green chili (only for flavor)
1 tbsp grated coconut
1 cup curd, beaten smooth
Salt

For tempering:
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal
1 broken red chili
5 curry leaves
Oil


Method:
1. Wash the curry leaves.
2. Grind the curry leaves with ginger, pepper, asafoetida, chili and coconut to a smooth paste. Add just enough water to help with the grinding.
3. Mix the above paste with the beaten curd. Add salt to taste. The mixture can be refrigerated at this point if you plan on serving later.
4. Just before serving, add oil to another small pan and place on medium heat. Add the broken red chili and the urad dal. When the urad dal changes color, add mustard seeds. When the mustard pops, add the asafoetida and the curry leaves in quick succession.
5. Add the entire tempering mixture to the curd mixture and mix well.

Serve hot with rotis and a side dish or with pulao

Notes:
1. Do not add so much green chili to the raita that it becomes spicy. Raita usually helps in taking the heat off the other dishes and you probably don't want to be in the position of having to make another raita to take the heat off this one!

Potato tomato peas curry

This recipe has it's base in the recipe in the Bedmi ki aloo subzi recipe here. I wanted to add some more vegetables, so made some modifications. The end result was a spicy tangy delicious curry.

Potato tomato peas curry

Potato tomato peas curry

Ingredients (enough for 2-3):
1 medium. 2 small potatoes
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup frozen peas (if fresh peas are used, boil for 5 minutes in microwave before adding)
1 tsp ginger, grated
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 heaped tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp kashmiri red chili powder
1 tsp aamchur (dry mango powder)
3 pinches of jeera powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste
2 tbsp fresh, chopped, coriander leaves
Water

For seasoning
1/2 tsp jeera
5 whole methi seeds
A pinch hing
2 tsp sesame oil  (or any oil)

Method:
1. Boil the potatoes and peel. Mash potatoes with fingers and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan. Add the jeera. When it sizzles, add the hing, methi seeds and the grated ginger. Stir fry for 10 seconds.
3. Add in the sliced onions and a little salt and fry till the onions change color.
4. Add in the chopped tomatoes and the turmeric and coriander powder. Cover and cook for a few minutes till the tomatoes turn mushy.
5. Add in the chili powders and stir till mixed well with the onions and tomatoes.
6. Add in the rest of the spice powders (aamchur, jeera powder, garam masala powder) and mix well.
7. Add in the mashed potatoes and 3-4 cups of water. As the original recipe says, the consistency should be soupy.
8. Now add in the frozen peas and mix well. Bring the entire mixture to a boil. Then, cover the pan, lower the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes or till the mixture has reached a semi-gravy consistency. Adjust for salt.
9. Mix in most of the coriander leaves and garnish with the rest.

Serve hot with rotis and raita on the side. Delicious.

Idli/dosa sambhar

This is my favorite home-made idli sambhar recipe. This recipe is heavily adapted from Dad's sambhar recipe (dad makes the most amazing idli sambhar, even outshining mom) and for all its simplicity tastes awesome with idlis. Of course, you can have it with dosas too but how do you soak up mouths full of sambhar with every bite then?

Idli/Dosa sambhar

Idlis dunked in sambhar

Ingredients (makes enough for 3-4, depending on how much of dunkers your eaters are)
1/3 cup tur dal
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 medium tomatoes, roughly squeezed into pieces with hands (yes, it somehow *is* tastier this way. I usually wash the dal, add water and then squeeze the tomatoes into this water)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium potato, peeled, cut into cubes
1 medium carrot, peeled, cut into cubes
1 heaped tsp red chili powder
3 heaped tsp coriander powder
1 tbsp fresh, chopped, coriander leaves
Oil
Water
Salt

For tempering:
1 generous tsp ghee
1 tsp oil, preferably sesame oil
1 broken red chili
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp jeera seeds
A pinch hing
1 sprig curry leaves

Method:
1. Pressure cook the dal along with water, the squeezed tomatoes, turmeric and a few drops of oil for 10 minutes after the first whistle sounds. Mash well with a dal-masher/back of a flat spoon and set aside.
2. Add a little quantity of oil to a pan and add in the sliced onions. Fry them.
3. When the onions change color, add in 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower flame, cover and cook for 5 minutes. This onion water forms the base for the sambhar.
4. Add in the coriander powder and the cut potato and carrot pieces. Bring to a boil, lower flame, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Add in the chili powder. The veggies should be almost done at this point. Else, cover and cook for a few more minutes.
6. Add in the mashed dal. Bring to a boil, cover and then simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Add salt
7. To temper, add the ghee, sesame oil and broken red chili to a small pan. Add in the jeera and wait for it to crackle a bit, then add in the mustard. When it splutters, add in the hing and the curry leaves in quick succession. Add the entire mixture to the bubbling sambhar.
8. Top the sambhar with coriander leaves, cover the pan and turn off heat.

Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving with hot idlis and/or dosas.

Notes:
1. Other veggies like ladies finger/brinjal/beans etc can be added. In case of "sticky" vegetables fry it along with the onions before adding water.
2. More water can be added after adding in the dal to bring the sambhar to the consistency you like. I like my sambhar medium thick.
3. Adjust red chili powder quantity to your taste.
4. Yes, there is no need to add separate sambhar powder. You can add in some if you want when you add in the chili powder (adjust chili powder quantity accordingly) but it really is not necessary.
5. No tamarind either. The tomatoes add in sufficient sourness.
6. Don't skip the ghee. It adds a wonderful flavor to the sambhar.

Kerala Sambhar

I recently visited my husband's native place in Kerala. I fell in love all over again with the place (Kerala is so beautiful!) and with the cooking as well - yummm! Though it was fresh fish-galore at most meal times, sambhar also made an appearance at times. I really liked the sambhar - it was like a cross between the normal Tamil sambhar and arachuvitta sambhar and so asked for the recipe. Here it is, as gleaned by me through an interpreter (some of S's relatives only speak Malayalam).

Kerala Sambhar

Ingredients
(Try to use coconut oil wherever the recipe calls for oil if you like the taste. It really adds to the dish)

For the masala paste:
2 peppercorns
1 pinch methi seeds
1 pinch jeera seeds
10 curry leaves
2-3 shallots, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic
1.5 tbsp grated coconut
A few pinches asafoetida

Roast all the above ingredients in a little oil and grind to a fine paste with a little water.

Extract 1 small lemon-sized ball of tamarind  in 2 cups water.

Add the masala paste to the tamarind extract and set aside.

For the sambhar:
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 medium tomato, chopped fine
1.5 cups chopped sambhar veggies (okra, pumpkin, carrot etc - Kerala sambhar can include *any* vegetable including raw bananas)
1 slit green chili
3 heaped tsp coriander powder
1 heaped tsp chili powder
1/2 cup tur dal
1/4 tsp turmeric
Water
Oil
Salt

For tempering:
1 tsp mustard seeds
A pinch asafoetida
5 torn curry leaves
Oil

Method:
1. Pressure cook the tur dal with 1.5 cups water and the turmeric. When it cools down, mash completely and add 1 more cup water. Set aside.
2. In a wide bottomed pan, add a little oil and toss in the slit green chili and onions. Once the onions change color, add in the tomatoes and salt. Cook well till tomatoes are mashed.
3.  Add in the chopped sambhar veggies, coriander and chili powder and mix well. Cover and cook till the veggies are almost cooked.
4. Now add in the dal-water mixture to the cooked veggies.  Bring to boil and then reduce flame. Cover and cook for 7 minutes.
5. Add in the tamarind-masala mixture. Mix well, bring to a boil and then reduce flame. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
6. In a different small pan, add in oil and the mustard seeds. When they pop, toss in the hing and the curry leaves. Mix well and add to the boiling sambhar liquid.
7. Turn off heat and cover the sambhar dish with the lid. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes.
8. Adjust for salt and server hot with rice or idlis or dosa.

Like I said, yummy!

Ginger apple cucumber salad

This recipe is adapted from here. Though the picture below does not look all that appealing, the salad was pretty tasty (and yeah, my usual refrain, healthy too). The lightly fried onion forms a wonderful contrast with the raw ingredients and the flavors come together nicely in your mouth.

Ginger apple cucumber salad

Ingredients (enough for two as a starter, or for one as the entree at lunch)

2 medium sized cucumbers, peeled
1 medium apple, peeled
1" ginger piece, grated
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1/2 tsp turmeric
2/3 tbsp vinegar diluted with 1/3 tbsp water
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted without oil
1.5 tsp sunflower oil (or any other flavorless oil)
Salt to taste

Method
1. Vertically cut the cucumbers into four pieces each. Deseed them and slice into thin pieces using a mandolin slicer or a knife. Do the same for the apple. Mix both and set aside in a bowl.
2. Add the grated ginger, honey and salt to the vinegar and mix well.
3. Add the above dressing to the cucumber and apple. Mix well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4. When ready to serve the salad, add the oil to a pan. add the onion and saute well till the onion starts to look cooked..
5. Now add in the turmeric and a little salt and continue sauteing the onion till the tips begin to change color. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
6. Remove the cucumber-apple mixture from the refrigerator and drain any accumulated liquid.
7. Mix the onion with the rest of the salad ingredients. Adjust for salt.
8. Top with the toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Notes
1. You can substitute toasted sesame seeds with sliced almonds.
2. Raisins added in should also be good.

Podalangai (snake gourd) koottu

I can't believe I did not know how to make this dish till a few months ago. I always thought koottu involved using coconut and being the health conscious person that I am, I did not make koottu on a regular basis to avoid using coconut. Then, I was cooking in my mom's kitchen one day and she taught me how to make koottu (a vegetable side dish with gravy) without coconut. It tastes surprisingly good and is also super easy to make as it involves very minimal monitoring once on the stove.

So, these days, this has become my go to dish of choice when I do not have too much time to cook but would still like to eat a filling, healthy and tasty meal. Thus, my fridge's veggie drawer is now stocked with either podalangai (snake gourd) or chow-chow (chayote), both of which make good koottu.

Enough with the blah-blah and on to the recipe:

Podalangai Koottu

Podalangai Koottu

Ingredients (2 servings):
1 medium podalangai, white fleshy interior removed and chopped into pieces
1/2 cup moong dal, washed and soaked for about 10  minutes
1 medium onion, chopped
Water
Salt

For tempering:
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 dry red chilis, broken (can be less or more depending upon your taste
A pinch asafoetida
2 sprigs of curry leaves, torn
Oil

Method:
1. Take about a teaspoon of oil in a pan. Place on stove on medium heat and add mustard seeds and red chilis. When the mustard splutters, add the asafoetida and curry leaves in quick succession.
2. Toss in the onion pieces and a little salt and fry till the onion changes color.
3. Add in the soaked moong dal and enough water to cover and boil for about 5-10 minutes, till the moong dal is half-cooked.
4. Now, add in the podalangai pieces and stir well with the moong dal. Add some more water. Remember that you need enough water to cook the veggie as well as the dal - so be a little generous with the water.
5. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, till the veggie is done and the gravy has reached the consistency you like.
6. Adjust for salt.

Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Notes:
1. As I said earlier, chow chow can be used instead of podalangai. In fact, any veggie with high water content can be used (pumpkin, bottle gourd etc).
2. The moong dal should not cooked to a complete mush. The koottu tastes best when you are still able to just about taste the moong dal grains (cooked through but still slightly distinct).
2. To get the traditional kootu taste, grind a little fresh coconut with a little jeera and green chilis (adjust the red chili quantity accordingly). Add to the above dish towards the end and cook for about 5 minutes.

Carrot soup with peas

This recipe comes from mom who in turn got it from some magazine a long time ago. This carrot soup is perhaps my favorite vegetable soup. It only adds to its likeability factor that it takes only minimal time and effort to make.

Ingredients (2 big bowls of soup or about 4 cups of soup):
3-4 medium carrots, cut into rounds
1/2 cup peas
1 onion, chopped fine
1.5 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp butter
Milk 2 cups (skimmed is okay)
Water
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Add enough water to carrots in a dish to just cover them. Pressure cook for 7 minutes. Cool and grind into a fine puree with sufficient water.
2. If using fresh peas, add enough water to cover peas, then cook in microwave on high for about 7 minutes. If using frozen, just defrost peas.
3. On a stove, place a soup pan, add the butter and when it starts to melt, add in the onions. Add salt and fry onions till they begin to change color. Onions should be cooked but not to a crisp. Add pepper and stir.
4. Add corn flour to the onions and stir so that the flour mixture is well distributed.
5. Add in the milk a little at a time and stir so no lumps are formed. Bring milk to a boil once you have finished adding both the cups of milk.
6. Lower heat, add the carrot puree, mix well. Add sufficient water till the soup is at a consistency you like.
7. Add in the peas.
8. Bring the entire mixture to a boil, then let simmer for about 10 minutes.
9. Adjust for salt and pepper.

Serve hot with a side of toast. Or you can top with croutons. Use a dollop of butter on top for a buttery flavor.

Notes:
1. You can use 1/2 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tbsp butter for the initial stir frying of carrots or substitute butter with olive oil completely.
2. You can add a boiled potato and grind it along with the carrot puree for a slightly different taste.

Mixed vegetable curry

Another vegetable curry recipe.
http://www.sailusfood.com/2010/10/28/mixed-vegetable-curry/
Both S and I enjoyed it.  I pretty much followed the same recipe with a few minor modifications. Here is my recipe:

Mixed Vegetable Curry:

Ingredients:
1 large carrot, peeled and cubed
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
25 french beans, chop into 1″ pieces
3/4 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 large onion, finely chopped2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tomatoes, blanch, peel and crush
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp amchur powder
1 tsp kitchen king masala
2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
2 cups water
salt to taste

To Grind:
1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
1″ cinnamon stick
1 tbsp grated coconut
Roast the above with no oil

Roast with a little oil:
3 red chilies

Grind all of the above to a smooth paste.

For seasoning:
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp oil
2 green chilis, slit
2-3 sprigs curry leaves, torn

Method:

1. In a little oil in a wide base non-stick pan, add the seasoning ingredients. First the chillis and then the fennel seeds. When you get a nice aroma, add the curry leaves.
2. After curry leaves crackle, add the ginger-garlic paste and stir fry for 10 seconds. Do not let it burn.
3. Add the onions and salt and stir fry till the onions change color.
4. Add in the vegetables (other than tomato), the turmeric and a little water. Cover and cook till the vegetables are almost done.
5. Now add in the masala paste and crushed tomatoes. Add in the rest of the water, bring to a boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes.
6. Add in the amchur and kitchen king masala, mix well, bring to a boil again and then simmer for about 15-20 minutes till the mixture has reached the consitency you want
7. Adjust salt and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Notes:
1. You can use cauliflower as one of the vegetables. As usual, it is upto you to decide what vegetables and in what proportion you want them.
2. You can substitute the coconut with about 7-8 cashew nuts for a different taste.

Serve hot with rotis.

Vegetable Jalfrezi

I found this recipe in Woman's Era magazine and bookmarked it (or rather photographed it with my phone) just because it had a whole lot of veggies in it without the usual kurma base. The prep work is the time consuming part, the cooking is quite easy. The end result made for a healthy and satisfying meal. Here is how I made it:

Vegetable Jalfrezi

Ingredients
1 green chili, chopped fine
1/2 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, sliced fine
2 small carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
2/3 cup green beans, chopped into 1" pieces
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into sticks
1/3 cup fresh peas
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 capsicum, cut into long strips
1 tsp red chili powder
1.5 tsp coriander powder
1.5 tsp jeera powder
1/2 tsp aamchur powder
3 tbsp curd, beaten
A handful of coriander leaves, chopped
Salt to taste
Oil
A little water

Method
1. Coat base of a pan with oil. Toss in the ginger, garlic and green chilis and fry for a few seconds. Add in the onions, salt and fry till the onions turn light golden.
2. Add the carrots, potatoes, potatoes, peas. Add in all the spices (chili, coriander, jeera and aamchur powders) and mix well. Sprinkle a few teaspoons of water on top of the veggies, cover the pan and let the veggies cook till they are almost done (tender-crisp).
3. Add in the tomatoes, mix well, let cook covered for 3 minutes.
4. Add in the capsicum, mix well and let cook for 2 more minutes.
5. Add in the curd, mix well and cook on high flame till the liquid from the curd has evaporated.
6. Adjust salt, garnish with coriander leaves and take off heat.

Serve hot with rotis and raitha.

Notes:
1. You can use other kurma veggies like cauliflower too. The ratio and combo of veggies is upto you. However,capsicum is a must.

Paneer Kathi Rolls

I have liked most versions of kathi rolls and have been wanting to try them out at home. I found this recipe and then found reference to another recipe in the comments section of the first recipe. So I came up with a kathi rolls recipe which was a combo of the two. The end result was quite tasty while being high on the health quotient. Here it is:

Paneer Kathi Rolls

Ingredients (makes 4 kathi rolls with generous stuffing):


Marinate
1/4 cup low fat curds, beaten
1 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1/4 tsp garlic  paste
1/4 tsp besan
1/2 tsp chaat masala
1/2 tsp kasuri methi
1/2 tsp garam masala
salt to taste

Mix the above ingredients well. To this add:
1 cup medium-small cubed paneer
1/2 cup finely chopped deseeded tomato


Mix well and keep aside for at least 10 minutes.

Vegetables
1 Medium capsicum chopped into medium sized cubes
1 medium onion peeled and chopped into medium sized cubes
 
Salad
1 medium onion cut into thin slices
1 long green chilli, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 small carrot shredded into large shreds (use the big-holed side of the grater)
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp vinegar
Sea salt to taste

Mix together the onion, green chilis and vinegar. Keep aside for at least 10 minutes. Just before using, pour out any remaining liquid vinegar, pick out and toss the green chili pieces. Add in the carrot, cilantro and salt, mix well and use.

For the roll
4 ready-made whole-wheat chapathis

Other ingredients
Oil
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Heat a non-stick pan on high and pour in enough oil to coat the  base of the pan. Add in onions, capsicum, a little bit of salt (remember the marinade has salt so don't go overboard) and stir fry till they start changing color along the edges.
2. Add in the paneer-tomato marinade and stir fry on high-heat for 2-3 minutes.
3. Lower the heat to medium and continue cooking till the raw smell of the spices has disappeared and the paneer starts getting a nice brown crust on it. This can take about 10-15 minutes. You just need to stir it from time to time. Lower heat further if you think the dish is beginning to burn. Check for salt and keep aside.
3. Time to assemble! Heat both sides of the chapathi on a tawa. Place it on a plate.  Place the paneer filling across the diameter of the chapathi. Top it with the salad.
4. Roll the kathi roll and serve hot with tomato ketchup on the side.

Notes:
1. For efficient time utilization, follow this order of cooking: marinate the paneer and tomato first and keep aside. Then chop the onion and capsicum and start cooking them. By the time they are cooked, the paneer mix will be ready to add in. While the entire mixture is cooking, chop the onions for the salad and marinate it in vinegar. Finally work on the carrots and cilantro for the salad. By the time the salad is done, the paneer mix will be ready as well and hey presto, everything required for assembly is ready!
2. The filling can be made before hand. Just reheat it before assembly. Do not make the salad too much in advance else it will lose its freshness.
3. Instead of whole-wheat chapathis, you can use maida parathas to get a more professional taste (of course, you lose the benefits of whole-wheat flour then).

Ragada Patties

Ragada patties is a quintessential Indian street food. It is usually available in places serving chaat. What first drew me to the recipe was that the alu patties (also called alu tikki) seemed so easy to make. Of course, to go with the tikkis, I decided to make the ragada as well. What a filling, tasty dish!

My final dish was a hybrid of these two recipes:

The alu tikki (or alu patties) from here:
http://www.hawkinscookers.com/8.1.receipe.aspx?rcp_cd=112

1. I skipped mint leaves as I did not have them.
2. I used only two slices of bread (I used brown) as opposed to 4.

The ragada from here:
http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2005/11/street-food-ragda-patties.html

1. I skipped the jaggery - I usually do not like sweetness in what I think of as "spicy" food.
2. I added more chili powder than specified (about 1.5-2 tsp). I love spicy!


To serve, I topped the tikkis with the ragada mixture and some freshly chopped onions and cilantro. Yummy! I would probably stop thinking healthy and make it even more yum with sev topping when serving guests!

Green Moong dal curry

This recipe is adapted from here. It is a quick and easy side dish to accompany rotis.

Ingredients:
Green moong dal - 1/2 cup (soak for a couple of hours or just pressure cook longer)
1/2 tbsp  ginger garlic paste
2 green chilis chopped fine
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 medium tomato, chopped fine
1/2 cup milk (skim milk is okay)
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp turmeric
Juice of 1/2 a medium-sized lemon
Salt
Oil

For tempering:
1 tsp jeera
2 tsp ghee
1 sprig curry leaves
1/2 tsp red chili powder (optional)

Method:
1. Pressure cook the moong dal with the milk and water on low for 10 minutes after the first whistle and keep aside.
2. In a pan, add oil to coat and place on medium heat.
3. Toss in the chillis and the ginger-garlic paste and stir fry for a few seconds.
4. Add the onions and fry till the onions change color.
5. Add in the tomatoes and cook till they turn mushy.
6. Add in the cooked moong dal, turmeric and salt and cook for on high for a few minutes till some of the liquid evaporates.
7. Lower the heat to medium, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heat.
8. In a separate pan, heat the ghee and toss in jeera. When it crackles, add in the curry leaves and chilli powder (if using) and pour onto the cooked dal.
9. Stir in the lemon juice.

Serve hot with rotis or perhaps, rice.

Soya chunks recipe

The recipe comes from this blog, which has been featured twice before here. Not surprisingly, this recipe is a winner as well. I followed the recipe almost as such with some substitutions. The resulting delicious soya curry made a lip-smacking combo with wheat parathas!

Soya Chunks Curry

Ingredients (enough for 3-4):
1 1/2 cup Nutrela soya chunks
1 big potato, peeled and chopped into medium-pieces
1 big onion, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 medium tomato, ground to a paste
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp kitchen king powder (or chicken masala powder or garam masala powder)
1/2 tsp jeera
1 green chilli, slit vertically
2 sprigs curry leaves
Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Salt
Oil

Method:
Preparing the soya chunks:
1. Add sufficient water to a pan, add some salt and bring to a boil.
2. Add in the soya chunks to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Remove the soya chunks, squeeze out the excess water and set aside.

Main dish:
1. Use enough oil to coat the base of a pressure cooker. Heat cooker on medium.
2. Toss in the jeera and green chilli. When jeera crackles, add in the curry leaves.
3. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for 10-15 seconds.
4. Add in the onions and salt and fry till onions turn translucent.
5. Add in the turmeric, coriander and chili powders and stir for a few seconds.
6. Add in the ground tomatoes and tomato sauce and let cook till tomato paste starts to separate from oil.
7. Boil 3 cups of water in a separate pan and add to the pressure cooker.
8. Close pressure cooker, let it whistle once, bring the flame down to simmer and cook for 8 minutes.
9. Let cooker cool down. Then open lid and add in the kitchen king masala.
10. Simmer for 7 minutes and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
11. Let the curry rest for some time before serving.

Dry Aloo Bhindi (Potato ladies finger)

When we were kids, my sister's favorite veggie was potato while mine was ladies finger (okra). Though I do like potatoes a lot, okra is still probably my most favorite vegetable. I was quite thrilled when I came across this delicious sounding recipe which had both.

Here is my slightly modified take on the recipe. Basically, I cut down on the oil. Non-stick pans and low heat are the friends of low-oil cooking! Quite a delicious side it turned out to be.

Aloo Bhindi

Ingredients (enough for two):
1/4 kg Okra/Ladies Finger/Bhindi
1 medium potato
1/2 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
1 tsp jeera
1 tsp mustard seeds
A pinch hing
Salt
Oil

For coating:
1/4 cup besan
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp kitchen king powder (optional)
1/4 tsp garam masala
3/4 tsp aamchoor
Salt

Mix all the powders above well and keep aside. Use lesser salt than you think is necessary because you will be adding a little salt while cooking the okra.

Method:
1. Wash and pat dry the okra. Remove the tops and ends and slice vertically into halves and then horizontally into halves. Wash and peel the potato and slice into 1 inch fingers.
2. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of a wide non-stick pan.
3. Add the okras to the pan and toss till the pieces are covered with a light film of oil. Spray on a little oil spray if the okra seems a little dry.
4. Toss in the sesame seeds and a little salt and stir well.
5. Spread okra in a single layer on the pan, lower the heat, cover pan with a lid and let okra cook for 5 minutes till it is almost cooked (not mushy).
6. Remove the lid and cook okra in the pan till it is completely done. Use only low heat. Set aside the cooked okra.
7. In the same pan, add enough oil to coat and toss in the mustard seeds and jeera. Add hing when they pop and immediately toss in the potatoes.
8. Cook potatoes the same way as the okra above.
9. When potatoes are done, toss in the cooked okra and mix well.
10. Now add in the coating-powder a few teaspoons at a time, gently stirring the veggies after each addition so that they are evenly coated. Use a little cooking oil spray if the powder seems too dry.
11. Cook on low heat in the uncovered pan till the coating powder loses its raw taste.
12. Adjust for salt and turn off heat.

Serve hot with rotis and dal/raita. Yummy.

Cucumber Yoghurt dip

This is a great recipe to beat the summer heat. Can use it as a dip for chips or pita bread or roti or simply eat spoonful by yummy spoonful by itself.

This recipe is loosely based it on the Greek tzatziki - though the ingredients used are fewer and more common in Indian households.

Cucumber Yoghurt Dip

Cucumber yoghurt dip

Ingredients (makes enough for 2):
1 medium cucumber
1/2-3/4 cup of thick yogurt (non-fatfree yogurt tastes best)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium green chili (or to taste)
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
Sea salt to taste

Method:
1. Mix all the ingredients other than the cucumbers well.
2. Peel and chop the cucumber into small pieces and mix well with the yogurt mixture.
3. Adjust salt and serve immediately.

Notes:
1. If you want to prepare the dip beforehand, make and refrigerate the yogurt mix. Stir in the cucumbers just before serving.
2. You can also deseed the cucumbers before chopping.
3. If using as a dip, make sure yoghurt is thick (you can even strain the yogurt to remove as much liquid as possible).

Bagara Baingan (Seasoned Brinjal)

With the advent of summer, cooking, especially in the afternoon is torture. Hence I have taken to either cooking earlier in the mornings or at nights. Today was an exception -I cooked in the late afternoon since I wanted to have a "proper" dinner with phulkas, a side dish and a salad.

Of course, five minutes after lighting the gas-stove and looking like I had just come out from standing under a waterfall, I started having second thoughts. However, I cooled myself with frequent stops under the dining room fan as my bagara baingan cooked.

The recipe is heavily adapted from here.

Bagara Baingan

Brinjals floating in bagara sauce

 Ingredients (makes enough for 3):
6 small brinjals
1 medium onion
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp peanuts (skin on is ok)
1.5 tsp red chilli powder
1.5 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 cumin powder
1 gooseberry sized tamarind
Salt to taste
Oil
Water

Method (optimized to minimize both time and vessels required):
1. Soak tamarind in 1 cup of warm water.
2. In a wide pan, dry roast peanuts and sesame seeds separately and keep aside.
3. In the same pan, add oil to coat and place on medium heat. Make plus shaped cuts on the brinjals (keeping the stem side intact so that the brinjals are still whole). Add them to the pan, toss around so the brinjals are lightly coated with oil. Cover the pan with a lid and let cook on low heat.
4. In the meantime, grind the peanuts and sesame seeds into a smooth paste with a little water.
5. Chop onions into small sized pieces. Extract the tamarind juice.
6. Check on the brinjals. They should be mostly done (meaning, when pressed the back of a spoon, the spoon should sink in fairly easily. If not, add a tablespoon of water and continue to cover and cook till done. When done, take brinjals out and keep aside.
7. In the same pan, increase heat to medium and add some more oil if insufficient (note, if you had used water in the previous step, wait for it to completely evaporate before you add in any more oil). Toss in the ginger garlic paste and stir-fry for a few seconds.
8. Toss in the onions and salt and cook till onions turn golden brown.
9. Add in the peanut-sesame paste and fry till raw smell disappears.
10. Toss in the masala powders and stir fry for a few seconds.
11. Add in the extracted tamarind juice and 1 cup of water. Mix well.
12. Add in the brinjals gently (so they don't break).
13. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes.
14. Adjust for salt and garnish with coriander leaves.
15. Let rest for atleast 10 minutes and serve hot with rotis or rice.

Potato Kurma

The other day, before the weekly shopping round, I only had a few potatoes, onions and tomatoes which could respectably call themselves vegetables. I wanted to make kurma and hence potato-kurma was a no brainer. I got this recipe from the same blog that featured the tasty kadala curry in the previous post.

Potato Kurma

The potato kurma was easy to make. I once again reduced the amount of coconut. The green chillis I used turned out to be way too spicy but otherwise the kurma was yummy. The last bit of seasoning with the onions and the cilantro was a great touch! It made the kurma visually appealing besides adding a nice oniony crunch. And oh, I also added a couple of whole boiled eggs sauteed in a bit of salt and pepper. Made a plus shaped slit on top of the eggs reaching half way before adding them in.

Kadala curry

Puttu and kadala curry is a famous breakfast combo in Kerala. While I have never had these two items together, I have made kadala curry a couple of times. I found an awesome recipe here.

Kadala Curry

I just made a couple of changes to the recipe. I reduced the amount of coconut to about 1/3rd of a cup. Correspondingly I reduced the amount of peppercorns to about 3/4th of a teaspoon though in retrospect I think maybe 1/2 teaspoon would have been enough even. Everything else was exactly the same as given in the recipe.

In case you are wondering like I did, 1 cup of dried kale channa translates to about 3 cups of cooked kale channa. The original recipe calls f or 3 cups of cooked kale channa.

The recipe made a lip-smacking combo with aapam and dosa.

Jackfruit seed(palakottai) Stir Fry

Now that summer is almost upon us, all summer fruits are beginning to show their faces. Watermelon, nongu (palmyra fruit), jackfruit ... Yumm! I am loving it!

The other day the husband bought ripe jackfruit pieces. They were yummy. We downed several and thus had quite a significant pile of jackfruit seeds leftover. I have eaten jackfruit seeds in my childhood - typically, they go into sambhar or kuzhambu. Though I would eat them (jackfruit seeds are very nutritious), I wasn't particularly fond of them and thus wanted to try a new recipe this time.

Tada! Jackfruit seed stir fry! The following recipe is adapted from here The first time I made it as is Now, after two more attempts, I have found the following recipe is the easiest way to make the stir fry without compromising on taste.

Palakottai (Jackfruit seed) Stir Fry

Palakottai fry

Ingredients (enough for two):
30 or so jackfruit seeds (the silky outer cover should be removed and the seeds washed)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1.5 tsp sambhar powder
Salt to taste
Water

For seasoning:
1.5 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
A pinch of asafoetida

Method:
1. Chop each of the jackfruit seeds into two. This is kinda hard when the seeds are dry. However, you can soak the whole seeds+ for about 30 minutes before chopping. This softens the seeds a little. If any of the white covers come off during chopping, great, discard them. Else, don't worry, we will deal with them soon.
2. In a pan, thrown in the chopped seeds, the turmeric powder, chilli powder and 1/2 tsp salt. Add water to cover.
3. Bring the water to a boil, cover pan with a lid and cook on medium till the seeds are done (about 15-20 minutes). They should be soft but not mushy and still should have a crunch left in them.
4. Discard all the white covers which may have separated from the seeds. Then comes the tedious part: for all the seed-halves that still have the white cover on them, peel the white cover and discard. It does not matter if the brown cover is still on the seeds.
5. In a frying pan, add in the oil. Toss in urad-dal and when it changes color slightly, add in the mustard seeds. As soon as it pops, add in the hing and curry leaves.
6. Toss in the jackfruit-seed halves.
7. Sprinkle sambhar powder.
8. Add salt to taste (remember you already used some while cooking the seeds).
9. Toss till all the seeds are coated with sambhar powder and the raw smell of sambhar powder is gone.

Serve hot with rice, sambhar and/or rasam.

Potato Masala

Puri-masala is a very popular breakfast item in Tamilnadu. This dish usually makes an appearance when special guests come home or when the family wants a "treat".

I though, have always been at a loss when figuring out why this dish is so special. I mean, puri is bland, masala is bland - why would that make a good combination?

But, strike out the puri and instead add in dosa and coconut chutney. Then, we are so back in business! Masala dosa and coconut chutney is one of those made-for-each-other, to-die-for combos. It is possible to eat quite a lot of dosas with masala and coconut chutney in attendance.

Potato Masala

Potato masala is a very easy dish to make. It probably takes only about 20-25 minutes from start to finish, prep-work and cooking time included. Make sure you set the potatoes to boil before your start prepping the rest of the ingredients. This recipe is from Mom's blog and is very easy to follow and make.