Thakali (Tomato) Kozhambu

INGREDIENTS :

 

Tomatoes – 3 med-sized (Roughly chopped)

Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon

Red Chilly – 1-2 according to taste

Mustard seeds – for seasoning

Oil – 2 tsp
Curry leaves -  1 strand

Salt to taste

Curd – 1 cup

To Grind

Grated coconut – 3-4 tbsp

Jeera – 2 tsp

Green chilly – 1

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method : 

Wash and chop tomatoes.

Heat the pan and add oil. For seasoning add mustard seeds, red chilly and curry leaves. Add tomatoes and turmeric powder and fry well till tomato mashes up. Add the ground paste and mix well. Add salt to taste and toward the end add curd and mix the contents well and give it a boil. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with hot white rice !

This goes well with dosa's as well.

Radish Greens Subzi

INGREDIENTS :

Radish Greens – of 3 White Radish’s finely chopped

Onions – 2 med sized finely chopped

Tomatoes – 3 med sized finely chopped

Ginger Garlic Paste – 2 tsp (Pounded)

Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon

Moong dhal – 1 cup

Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp

Garam Masala Powder – 2 tsp

Potatoes – 2 peeled, cubed and boiled

Oil – 4 tsp

Salt to taste

METHOD : 

Wash and finely chop greens and pressure cook it along with moong dhal and keep aside.

Heat the pan, add oil. Add finely chopped onions and fry till it becomes transparent. Add pounded ginger garlic to it and fry for a while. Add the tomatoes and sprinkle little water and cook for a while till it all mashes. Now add the cooked greens and dhal, potatoes and adjust water for consistency. Add garam masala and salt to taste. Mix all the contents well and let it cook for while.

Serve it hot with Phulkas, Roti’s or even parathas J

Bhaingan Bharta

INGREDIENTS :

Big Brinjal - 1

Onions – 2 med sized finely chopped

Tomatoes – 3 med sized finely chopped

Green chilles – 2 (slit)

Ginger – ½ inch piece

Garlic  – 4 cloves

Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon

Jeera – 2 tsp

Oil – 4 tsp

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves finely chopped for garnishing

Method : 

Wash and dry brinjal. Grease the brinjal with gingely oil completely and put in on stove on medium flame. Turn sides so that its completely burnt on all sides uniformly. Check if its cooked by using a fork. Grind it to paste and keep aside.

Heat the pan (Small pressure cooker) add oil, add jeera and let it splutter. Add finely chopped onions, slit green chillies and turmeric powder, sauté for a while. Add ginger garlic (Pounded and not the paste) to it. Fry well and now add tomatoes and mix all well. Close it with the lid for a while. Open the pan and now tomatoes and onions would be cooked well. Add the brinjal paste to it and half a glass of water and salt to taste and mix well. Close the pan for a while and when steam comes put the weight and give it a whistle. Open the cooker once it cools and transfer to your serving bowl and add coriander leaves and serve hot with phulka’s or Jeera pulav J

MUSHROOM KURMA

 INGREDIENTS :

Mushroom – 1 Pkt (Blanched)

Onions – 2 med sized finely chopped

Tomatoes – 2 med sized finely chopped

Green chilles – 1 (slit)

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 strand

Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon

Garam Masala – 1 tsp

Jeera Powder – 2 tsp

Oil – 4 tsp

Grated Ground coconut – 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves finely chopped

Method : 

Take a pan and add oil. Add finely chopped onions, curry leaves, chilly and turmeric powder and sauté for a while. Once onions turn transparent add tomatoes sauté and add little water and close pan for 2-3 minutes. Add Ginger garlic paste, jeera powder, garam masala powder and fry well. Add the blanched mushrooms to it and close pan for few more minutes. Add salt to taste and coconut paste and mix well and finally coriander leaves.

This tastes best with Dosa, parota or even Chapathis

Kathrikai kara Thokku

Ingredients :     Brinjal (6 – 7 small ones)

                       Onions – 2 med sized sliced

                       Green chilles – 2 (slit)

                       Garlic flakes – 7-8

    Curry leaves – 2 strands

                       Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon          

                             Oil – 4 tbsp (gingely oil preferable)

                             Dhania Powder – 3 tsp

                             Jeera Powder – 2 tsp

                             Red chilli powder – 1 tsp

                             Pepper powder – 1 tsp

                             Tamarind pulp – 1 cup

                             Water 1.5 cups

                             Grated Ground coconut – 4 tbsp

                             Fenugreek -  1tsp

                             Mustard seeds – for tempering

                             Salt to taste                              

Method : In a vessel take the tamarind pulp and water. Add dhania powder, jeera powder, coconut paste to it. Stir well and keep aside. Slit  Brinjal into 4 from the bottom to make sure the stem is not removed. In a pan add oil for tempering. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, garlic & fenugreek for tempering. Add Onion slices and sauté well for a while. Add turmeric powder and fry well. Add the slit brinjal stir well and close ur pan on a low flame. After 5-7 minutes open the pan and check if brinjal has become tender. Add the water and masala mixture & salt to it.Cook till the oil separates and the gravy becomes thick.

It tastes great with White Rice or Dosas.

Khandvi

Ingredients :       1 Cup Besan

                        1 cup Curds

                        1 cup water

                        1 pinch turmeric powder   

                        2-3 Green chillies

                        Oil - 2 Tbsp

                        Coriander leaves finely chopped 

                        Salt to taste

                        Hing - 1 tsp  

                        Mustard seeds - 3 tsp

                        Grated coconut - 2 tsp 

Method : Mix Besan and curd well so that no lumps are formed with turmeric powder and salt. In a non-stick pan add this mixture and water and keep stiring until it becomes thick. Turn off the stove. Take a Big round plate and turn it upside down. Take this mixture, with help of a flat spatula spread it across the plate as thin as possible. Let it cool for 2 minutes. (It does not take more than that) 

Once it cools with help of knife cut in strips with a gap on 1" each. Then from bottom of the strip start rolling upwards. Set it in a plate and keep aside.

For Tempering : Heat oil add mustard seeds, green chillies, hing and spread it across the dish and finally top it with grated coconut and coriander leaves.  

PS : It tastes yumm with green chutney. Happy Khandvi-ing :)

Masala Mor (buttermilk) Sambar

This is a very different and special recipe I learnt from one of our family friends. This sure will impress ur family and guests and no doubt it would be new to everyone

Ingredients :      Toor Dhal – ½ cup

                        Channa Dhal – 2 tbsp

                        Coriander (Dhania) Seeds – 2 tbsp

                        Green Cardamom (Elaichi) – 2 nos.

                        Bay leaf – 1 big

                        Cloves (Laug) – 4

                        Cinnamon  – 1 inch stick

                        Red Chillies – 2/3 med. Sized ones

                        Crated coconut – 3 tbsp

                        Fenugreek – 1/4 tsp

                        Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

                        Butter milk – 2 cups

                        Oil – 1 tbsp

                        Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp

                        Curry leaves – ½ handful

                        Salt to taste

Vegetables required :    Drumstick – 1 big

Potatoes – 2 med sized. (cubed)

Carrot – 1 big (julienne)

Beans – 4 nos (julienne)

Grean peas – ¼ cup

Brinjal – 2 nos

Small onions – 1 cup

To Grind :  In kadai add little oil and fry Channa dhal, Coriander seeds, Fenugreek, Crated coconut, Cinnamon, Cloves, Red chillies and Cardomom. Grind them to paste with little water

Method : Pressure cook toor dhal and set aside. Boil vegetables (drumstick, potato, carrot, peas and beans) with little turmeric powder. Take the butter milk and mix the ground paste without forming lumps. Now in kadai add oil, let mustard seeds splutter. Now add onion and curry leaves and fry for a while, add brinjal fry and let it cook, bring together the cooked dhal, boiled vegetables, butter milk masala and cook for a while. Add salt to taste and serve hot with rice and papads.

PS : This goes too well with Dosa.

To all my diet conscious friends if u notice it has no tamarind and very less oil.. Healthy cooking to all J

Kanchipura Idly

This is one of the traditional Iyengar receipes. It does not only taste good but also cleans up the digestive system because of its ingredients. It is ideal for travel and can last for about a day and a half.

Ingredients :    Idly rice – 1 cup

                        Raw rice – 1 cup

                        Urad dhal – 1 cup

                        (Black urad – full / broken can be used)

                        Dry ginger – ¼ cup (Chukku)

                        Pepper corns – 2 tsp

                        Jeera – 2 tbsp

                        Asafoetida – few pinches (to taste and flavour)

                        Curry leaves -  one hand full

                        Gingely oil – 3 tbsp

                        Ghee – 3 tbsp

                        Salt to taste

Method:

Soak both the rice and dhal together for about 3-4 hours.

Add water and grind it. (grind it little coarse not like the regular idly consistency)

Add salt, mix well and keep aside.

Grind in mixer, Pepper corns, jeera and Dry ginger and spread (sprinkle) it on top of the batter that is kept (do not mix)

Spread the curry leaves the same way.

Heat Kadai then add gingely oil and ghee to it. Once it is heated up jus pour it around in the batter which is topped with the above powder/curry leaves.

(The idea is the topping will taste fresh with original flavour and the heated oil will take care of the mild frying part)

Now to make the idly you will need tall tumblers. Grease the tumblers with gingely oil and pour on the batter till half the tumberl. Take your pressure pan and steam it. 3-4 tumblers can be steamed at a time (depending on the pan you use)

Close the pan and lock the pressure.. Leave for around 7-8 whistles. Once steam releases, wait for a while and tilt the tumbler upside down on a plate and jus tap it. Since it is greased your steaming hot delicious flavoured idlys are ready to serve.

This does taste well as such or can have Idly podi for side dish !! Happy Idlying J)

PS : use a butter spreader around the tumbler if idly’s does not come out on ur tapping

Delicious quick sambar rice

Ingredients : Oil - 2 tbsp
                     Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

                     Fenugreek (Methi)  - 1tsp

                     Turmeric powder – 2 pinches

                     Sambar powder – 2 tbsp                                   

                     Red chillies – 2 no.

                     Sliced Onions – 2 med.sized ones                                           

                     Chopped Tomatoes – 2 med.sized ones

                     (Any 3 veg of ur choice) Brinjal,  Capsicum,  Beans, Carrot,

                     Raw Banana, Flat beans (avarakai), Clustered beans (kothavarangai),

                     Chayote (chow chow)   

                     Rice – 1 cup

                     Toor Dhal – ½ cup

                     Tamarind Paste – 1 cup

                     1 tsp Ghee/Gingely oil

                     Curry/Coriander leaves

                    

Heat the pressure pan with oil, add mustard, methi, curry leaves and red chillies. Add onion and sauté for a while then add tomatoes and the vegetables and fry for a while. Add all the powders and the tamarind paste and stir well. Add Rice and dhal. For one cup rice add 3 cups water  (excl 1 cup tamarind water is already added) Add salt to taste and mix well and close the pan and lock the pressure.. Leave for around 5- 6 whistles. Once steam releases, heat ghee and gingely oil and pour it on top of rice and mix well. Add coriander leaves and serve hot with applams.

PS : preferably small/sambar onion would be a better choice to enhance taste

        The consistency of this rice has to be watery