Quick and Easy Vegetable Briyani

Quick and Easy Vegetable Pulao with Pomegranate Raita

2nd Friday Aadhi Velli Menu of the day

Naivedyam was Arisi Paruppu Payasam @ Rice Kheer @ Rice Dhall Payasam and Paruppu Vada

For lunch one pot dish @ Vegetable Pulao with pomegranate raita and pappad

Ingredients
3 cups of basmathi rice - soak for 30mins
4 cups of water
1 small carrot - cubed
1 cup of cauliflower - cut
1/2 half of capsicum - cube - I used yellow to add some colours to my briyani
6-8 beans - chopped
1 big white onion
1 big tomato
3-4 green chilly
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 sprig curry leaves
2 tbs of coarsely chopped coriander leaves
1/2 tbs of fennel powder
1/2 tbs of cumin powder
salt to taste
1 lime juice
more coriander leaves -for garnishing

Spices for pulao
1 small cinnamon
2-3 cloves
2-3 green cardamon
2-star anise
1/2 tsp  cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds


Method

1.  Wash and soak basmathi rice for 30mins. Later drain the rice, safe the water for later.
2.  Cut all the vegetables to cube size.  Set aside
3.  In a thick bottomed pot,( I used pressure cooker), heat some ghee
4.  Once hot, add the spices and fry till aromatic.
5.  Next add in the onions and fry till soft.  Add in the ginger garlic paste, tomato, curry leaves and coriander leaves, stir well for a few more mins
6.  Add in the vegetables, mix well and let it cook for 2-3 more minutes.
7.  Add in both fennel and cumin powders, mix well and cook for 2-3 mins.
8.  Add in the drained rice, stir well, pour in the water, salt to season, lime juice, mix well and cook.


Enjoy

Bhindi Ka Salan @ Ladies Fingers (Okra) Salan

Bhindi Ka Salan || Ladies Fingers (Okra) Salan

What is Salan.  It is a Hyderabadi dish that is typically served with briyanis.  It is a peanut based curry/gravy.  Can be served with rotis, chapatis and nans  Mirchi ka salan or chilly curry is another great salan that you can pair with briyani and breads.

Groundnuts, sesame seeds and coconut gives the rich taste to the salan and balance it with some spicy and tangy from the chillies and tamarind.

Let's look Bhindi ka Salan and how to prepare:

Bhindi Ka Salan

Masala Paste
4tbs of groudnuts
2 tbs of white sesame seed
3 tbs of coconut (fresh or dried ones)
1tbs of kas kas (optional)

10 medium sized okra - washed and halved into
1 big onion - slice finely
1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
2 green chilly- chopped finely
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
a few pieces of fenugreek seeds
1 tsp of red chilly powder
1/2 tsp of coriander powder
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
4 tbs of oil.
1/2 cup of tamarind juice (from a lime sized tamarind soaked into half cup water)
1 sprig of curry leaves.
1 tsp jaggery
some coriander leaves finely chopped


Method

1.  Dry roast groundnuts on medium fire first as they take a little longer to roast.  If using coconut pieces then add them together. Finally the sesame seeds and kas kas if using. Make sure it is not burned.  Set aside and let it cool before grinding into smooth paste.  You may add a little water to grind smooth.

2. Wash and pat dry the lady fingers, cut into half.

3.  Next in a pot heat some oil. Fry the lady fingers to about brown. Set aside.

4.  In the same pot, add in mustard seeds, cumin and fenugreek seeds. Once they start to splutter, saute onions with some salt till soft and brown.

5.  Add in curry leaves and green chillies, fry for a few minutes.

6.  Add in ginger garlic paste, tumeric, coriander and chilly powders - mix till the raw smell is gone and in the grinded masala mix with  a cup of water and saute well into the mixture.

7.  Stir on medium fire and keep stirring to avoid burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan till the oil starts to split.

8.   Once the oil starts to split, add in chopped coriander leaves, tamarind juice, jaggery and salt to taste.

9.  When it starts to boil, add in the lady fingers, stir well and cook for another 5 minutes on slow fire.

Bhindi ka salan ready for action!

Enjoy

Green Capsicum Masala

Recipe credit : WWW.4Ksrecipe.com

I have always done a simpler version of capsicum masala. This is a rich creamy gravy that goes well with all kinds of bread and even with ghee rice.

Ingredients

Dry Roast Items

15 pieces of cashew (I used almonds)

2tbs of coriander

2 tbs of ground nuts

1tsp cumin seeds

To be grinded

1 whole red onion - chopped

1 large ripe tomato - chopped

1 small piece cinnamon

2 cloves

3 cardamon pods

2 large green capsicum - chopped

1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp chilli powder
1tbs fenugreek leaves (I used coriander leaves instead)


Method

• Dry roast almonds, coriander seeds, groundnuts and cumin seeds.
• Blend into fine paste the dry roast items with onions, tomato, cinnamon, cloves and cardamon pods with some water.
• In a pan, heat some oil
• Once hot, saute capsicum till soft but still crunchy. Set aside
• In the same pan, add oil if needed, add bay leave and ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell is done.
• Add in the blended paste and stir well on medium heat.
• Cook till the oil starts to separate
• Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste.
• Mix well and cook for another 3-4minutes.  If you find it is very thick, add a little liquid to your preferred consistency.
• Add the cook capsicum and coriander leaves.  Mix well and let it simmer for a few more minutes and it is ready.
• Serve hot

Vendakai Panchadi || Ladies Finger in Yogurt || Bhendi ka Raita

Sharing you a post that I made a few days ago.  Vendakai pachadi,  Its a quick and easy dish to prepare and goes well with rice, sambar, rasam or curries. Not to forget pappad.

Let's look at its preparation


Ingredients

350 gms ladies finger
1/2 cup of yogurt
2-3green chillies

For tempering

1 tsp of mustard seeds
1 dried chilly
1 sprig of curry leaves
salt to season

Method

1.  Wash and pat dry the ladies finger.
2,  Cut even sizes.
3.  Fry okra with chillies in some oil till brown and crispy.  Set aside
4.  Once cooled, add in yogurt, the thickness of the yogurt is up to you, you may add some water to dilute.  Salt to season.
4.  In a different pan, heat oil and add in mustard seeds. Once it starts to splutter, add in dry chilly and curry leaves and fry for a few seconds.  Pour into the yogurt mixture and stir well.
5.  Ready to serve.

Enjoy

Sathiarani

Indian Style Beans Carrot Stir Fry

A simple stir fry indian style with French beans and carrot.  Goes well as side dish with rice and chapatis.


Ingredients

150gm french beans - cut diagonally
1 small size carrot - sliced
1 onion - chopped finely
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
1 red chilly - sliced
1 tsp of turmeric powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
a few sprigs of curry leaves
salt to taste

Method

1. Heat oil in a wok/pan
2. Once hot, add in mustard seeds, once popped add in onions and stir till soft
3. When the onions turn soft, add in red chilly, curry leaves, turmeric and ginger garlic paste.  Fry for a few more seconds
4. Add in the vegetables and stir till the paste mix well with the vegetables
5. Salt to taste and cook till soft.  If required, add in some water little at a time if they tend to burnt.
6. Once it is cooked, beans carrot stir fry ready to be served.

Enjoy

Sathiarani

Cabbage Kootu

Cabbage Kootu

If you want something quick and easy to prepare - a 2 in 1 dish combining dhall and vegetable.  You can use any

Ingredients that you require

1/2 cup of toor dhall/split moong dhall
1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
1 medium sized tomato - quartered
1/2 tsp of turmeric for boiling dhall + 1/2tsp for frying cabbage
4-5 green chilly - slit into half
200 gms of shredded cabbage
1/4 cup of milk + 1/2 cup of water ( or 3/4 cup of medium thin coconut milk)
1 tsp of fennel powder
1/2 tsp of cumin powder
salt to taste
chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

For Tempering
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of urad dhall
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
3-4 dried chilly
1 sprig of curry leaves
a dash of asofetida
1 large onion - sliced thinly
3 tbs of oil

Method

1.  Wash and boiled the dhall with salt, ginger garlic paste, tomato, turmeric and green chilly into fine soft.

2.  In a wok, heat oil, once hot, add in mustard seeds and once splutter, add in urad dhall and cumin seeds.  Once the urad dhall turn brown, add in asofetida and chilly. Fry for a few seconds.

3.  Add in onion, salt and curry leaves and fry till the onions are soft.

4.  Add in the cabbage, turmeric and fennel powder, stir well and cook further.

5.  Once the cabbage is cooked, add in the cooked dhall, milk and water, mix well and cook till the it starts to boil.  I prefer my cabbage kootu to be not too thick or thin.

6.  Remove from fire and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.  Serve with hot rice.


Enjoy

**Sathiarani**

Mix Vegetables with Tofu

Some brocollis, carrots, cauliflowers and tofus you can make a great dish. No strict amount but a handful of this and that with some good seasoning and voila you get an easy peasy dish.

If you fancy meat/seafood, you may add them while sauteing onions/ginger garlic.

Ingredients

broccoli florets
cauliflower floerets
tofus - firm ones cut into square and deep fried
carrots - sliced diagonaly
Salted soya sauce
fish sauce
oyster sauce
slices of onions
ginger garlic paste
chopped spring onions
some water

Method

Wash and drain the vegetables.
In a pan heat some oil, once hot, stir in onion, once it is soft, add in ginger garlic paste and in stir.
Add in the vegetables, stir well, uncovered,  as to coat with the onions and ginger garlic paste.
In a different bowl, mix all the sauces with some water.
Once the vegetables are almost done, add in the sauces as well the tofu. mix well, let it simmer for a more minutes.
Add in chopped spring onions and serve hot with some steaming hot rice.

Enjoy

Sathiarani

Vendakai (Ladies Finger/Okra) with Mothchai "மொச்சை" (Lima Beans) Puli Kulambu

Vendakai (Ladies Finger/Okra) with Mothchai "மொச்சை" (Lima Beans) Puli Kulambu

I love mothchaikotai or mothchai ie lima beans.  My mum used to make curry with dried fish and motchai kind of thick and slightly spicy.  Just thinking of one can make me drooling.

Lets look at how I make this thick gray full of tangy, spicy and sort of thick gravy suitable for a cold winter with hot chapati or hot steaming rice.

Ingredients
10 ladies finger - medium sized - washed and sliced into 2 or 3
1/4 cup of lima beans - washed and soaked overnite or atleast 4hours  and boiled
1 medium sized tomato - chopped small.
1/2 tbs of
1 big onion - sliced
1 sprig of curry leaves
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
1 tbs of fenugreek seeds
1 tbs tamarind paste mixed with 150ml water
2 tbs of chilly powder (I used the kashmiri chilly powder)
1 tbs sambar powder
1 tsp turmeric powder

How To Prepare
1.  Prepare the beans, ie wash and soaked overnite preferably otherwise about 4 hours will do, then either pressure cook it or boil soft with some salt.  Once done, drain and you can either remove the skin or leave it on.

2.  Next heat oil.  Once hot, add in mustard seeds.  Once it starts to pop/splutter, then add in the fenugreeks, stir fry, do not burn the fenugreeks or you will have bitter after taste.

3.  Add in onions and saute till soft, followed by the ginger garlic and tomatoes.  I like to crush my tomatoes with my hands sort of like puree. Mix well for 3-4 minutes.

4.  Add in all the powders, mix well with oil mixture, saute for a few more minutes, till the oil starts to split.

5.  Pour in the tamarind juice and mix well, season to taste.  Cover and let it boil for a few more minutes, add in the beans and let it reduce to a almost thick gravy.

6.  Once it is almost thick gravy add in the sliced ladies finger, mix well and let it simmer till the ladies fingers are tender and cook and require consistency.

Enjoy

Sathiarani

Tindly Fry (Kovakkai)கோவக்காய் Fry

Tindly, Ivy Gourd or it is called kovakkai in tamil (கோவக்காய்) is a kind of vegetable that you find in abundance in Qatar as it vegetables are mostly imported from India.  This is the second time only I have cooked, first being when my husband bought the vegetable out of curiosity.

To tell the truth, I am beginning to like them and I shall be trying more different style of cooking with this newly found love towards Tindly @ Kovakkai..

You can find out more about ivy gourd/tindly on this http://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/health-benefits-of-ivy-gourd/

These are matured kovakkai that do not want to cook.

Ingredients Required
350gm of kovakkai - wash and sliced thinly
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of urad dhall
1/2 tsp of ginger garlic
1 sprig of curry leaves
1 big onion  - finnely chopped
1/2 tsp of tumeric powder
1 tbs of curry powder - I used kashmiri chilly powder for the extra spiciness.
  
How to prepare 

1.  heat oil and  once hot, add in mustard seeds, when it starts to splutter, add in urad and followed by onions
2.  Saute the onions till soft.
3.  Add in ginger garlic and curry powder stir.
4.  Add in curry powder and turmeric and stir in  for seconds,
5.  Stir in the sliced kovakkai, mix well and and add in 2 -3 spoons of water and stir well.
6.  Season with salt and cook till tender.
7.  Ready to be serve with chapatis and rice.

Enjoy!!!

Sathiarani

Cabbage Poriyal /Stir Fry Indian Style

One of my lunch menu : fish curry (click here), fish fry (click here), cabbage carrot poriyal and vendaika (okra/ladies finger) poriyal.

Let's look at cabbage/carrot indian style.

Ingredients

Cabbage cut into thin slices
shredded carrots
onion - sliced
ginger garlic paste
green chilly - sliced
curry leaves
mustard seeds
turmeric
fennel powder
salt
oil

Method

Heat oil, when it is hot, add in mustard seeds, let it splutter.
Add in onion, saute for a few seconds till soft, add in curry leaves, green chilly and ginger garlic paste.
Fry for a few more seconds.
Saute in turmeric powder, fennel powder and salt
Add in cabbage n carrot and mix well.
Cook till the cabbage is soft.
Remove from fire and ready to serve.


Enjoy


Sathiarani

Farmer's Market and Palak Chicken

Farmer's market operates only during winter season.  This time it started from first week of December 2013.    It is an effort by Qatar government to get the farmers to sell their produce directly to end users.  There are really good - the only setback is that we need to get them in bulk and we normally go there in a group of 4 to 5 and split amongst ourselves.



Farmers Market buying spree

Palak is a vegetable that comes under the spinach family basically it is called Indian Spinach.  I have never cooked this type of spinach.  So when we saw loads of greens at the farmer's market, I decided to get them.  Haleema, who accompanied me to the farmer's market shared a recipe which she usually make.


Spinach - Palak

Palak Chicken
source : Haleema Rahman

Ingredients
500gm chicken breast
1 tbs ginger garlic paste
1 tsp of turmeric powder
salt to taste
1 bunch of palak
1/4 cup of water
1 small sized tomato
1 big onons
2-3 green chillies
1 tsp fennel powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 tbs butter

Method
1.  Wash and chopped coarsely spinach.
2.  Wash and cut into bite size chicken.  Marinate with ginger garlic paste, salt and turmeric powder and shallow fry till cook.  Set aside.  Do not over cooked the chicken though.
3.  In a deep pan, put in spinach, chilli, chopped tomato and onions. Add in water and season with salt and cook till soft and spinach.
4.  Let it cool and blend (or if you have a hand blender - it works great) till fine and smooth
5.  In a different pan, heat butter, add in chicken, stir well and add in to the blended spinach.
6.  Season with salt if you require and serve with hot steaming rice or chapatis.

Enjoy





Sathiarani

Drumstick Pulp Rasam

I was just jayblogging when I chanced upon Priyas and what caught my attention was this Drumstick Pulp Rasam and my brained zoomed to delicious drumstick soup that I had at Anjappar recently. 

It was really delicious and I was actually surprise that we can make soup of drumstick. Normally I had cooked them with sambar, sardine curry or just simply drumstick masala with egg .

Priyas Versatile Recipes - Everyday's Cooking (http://priyaeasyntastyrecipes.blogspot.com)  is a great page with loads of recipes just waiting to try and enjoy.   I knew I have stock of drumstick in my fridge so that's it, and I always have ready stocked of boiled toor dhall.

I tried and was very happy with the result. It was a good combination with sambar and cabbage fry.

Drumstick Pulp Rasam
Source : http://priyaeasyntastyrecipes.blogspot.com/2014/01/drumstick-pulp-rasam.html
copy and paste from Priya's page

Ingredients Required

1/4cup Toor dal (cooked)

2 nos drumstick big and tender ( I used 3 as mine was slender looking drumstick)

1tsp Rasam powder

1no Tomato (crushed) - I blend instead

Few curry leaves

2nos Garlic cloves (crushed)

1tsp Lemon juice

Few coriander leaves

3nos Dry red chillies

1tsp Mustard seeds +Urad dal

1/4tsp Asafoetida powder

Oil

Salt

 

Method

1. Cut the drumsticks as one inch pieces.
2. Cook the sliced drumsticks with enough water until they turns soft.
3. Drain the water and scoop out the pulp from the cooked drumstick and keep aside.
4. Now take this drumstick pulp,crushed tomato,cooked toordal,curry leaves, crushed garlic cloves, coriander leaves,salt and rasam powder  in a bowl.
5. Add enough water to make it thin.
6. Heat the oil, lzt splutters the mustard seeds,urad dal, add the asafoetida powder,dry red chillies, fry until they turns brown.
7. Add immediately the already prepared drumstick-dal mixture to the tempered spices, once the rasam starts bubbling put off the stove.
8. Add the lemon juice and give a stir, serve with rice.

Sathiarani

Sukanya Amma's Potato Fry

Sukanya, one of my neighbour in my housing compound brought this for our mini pot luck gathering.  I definitely enjoyed it very much.   It has a crispy like taste and definitely easy to make.  Of course what next - definitely you get to share her recipe with me.

Try them and see if you enjoy them as much as I did.  My daughter made this as well and she too find it easy and nice.  Good combo with rasam, sambar or the like.

Sukanya Amma's Potato Fry
Source - Sukanya
Ingredients

3-4 potato
1tsp of turmeric powder
3tbs curry powder - I used Kashmir curry powder
2-3 of vegetable oil

Method

Quarter the potatoes and slice it - not too thin or too thick
Marinate with turmeric and curry powder for a few minutes.
Heat oil in a heavy pan/wok
Once the oil is hot, add it the potatoes and coat will with oil.
Let it cook on slow fire.
Keep stirring the potatoes so that does not stick to the pan.
Ready when the potatoes are cook.

Enjoy

 

Birthday Mania...Carrot Rice, Oreos No Bake Cheese Cake & Snowy Cheese Cake

After a gap of 2 months for summer holidays, we are continuing the tradition of celebrating birthdays again.  This time I decided to bake too for the celebration.  

I thought for a change have a cheezy month - Oreos No Bake Cheese Cake, Snowy Cheese Cake and Strawberry Cheese Cake.  Yes it is cheese mania month...The first 2 cake turn out very well but was not so successful of strawberry cheese cake.  Need to CSI further where I went wrong..

I also made Carrot Rice for my part of the pot luck.  My sister and her husband made this carrot rice when we visited them during our holidays.  It has this nice orangy yellowish colour to it - no additional colours required.  Sort of ghee rice.

Thank you Gowri and Guna for sharing the recipe

Carrot Rice
Courtesy of Gowri & Guna

Ingredients
4 cups of basmathi rice ( or any long grain rice) - washed and soaked for 10 mins, the drain
6 cups of water (inclusive of the carrot juice)
2 cups of grated carrot - squeezed the juice but don't discard
1 big onion - sliced
2tbs of ginger garlic paste
1 bay leaves
2  cinnamon stick - break into 2 or 3
2-3 cloves
2-3 star anise
2 green chillies - slit lengthwise
2 tbs heap of ghee (you can use oil or even butter)
salt to taste

How to prepare
1.  Wash and soak rice for about 10 mins, then drain
2.  Grate carrot, squeeze out the juice.  Keep the juice
3.  Heat ghee and when hot, sauté bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, start anise till aromatic.
4.  Next add in onions and sauté till soft and pink. Add in the chillies too and sauté for a few more minutes.
5.  Put in the grated carrot and salt and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
6.  Add in the rice, stir well and fry for another 2 -3 minutes.
7.  Pour in the water and the juice of the carrot. stir well, and bring water/rice to slow boil
8.  As soon the water/rice starts to boil, cover the pot and cook on medium flame till all water has been absorbed.  Turn off the heat and let the rice sit for 5minutes.
9.  Use a fork to get fluffy rice and it is ready to serve.

Note
Basmati rice is a type of aromatic rice that originates from India, has an elongated grain and a unique flavor. It cooks in less time and with less effort than long grain white rice, and you won’t need a rice cooker to get it right. The finished product looks slightly different than long grain rice, but it is unlikely your guests will know the difference until they taste the flavor -- which is sure to delight their senses.

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how_2159533_cook-basmati-rice.html#ixzz2hyzMSGsR

Basic rule of cooking basmathi is 1cup of rice to 1½cups of water.

Hope you enjoy just like we did...

Long Beans with Chilly Powder

 

Long Beans with Chilly Powder

Ingredients

a handful of long beans
1 medium size onion
1tbs chilly powder  - adjust to your likeing (I used Kashmiri chilly powder- this can be spicy)
1tsp turmeric
1 tbs of ginger garlic paste
1tsp mustard seed
1 sprig curry leaves
Salt to taste

Direction

1.  Heat oil.  Add in mustard seeds, once it starts to pop, add in onion and sauté till soft.
2.  Add in ginger garlic paste, turmeric, salt and curry leaves and stir for a few 1-2mins.
3.  Add in the beans and stir well,cook for 5-8 mins
4.  Add in chilly powder and a little water just to cover the beans and cook further another 5-8 mins till the beans are cooked well.  You may want to add water if turns dry before the beans are cooked.

Mix Vegetable Stir Fry

For this stir fry mix vegetable, I used a combo of asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot and capsicum . 

You can also add in lightly fried tofu, seafood or chicken. I normally like to steam the vegetables so that they look fresh when stir fry and you need only minutes before you can serve them.


A bowl of mix of vegetable steamed
1/2 onion - sliced
6-7 garlic pips - pound finely
1-2 tsp light soya sauce
2 - 3 tsp of oyster sauce - optional
2-3tsp if sesame oil

How to prepare

1.  Heat sesame oil.  Once hot add in garlic, fry for a few seconds till aromatic. Add in onion, fry till soft.
2.  Add in the steamed vegetable, soya sauce and oyster sauce if using, mix well and cook for a few more minutes and serve while it is still hot.

Spinach Stir Fry

I was out at the supermarket for groceries (I got myself some kingfish which I made fish curry with young green mango) and found this bunch of spinach so green and so inviting.  There were young bunch of spinach - very tender.


Ingredients
a bunch of spinach
a few garlic
ginger
onions - sliced
a few pieces of anchovies or dried shrimps- if you like

Method

- wash throughly spinach
- drain completely
- slice onion
- pound ginger garlic (including the anchovies or dried shrimps if using)
- heat oil
- once hot add in ginger garlic past. fry for a few minutes
- add in slice onions too fry till soft
- add salt to taste.
- add in the spinach, stir ensuring the spices are mix well with spinach
- cook for a few more minutes till it is just cook - do not over cook though.
- Ready to serve.

Spinach - before

After

Bean Sprouts with Dried Shrimps

My good friend Mimi gave me some home made bean sprouts and I decided to give an extra edge by frying with some dried shrimps.

What you need
bean sprouts - removed tails and skin, washed and drain
slices of onion
pieces of garlic - give a good smash
a good amount of dried shrimps - soaked, drained and give a good smash too
handful of spring onions
dash of sesame oil
salt to taste

How to do

• Heat oil, once hot, add in garlic, give a quick stir
• Add in slices of onions, fry for a few more minutes
• add in the dried shrimps, stir for a few more minutes
• Next add in capsicum, salt to taste, mix well, leave it for few mins.
• Add in the bean sprouts, ensure to stir well, do not cover
• Dash in sesame oil, mixing well, and finally spring onions
• Give a quick stir, do not over cook the bean sprouts - I like it crunchy
• Serve

Takkali Paruppu

While searching for recipes found this recipe, Takkali Parrupu @ Dhall and Tomatoes which I vaguely remember my mum used to make...

What you need..
2 onion - sliced
5 big tomatoes - chopped.
1 cup of toor dhall - boiled (I normally have ready stock)
1 green chilly - deseeded and sliced
1tsp of urad dhall
1tsp of mustard seeds
1tsp cumin seeds
1tsp aniseeds
sprig curry leaves
a pinch of hing
1/2tsp of turmeric
2tsp of dhania powder
1 1/2tsp of garam masala
salt to taste
oil & ghee mixture for frying (I got carried with the nice aroma when making Moor Kozhambhu)

How do you do...

1.  Clean and chopped tomatoes, slice onions, deseed chilies and chopped.

2.  Heat oil/ghee mixture, add in mustard seed, once it starts to splutter, temper urad dhall, cumin seeds, aniseeds, mustard seeds and hing.

3.  Add in the onions, fry till soft and golden, add in chilliy and curry leaves, stir for a few minutes,  add in chopped tomatoes, turmeric and salt to taste, stir well, cover and cook till tomatoe is soft.  Make sure to stir every and now, stir in some water if it becomes too dry.

4. Add in garam masala, dhania powder and toor dhall and mix well and cook for a few more minutes till raw smell of powder is gone.

5. Adjust the thickness of the gravy by adding water.

Suitable for rice and chapatis...

Moor Kozlumbhu/Yogurt Curry

Moor Kozlumbhu (Yogurt Curry) is a yogurt based gravy its kind of creamy and little sourish from the yogurt.  It is very simple and easy to prepare and we had together with Takkali Paruppu and Methi Leaves Curry (or actually it turn out to be dry kind of gravy).

Normally my mor kozlumbhu is a very simple way of preparing, having the yogurt or laban diluted, stir fry some onions, spices and allowing to simmer just when it starts to froth.

Thanks to Shanthi of www.shanthisthaligai.blogspot.com

What you need

2 cups of curd
6 lady fingers - halved
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1tsp of toor dhal
1 tsp of jeera
2 or 3 green chillies
1/2 tsp of raw rice
2tbs of coconut (scrapped)
1/2"piece ginger
1/2tsp mustard seeds
a pinch of hing
curry leaves
2tsp of oil
1tsp of ghee
salt

How to do

1.  Blend curd with a little water.  Mix turmeric powder and salt to curd.  Keep aside.

2.  Soak toor dhall, jeera and rice in water for 15mins.  Grind it with coconut, ginger and green chillies to a fine paste.

3.  Cut lady'sfinger into long pieces.

4.  Heat a pan, add oil and ghee, temper with mustard seeds, hign and curry leaves and saute the lady's finger well along with a pinch of salt.  Now add the ground paste and allow it cook till the raw smell goes.

5.  Pour in the bleded curd and heat till frothy.  Do not bring it to a boil.  When boil it will curdle.

6.  Generally,  ladysfinger and ashgourd is used for this kozhambu.  If using ashgourd, boil it with salt and add to the kozhambu.

Enjoy....