Eggplant & Tomato, Onion Stir Fry with Peanuts

Do you like eggplants? I love them in all forms and this is such a simple stir fry even a novice can put together in few minutes. Known in different names like eggplant, brinjal and aubergine in different countries they come in different colors and shape. White, purple, light green, round, huge, small, long ones. Each one has a different taste but still they have lot of fiber which is needed for a healthy body. A very funny thing about this recipe is, I threw in a handful of roasted peanuts in this curry by mistake instead of another dish which I was cooking in the next stove. But the addition of peanuts added an extra crunch to this soft dish but it is totally optional and you can add it if you want. Next time when you go for your groceries don't forget to grab few Japanese eggplants(Purple, thin ones) and try this out and let me know how you liked it.



Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - 10 to 15 Minutes

Serves - 2 to 3





Ingredients



Japanese purple eggplants - 2(Cut into small pieces)

Onion - 1 big(Chopped finely)

Tomato - 1 big(Chopped finely)

Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp

Coriander(Dhania) powder - 1 Tsp

Red chili powder - 1 Tsp or to taste

Salt - 3/4 Tsp or to taste

Garam Masala powder - 1/2 Tsp

Coconut Oil - 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Chopped cilantro - 1 Tbsp



Roasted Peanuts - Handful (Optional)



Method



1) Heat a pan add coconut oil and once it is warm add the mustard seeds. After they stop spluttering add the turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chili powder and saute for a seconds and then throw in the onion with a pinch of salt and saute till tender.



2) Now add the tomatoes and stir once in a while till the tomatoes are slightly tender and have become watery.



3) At this point add the chopped egg plants, salt, garam masala powder and simmer till the eggplants are cooked which will take around 8-10 minutes.



4) Add roasted peanuts and garnish with some chopped cilantro and serve with cooked quinoa, rice or flat bread of your choice.

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Brussels Sprouts & Radish Onion Stir Fry

Do you like these miniature cabbage like vegetable, do you buy them, how often do you include these in your daily diet? If not then next time you go for vegetable shopping, don't forget to buy them because Brussels sprouts are one of the best vegetable to include in your diet. High in Vitamin K & C, antioxidants and dietary fiber, low in carbohydrates, a very low GI vegetable. Also these are very easy to cut and cook on a time pressed day.  Radish is another highly nutritious vegetable with hosts of vitamin c, folate, potassium, magnesium etc. A very easy to make and a high nutritious stir fry can be done in few minutes.Try it out and let me know, what you think about this one.





Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - 20 Minutes

Serves - 2





Ingredients



Brussels sprouts - 1 Pound ( Washed and halved)

Red Globe Radish - 6(Edges trimmed and sliced into thin small rounds)

Onion purple - 1 Big (Washed and chopped)

Coconut Oil - 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Red Chili powder -1 Tsp

Salt - 3/4 Tsp or to taste

Split Urad Dal - 1 Tsp



Method



1) Steam the halved brussels sprouts in a pressure cooker for 7-10 minutes.



2) Heat a pan and add the oil. Once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds stop spluttering add the urad dal.



3) Let the urad dal slightly brown, add the chopped onions and saute till translucent.



4) Now add the sliced radish and add 1/4 tsp of salt and saute for 5-7 minutes. After the radish is half cooked add the steamed brussels sprouts  and add the rest of the salt and red chili pepper and saute for 5 minutes and switch off the stove.

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Mixed Cabbage Stir Fry (Curry)

 Red(purple)  cabbage is one of the most nutritious and best tasting vegetable around. Cabbage in general helps in lowering the cholesterol and has lot of cancer preventive properties. Cabbage is a low GI vegetable and can be included as part of daily meals even for people with weight issues and people with diabetes. This is one of the simple curry that can be done in a jiffy, do not over cook as lot of enzymes are lost in the procedure.



Preparation Time - 15 Minutes

Cooking Time - 15 Minutes

Serves - 4





Ingredients



Purple Cabbage - 6 Cups(Shredded, Chopped into thin pieces)

White cabbage - 2 Cups(Shredded or chopped into thin pieces)

Dry red chillies - 2 to 3 or depending on taste

Salt - 1 Tsp or to taste

Asafoetida powder - pinch (avoid this in case of gluten intolerance)

Coconut Oil - 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp

Split Urad Dal - 1 Tbsp

Curry leaves - few

Grated Coconut - 4 Tbsp



Method



1) Heat a wide mouthed and heavy bottomed pan and add oil. Once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds stop spluttering add the split urad dal and asafoetida powder.



2) After the urad dal slightly browns add the cut red chillies and in a few seconds add the curry leaves and then add the purple cabbage and 3/4 th of the salt and cover and cook for few minutes. Once this is slightly done, add the white cabbage and add the rest of the salt and cover and cook for few more minutes.



3) In around 10 minutes the cabbage will be tender and also because of covering and cooking there would be little bit of water in the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat and stir fry for 5 more minutes till the water evaporates.



4) Add the grated coconut, saute for few seconds and switch of the stove and serve. Enjoy!!

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Grated Raw Banana Curry(Vazhaikkai Podimas)

Bananas are one of our best sources of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. The potassium found in bananas may also help to promote bone health. Potassium may counteract the increased urinary calcium loss caused by the high-salt diets, thus helping to prevent bones from thinning out at a fast rate. But one thing that needs to be remembered about banana is they are high in carbohydrates. So if you are on a low carb diet, plan your meal remembering the fact that banana is a significant carbohydrate source.



This is a very easy and traditional curry made in our home. Steam it, peel it, grate it, saute it, spice it. The curry is ready in few minutes. Try it out and let me know how you liked it.



Preparation Time - 25 Minutes

Cooking Time - 10 Minutes

Serves - 2





Ingredients



Raw Green Banana - 2

Salt - 1 Tsp or to taste

Coconut Oil - 2 Tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Split Urad Dal - 1 Tsp

Asafoetida - pinch

Curry leaves - few

Curry Powder - 1 Tsp or to taste

Grated Coconut - 2 Tbsp



Method



1) Wash, cut and steam the raw banana for 10 to 15 minutes till they are slightly tender. (You should be able to remove the peel).



2) Rinse it in cold water and slightly cool and then remove the peel.



3) After the bananas are cold to handle, using a vegetable grater, grate them and keep them aside.



4) Heat a pan, add a tsp of oil and once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add asafoetida, urad dal. Once the urad dal is slightly brown, add the curry leaves, grated raw banana, salt and curry powder and saute for few minutes.



5) Add the grated coconut, leave it in heat for 2-3 minutes and switch off and serve.



Note - You can add dry red chili also when tempering.

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Bell Pepper Curry

Looking for quick, easy, delicious and healthy curry recipe. Then this recipe is for you. Bell peppers are an excellent source of vitamins like A, C, B6 and K. Easy to cook, cut and with a yummy taste, this is a must try recipe. Try this one out and let me know how you like it.

Preparation Time - 5 to 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - 10 to 15 Minutes

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Green Bell Pepper - 3 big( Washed and chopped into pieces an inch long)

Onion - 1 big

Salt - 1 Tsp or to taste

Red Chili powder - 1 Tsp or to taste

Coriander Powder - 1/2 Tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 Tsp

Coconut Oil -1 Tbsp

Garam Masala - 1/2 Tsp

Curry Powder - 1 Tsp

Besan - 1 Tbsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Method

1) Heat a pan, add oil, once it is hot add the mustard seeds.

2) After the mustard seeds stop spluttering add the turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chili powder and slightly brown them.

3) Now add the chopped onions a pinch of salt and saute till they become transparent.

4) Now add the chopped bell pepper, add salt, garam masala and saute on a medium to high heat . ( The bell pepper should cook but should not become watery, you can watch them changing color and shrinking in size as soon as you throw them in the pan)

5) Mix the curry powder and besan add to the cooked bell pepper and saute for aminute and switch off.

6) Serve hot with flat bread, rice or cooked quinoa and enjoy!!

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Cabbage Curry

Do you know Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of vitamin A (which comes from its concentration of carotenoids such as beta-carotene). Polyphenols one of the component of cabbage gives cabbage its rich antioxidant property. So next time instead of grabbing a bottle of antioxidant supplement, grab a cabbage to supplement you.



Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - 15 Minutes

Serves - 4





Ingredients



Shredded or finely chopped cabbage - 8 cups

Dry Red Chili - 2 or more to taste

Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup

Salt - 1 Tsp or to taste

Coconut Oil - 1 Tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Asafoetida powder - 1/4 Tsp

Split Urad Dal - 1/2 Tsp

Curry leaves - 5 to 6 leaves



Method



1) Heat a pan, add a tsp of oil and once the oil is warm add the asafoetida powder and mustard seeds.



2) After the mustard seeds stop spluttering add the urad dal, after it slightly browns, add the split red chilies and curry leaves and saute for a minute.



3) Now add the shredded cabbage and the salt and cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes in medium heat till they become tender. There is no need to add water, as the cabbage with added salt will leave out water when cooking.



4) Once it is tender, there will be little bit left over water at the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat and cook on high for a few minutes till the water evaporates. Now add the grated coconut and saute for a second and switch off and serve.





Note - You can also add turmeric powder when cooking. If you are gluten free avoid asafoetida as it contains wheat.

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Avial(Vegetables in Coconut & Yogurt Sauce)

Know What you Eat : Coconut oil is very useful in reducing weight. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems. Further, it increases the body metabolism by removing stress on pancreases, thereby burning out more energy and helping obese and overweight people reduce their weight. Hence, people living in tropical coastal areas, who eat coconut oil daily as their primary cooking oil, are normally not fat, obese or overweight.



Avial is an authentic South Indian side dish cooked with vegetables, grind coconut, green chili and yogurt.









Cooking Time: 20 mins

Preparation Time: 15 mins

Serves : 4 to 6



Ingredients





Cooking banana - 1

Carrot - 1

Small Egg plant - 3

Beans - 1 handful

Bell pepper - 1/2

White pumpkin - 1 Big sized piece.

Green Peas - 1/2 cup

Drumstick - 1

Coconut oil - 2 table spoon

Curry leaves - few

Coconut - 1/2 fresh coconut.

Sour Yogurt - 1/2 cup

Green chilly - 3-4 or to taste

Rice flour - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - pinch

Salt





Coconut Oil - 4 tsps

Curry Leaves - 3 or 4 stalks



Method



1) Cut cooking banana, Carrot, Egg plant, green beans, bell pepper, drumstick pieces and white pumpkin into length wise pieces. Add peas and little bit of water, cook covered with salt and pinch of turmeric.



2) Keep stirring and add water little by little. Make sure not to add lot of water to the vegetables, as the covered vegetables with salt will become watery and the consistency will not come out good.



3) Once the vegetables are well cooked grind the fresh coconut along with the green chili and rice flour and add it to the cooked vegetables.



4) Add the coconut oil and curry leaves and simmer for few minutes to enhance the flavor.



5) Switch off the stove and once it is little cooled add the sour yogurt and mix it thoroughly.

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Beets & Broccoli Curry

Do you know from where the bloody beets gets it color from? Betacyanin is the pigment that gives beetroot not only its color but also a powerful antioxidant properties. Beets are a very good source of calcium, iron, Vitamins A and C, folic acid, fiber, manganese, phosphorus and potassium. , magnesium, iron and vitamin B6. Broccoli has not only a very low glycemic index and also rich in vitamins K, C, and A, folic acid, dietary fiber, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins B6 and E. This curry is no doubt a nutrient rich combination but also tastes great. Goes as a great combination with Quinoa, Rice or Indian Flat Bread.



Preparation Time - 15 Minutes

Cooking Time - 25 Minutes

Serves - 4



Ingredients



Medium sized Beets - 4

Broccoli - 1 bunch

Onion - 1

Salt - 1 1/4 Tsp or to taste



Tempering

Red Chili - 2 or more to taste (the spicier the better it is but depends on individual taste)

Coconut Oil - 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Split Urad Dal - 1 Tsp

 Asafoetida powder - a pinch

Curry leaves - few



Method



1) Wash and pressure cook the whole beets to 3 whistles in a pressure cooker.



 2) Once completely cooled, peel and chop into small pieces.



3) Wash, drain and cut the broccoli and chop the onion into pieces.



4) Heat a pan, add oil and once it is hot add the mustard seeds.



5) Once the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add the asafoetida powder, urad dal, red chili and after the urad dal slightly browns add the curry leaves and cut onion pieces.



6) Saute till the onion turns translucent and then add the chopped beet pieces and add 3/4 of the salt and saute for 10 minutes on medium heat till they become tender.



7) Now add the chopped broccoli pieces and the rest of the salt and stir fry on high heat for 5 minutes and then switch off.



8) Enjoy!!

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Eggplant Curry(Katharikai Curry)

Eggplant, aubergine, brinjal there are the different names and there could be many more names for this super tasty and nutritious vegetable. Eggplant comes in different shapes, sizes and colors in purple, jade green, lavender, yellow-white and orange. No matter what name is called and what color it is this is one of my favorite vegetable . This curry is very simple to make and for any eggplant lover this recipe is a keeper.



Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - 20 to 30 Minutes

Serves - 4



Ingredients



Small Purple round eggplant - 10 to 12

 Salt - 1 1/2 tsp or to taste

Tamarind - Gooseberry sized ball

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Curry powder - 1 Tbsp(as per taste and spice level of the curry powder)

Grated Coconut - 1 Tbsp

Coconut oil - 1 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Split Urad Dal - 1 Tsp

Asafoetida - pinch

Curry leaves - few



Method



1) Soak the tamarind in little bit of warm water and once well soaked using as little water as possible thoroughly extract the tamarind pulp from the soaked tamarind.



2) Wash, rinse and cut the eggplant into long thin pieces( half the eggplant and each half cut into 3 pieces - around 6 strips per eggplant)



 3) Heat a pan, i used a cast iron roasting pan and add oil. Once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add urad dal, asafoetida and curry leaves.



4) Once the urad dal is golden brown, add the cut eggplant pieces. Now add the turmeric powder, salt and cover and cook for 10 minutes stirring in between.



5) Once the eggplant is half cooked, add the extracted tamarind pulp and cook for 10 more minutes till the eggplant is thoroughly cooked.



6) Now add the curry powder and saute for 2 minutes and if any excess water is there, this powder will absorb it. Now add the grated coconut, stir and combine and leave for a minute and then switch off the stove. Leave this in the pan for five minutes and transfer to a serving bowl.



Notes - I used the small purple eggplant, if you use the thin long purple or jade green, they get cooked much faster than the small round purple variety. Do not add tamarind pulp at the beginning as your eggplant will not get cooked that easily and always add it once the eggplant is half done. Do not leave the cooked food in a cast iron pan for a longer time, as the taste and smell of the pan will be absorbed by the cooked food. So transfer it to a serving bowl within few minutes.

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Pavakkai Curry(Bittermelon Curry)

Bitter Melon, also known as Balsam pear is a truly unique and bitter ingredient that is not yet well known in the United States. It is used widely in Indian cuisine, lot of people peel the upper portion to reduce the bitterness. But this bitterness is so good for health and recent researches have shown it stimulates the production of insulin and recommends a regular intake of this vegetable.

The following recipe is slightly bitter and i haven’t added any sugar or jaggery to reduce the bitterness. You cook a bitter vegetable and what do you expect sweet taste? So enjoy this slightly bitter dish.

Preparation Time – 5 Minutes

Cooking Time – 25 Minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Bitter Melon/Karela/Pavakkai – 3 big ones

Salt – 1 Tsp or to taste

Tamarind – Gooseberry sized ball

Turmeric powder – 1/2 Tsp

Asafoetida powder – pinch

Water

Oil – 2 Tsp

Red chili – 1 or 2 as per your taste

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Split Urad Dal – 1 Tsp

Curry leaves – few

Grated Coconut – 2 Tbsp

Method

1) Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water

2) Wash, rinse and cut the karela into 1/2 inch circles, if the seeds are very matured remove it and then cut it otherwise if they are tender no need to discard it.

3) Add salt, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder to the chopped karela pieces.Squeeze out the tamarind pulp from the soaked tamarind. Add this tamarind water to the karela and boil it till the karela becomes tender and also all the water evaporates.

If the vegetable has become tender, and water is still left out filter out all the water and please do not discard it. May be like a medicine gulp it down to get its wonderful health benefit.

4) Make sure not to overcook the vegetable otherwise you will get a paste when sauteing.

5) Heat a pan, add a tsp of oil and then add mustard seeds. Once the seeds top spluttering add urad dal and curry leaves. After the urad dal slightly browns, add the cooked karela and saute for a few minutes and add the grated coconut and saute for a few seconds and switch off.

6) Enjoy!!

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Green Plantain Curry(Vazhaikkai Curry)

Plantain is very rich in potassium, and it is commonly prescribed by doctors for people who have low level

of potassium in their blood. The potassium in plantain is very good for the heart and helps to prevent

hypertension and heart attack. It is also rich in magnesium, phosphate, vitamins A, B6, and C which helps

maintain vision, good skin, and build immunity against diseases. Plantain is low in fat, high in fiber and also

high in starch. However the carbohydrate in the green unripe plantain is stored as a complex starch, slowly

released after cooking and it is a good inclusion in a diabetic diet. But if you are on a diabetic diet plan

include this as your starch food and not just treat it as a vegetable.

Preparation Time – 10 Minutes

Cooking Time – 20 Minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Cooking Banana/Plantain – 4 Small sized

Turmeric powder – 1 Tsp

Salt – 1 Tsp

Curry powder – 1 Tsp

Tempering

Coconut Oil – 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Urad dal – 1 Tsp

Asafoetida powder – pinch

curry leaves few

Method

1) Wash peel and cut the plantain into small cubes.

2) Boil enough water in a pan and then add these chopped plantain pieces along with salt and

turmeric powder and cook till tender.

3) Drain and discard the water and set this aside for the water to completely drain.

4) Heat a pan, add oil and then add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds stop spluttering,

add the urad dal and asafoetida powder and curry leaves.

5) Once the urad dal slightly brown, add the cooked plantain pieces and then saute for 5 minutes.

6) Once all the moisture is evaporated add the curry powder and saute for 2 more minutes and then

switch off and serve with any main dish of your choice.

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White Pumpkin Curry in Coconut & Yogurt Sauce (Poosanikai Mor Kootu)

White pumpkin is used widely in Indian Cuisine, and is considered much superior to its orange counterparts. Unlike the orange pumpkin, the white pumpkin doesn’t taste sweet and is very watery. This is a low glycemic vegetable and very ideal for people with diabetes and who are on a weight loss plan. Also the juice of white pumpkin is believed to be a very good brain stimulant. The white pumpkin by itself doesn’t have any taste of its own and the addition of coconut and and sour yogurt and green chili gives it a tangy spicy yummy taste and flavor. You can find white pumpkin in your local Asian Indian store.

Preparation Time – 10 Minutes

Cooking Time – 20 Minutes

Serves – 2

Ingredients

Chopped White Pumpkin – 4 Cups

Sour Yogurt – 1/3 cup

Grated Coconut – 1/3 Cup

Green Chili – 2 or to taste

Salt – 1 Tsp or to taste

Asafoetida powder – pinch

Tempering

Coconut Oil – 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Urad Dal – 1 Tsp

Curry Leaves – few

Method

1) Boil the chopped white pumpkin pieces adding salt and asafoetida powder with very little water.

2) Since the vegetable by itself is watery, in the cooking process will become more watery so add

very little water and cover and cook till tender.

3) Once cooked grind the grated coconut, green chili, cumin seeds and rice flour together into a

nice paste and add it to the cooked white pumpkin pieces.

4) Simmer this for 5 minutes, stirring in between and switch off.

5) Heat a pan, add oil and then add mustard seeds, once the mustard seeds stop spluttering add

the urad dal and curry leaves. After the Urad dal slightly brown transfer the tempering to the

cooked pumpkin.

6) Let this pumpkin coconut mixture cool for 5-10 minutes, when it is not too hot add the sour

yogurt and mix thoroughly.

7) Serve this with hot quinoa, rice or Indian flat bread.

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Cauliflower & Coconut Curry

Cauliflower contain compounds that may help prevent cancer. These compounds appear to stop enzymes

from activating cancer-causing agents in the body, and they increase the activity of enzymes that disable

and eliminate carcinogens. A cup of boiled cauliflower is an excellent source of Vitamin C, B5, B6, manganese

folate and dietary fiber.

Lot of people don’t like cauliflower for its smell, with the aroma of the few spices and a dash of grated

coconut to enhance the taste, i would surely say this curry will work well even with a cauliflower hater.

Try it out and let me know, how you liked it.

Preparation Time – 10 Minutes

Cooking Time – 15 Minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Cauliflower – 1

Dry Red Chili – 2 or to taste

Coconut Oil –1 Tbsp

Asafoetida powder – pinch

Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Urad Dal – 1 Tsp

Curry leaves chopped – 1 Tbsp

Grated Coconut – 3 Tbsp

Salt – 1 Tsp or to taste

Water – 6 Cups

Salt – 1/2 Tsp

Method

1) Wash and chop the cauliflower florets from its stem and make them medium bite sized florets

2) Boil the water and once it is well boiled, add 1/2 tsp of salt and dump the cut cauliflower florets

to this hot water and leave it for 2-3 minutes.

3) Drain the hot water and using cold water rinse the cauliflower well and set it to drain.

4) Lot of times, small worms get into cauliflower and the step 1-3 is to get rid of them. If the

cauliflower you buy doesn’t have worms, just skip the above steps and go to step 5.

5) Heat a pan, add a Tbsp of coconut oil and then add the mustard seeds.

6) Once the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add asafoetida powder, urad dal, red chili and

curry leaves.

7) Once the urad dal slightly browns, add the cut and drained cauliflower florets to the pan.

8) Add salt and turmeric powder and cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring in between.

9) Once the cauliflower is tender increase the heat and stir fry till the water evaporates and

you get a dry curry.

10) Add the grated coconut and stir to mix evenly and switch off.

11) Serve with steaming hot rice or flat bread of your choice.

Notes – If you are skipping the first three steps, you might have to cook the cauliflower for a

longer period of time. So adjust the cooking time accordingly.

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Tindora(Small Gourd) Masala Curry

Know What you Eat - Tindora (Little Gourd,Coccinia grandis) is rich in beta carotene, very low in glycemic

index and helps in regulating blood glucose. A very easy to make and a really tasty curry goes very well

with rice, quinoa or Indian flat bread.

Cooking Time: 20-30 mins

Preparation Time: 15 mins

Serves: 2 to 3

Ingredients

Tindora - 1 Pound

Asafoetida Powder - 1 pinch

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp or to taste

Masala Curry Powder

Red Chilli - 2 to 4 or to taste

Chana Dal (Split chick pea) – 1/2 table spoon

Peanuts – 1/2 tablespoon

Sesame seeds – 1/2 tablespoon

Coriander Seeds - 1 table spoon

Fennel Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Grated Coconut – 1 Tbsp

Oil – 1 Tsp

Tempering

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Split Urad Dal(split black lentil) - 1 tsp

Chopped Curry leaves - 1 table spoon

Method

1) Rinse and dry tindora and slice into thin strips.

2) Heat a pan and add the ingredients of the curry powder and roast till they change color and make

sure not to brown them too much.

3) After this cools down, grind them into a coarse to smooth powder. While it cools, go to step 4.

4) Heat oil, add mustard seeds once they stop spluttering add urad dal. After the urad dal slightly browns

add curry leaves and the tindora strips and add turmeric powder and salt and cover and cook till they

are tender for 10-15 minutes. The salt added to the vegetable will give out enough water for the vegetable

to cook. If not just add handful of water. In between make sure to remove the cover and stir so that all

the vegetables from top to bottom is evenly cooked.

5) Once the vegetable is cooked evenly and all the water is evaporated add the ground curry powder and

stir for 5 minutes till it is evenly coated and then switch off and serve with steaming rice or flat bread.

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Brussels Sprout Curry

Brussels sprouts belong to the same species as cabbage, collard greens, broccoli, kale, and kohlrabi. They

contain good amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid and dietary fibre. Moreover, they are believed to

protect against colon cancer, due to their containing sinigrin. Collard green falls under green leafy

vegetable and is very ideal to include in diet generously even if you watching your carb intake.

Very good vegetable for people with diabetes.

If you are person who doesn’t like this vegetable try this curry out and i am sure you will fall in love with it,

Very simple to make just steam them spice it up with and enjoy.

Preparation Time – 5 minutes

Cooking Time – 15-20 Minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Brussels sprouts – 1 pound

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Curry powder – 1 1/2 tsp

Coconut Oil – 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Urad Dal – 1 Tsp

Asafoetida pinch

Salt – 1 Tsp or more to your taste

Grated Coconut – 1 Tbsp

Curry leaves – 5 to 6

Method

1) Wash, rinse and dry the Brussels sprouts and slice them into half (This was harvested in

our backyard they were very small and tender, so i did not slice them, but i normally slice

the store bought ones).

2) Add 1/2 tsp of salt and in a steamer, stem it for 10 minutes.

3) Heat a tsp of oil, add the mustard seeds and once they stop spluttering add the urad

dal and asafoetida.

4) To this add the steamed Brussels sprouts, salt, turmeric powder, curry leaves and

stir fry on high heat for 5 minutes.

5) Add the curry powder and saute for 2 minutes switch off the stove, now add the

grated coconut and serve hot.

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Stuffed Taro Plant Leaf Curry(Senai Elai Paruppu Usili)

Taro is a tropical plant grown primarily as a root vegetable for its edible root and secondarily as a leaf vegetable.

It is considered a In its raw form the plant is toxic due to the presence of calcium oxalate,although the toxin

is destroyed by cooking or can be removed by steeping taro roots in cold water overnight.

Typical of leaf vegetables, taro leaves are rich in vitamins and minerals. They are a good source of thiamin,

riboflavin, iron, phosphorus, and zinc, and a very good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, niacin, potassium,

copper, and manganese. Oxalic acid may is present in the leaf, and these foods should be eaten with milk or other

foods rich in calcium in order to remove the oxalate in the digestive tract. Absorbing a large quantity of the oxalate ion

into the blood stream poses health risks, especially for people with kidney disorders, gout, or rheumatoid

arthritis. Calcium in the body reacts with the oxalate to form calcium oxalate, which is highly insoluble and

is suspected to cause kidney stones.

Preparation Time – 20 Minutes

Cooking Time – 25 Minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Taro Leaves – 2

Channa Dal – 1/4 cup

Toor Dal – 1/4 cup

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Green Chili – 1 or more to taste

Salt – 1 tsp

Tamarind pulp/paste – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida powder – 1/4 tsp

Grated Coconut – 1/4 cup

Coconut Oil – 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 Tsp

Asafoetida – pinch

Curry leaves – 5 to 6

water

Method

1) Rinse, drain and soak Channa Dal and Toor Dal for an hour.

2) After an hour, drain the water completely and add the turmeric powder, asafoetida,

green chili, salt and grind into a fine paste adding very little water as required. Add

the tamarind paste to the ground paste and mix thoroughly.

3) Wash the taro leaves and using your hands gently press them down and take half

the ground paste and apply evenly throughout the leaf using your fingers.

4) Now roll the leaf keeping the paste inside as you would for a pinwheel cookie or

cinnamon rolls.

5) Repeat the same thing for the other leaf, now in a steamer or pressure cooker

steam these two leaves for 15 minutes.

6) After 15 minutes, take the leaf roll out and leave them for 10 minutes to cool down.

7) Taking a small knife, cut the roll into small pieces, slightly thinner than a cinnamon roll.

8) Heat a pan add oil, once it is hot add the mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves.

9) After the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add these cut rolls and gently stir to coat

the oil evenly throughout, garnish with grated coconut and serve.

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Green Tomato & Spinach Curry in Coconut Sauce(Thakkalikai Keerai Kootu)

Summer months are the peak for tomatoes, with very little effort they give a lot of produce in the backyard.

These tomatoes are very low in saturated fat, high in dietary fiber, iron, manganes, magnesium, niacin,

phosphorus, potassium and Vitamin A, B6 and C. Spinach is a good source of iron and a dietary super food.

Coconut & Split Peas are a good source of protein.

With my backyard flooded with ripe and green tomatoes, tomato would find its place in one or other way.

Soups, salad, chutney etc. This is one such easy and very tasty dish and cooks pretty fast too.

Preparation Time – 10 Minutes

Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Green Tomatoes – 4 medium sized

Spinach – 1 cup(chopped into pieces)

Salt – 1 tsp

Cooked Toor Dal(Split Yellow pea) – 1/2 cup

Grated coconut – 1/2 cup

Green chili – 2 or to taste

Rice flour – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Water

For Tempering

Coconut Oil – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Split Urad Dal – 1 tsp

Curry Leaves – 4 to 5

Method

1) Wash and chop the green tomato into small pieces.

2) Add 1/2 cup of water and salt, asafoetida piece and cover and cook till tender.

3) Keep stirring in between and add little water if required, there is no need to

add lot of water as the vegetable itself when let out water when cooking and

we are going to make a thick stew and not a watery one. So don’t dump in lot

of water when cooking.

4) Grind grated coconut, green chili, rice flour, cumin seeds and little bit of water and

grind to a smooth paste.

5) Add this paste to the cooked tomato and simmer for 5 minutes for the flavors to be

combined with the vegetable and for the gravy to thicken and then switch off.

6) Heat a small pan or ladle and add a tsp of coconut oil, once hot add the mustard seeds.

After the mustard seeds stop spluttering add urad dal, curry leaves and stir till the urad

dal turns slight golden brown and then transfer this to the tomato coconut gravy and

combine.

7) Serve this dish with hot rice & rasam or with flat bread of your choice.

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Avaraikai(Hyacinth Bean) & Mung Bean Curry

Hyacinth beans come in two different colors purple and green and they are a very popular vegetable

in India. The immature pods are low in calorie and a good source of Vitamin A & C and once matured

the seeds are similar to kidney beans as far as nutrition profile is concerned. For now try this nutritious,

high fiber curry and enjoy. You can find this hyacinth bean in the Asian Indian store.

Preparation Time – 15 minutes

Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Hyacinth beans – 3 cups (Chopped into long thin strips)

Mung bean (split yellow dry) – 1/4 cup

Red chili – 1 or increase this as per your taste

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Urad Dal split – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 3 to 4

Coconut oil – 2 tsp

Asafoetida – pinch

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Grated Coconut – 1/4 cup(optional)

Water

Method

1) Rinse, wash, peel the edges of the hyacinth bean. The edges will be little stubborn and cut

and peel it on both the sides.

2) Chop them into thin strips similar to the way you chop the regular green beans.

3) Heat a pan, add oil and once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds.

4) Once the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add red chili, asafoetida powder, urad dal and curry leaves.

5) Once the urad dal is slightly brown, add the chopped hyacinth beans, Mung beans, turmeric

powder, salt and 1 cup of water.

6) Cover and cook till done and add more water if required and cook till it becomes a dry

curry and all the water evaporates.

7) Add grated coconut, mix evenly and serve.

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Okra Curry

Okra is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is high in Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A,

Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium,

Manganese, Protein, Riboflavin, Niacin, Iron, Zinc and Copper.

Preparation Time – 20 minutes

Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Serves – 2

Ingredients

Okra – 1 pound

Oil – 2 Tbsp

Onion – 1 chopped into thin long strips

Salt – 1 tsp or to taste

Thick Sour Yogurt – 1 Tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp

Red Chili powder – 1 tsp or to your taste

Coriander Powder –1/2 tsp

Garam Masala powder – 1/4 tsp optional

Method

1) Wash, rinse, drain and dry the okra nicely before cutting it.

2) If the okra is wet, while cutting you will get lot of gooey stuff in the knife and it will taste

slightly different. Chop the head of the okra off and slit then into 4 parts and chop then into

an inch long piece

3) Heat a pan and add two Tbsp of oil and once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds.

4) Once the seeds stop spluttering add the chopped okra and saute for 5 minutes, now add

the sliced onions.

5) Do not add the onions first as they will absorb half of the oil.

6) Add 3/4th of the salt and leave the okra in the stove for another 15 minutes till they

are well cooked.

7) Combine red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder and

1/4 tsp of salt to the yogurt.

8) Combine thoroughly and add this to cooked okra and leave in the stove for 5 minutes

till the yogurt is well absorbed by the okra and the water if any in the yogurt is evaporated.

Notes – The yogurt will reduce the stickiness of the okra. You can also use tamarind

to reduce the stickiness, will post another version of that curry soon.

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Sweet Potato Curry

Know What you Eat : Sweet potato is rich in dietary fiber, naturally occurring sugars, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. It contains twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A, 42 percent of the recommendation for vitamin C, four times the RDA for beta carotene, and, when eaten with the skin, sweet potatoes have more fiber than oatmeal.


Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 15 mins
Serves : 4


Ingredients

Sweet Potatos - 3 medium sized
Coconut Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Split Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Grated jaggery - 2 tbsp or to your taste
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
Water - 2 tbsp

Method

1) Wash, rinse and cut potato into cubes.
2) Heat oil and add mustard seeds, after they splutter add urad dal and curry leaves.
3) Once the urad dal slightly browns add the cubed sweet potato ,salt and water .
4) Cover it and cook in medium heat till the sweet potato is thoroughly cooked by stirring now and then. Add water if required little by little as this is a dry curry.
5) Once the sweet potato is completely cooked add jaggery powder and grated coconut, mix thoroughly and switch off and serve.

This dish is our contribution to Srivalli's Mithai Mela hosted by Cooking 4 all Seasons.

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