Asparagus Curry(Stir Fry)

 

Asparagus is a very nutrient dense vegetable with loads of anti-inflammatory phytonutrients and also is a very good source of Vitamin C, beta-carotene and vitamin E. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nutrients are some of the best risk reducers  for common chronic health problems including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. With all these health benefits this is such a tasty vegetable and very easy to cook and is also very versatile. You can make salads, steam, stir fry or bake. The lesser the cooking time, the better nutrients the veggie will retain, so I prefer to make stir fries with this wonderful veggie. The addition of coconut makes it even more healthy and tasty. Don’t forget to grab a bunch of these healthy vegetable when you happen to pass them in your next grocery store visit.

I normally steam asparagus and eat it but my Mom when she visits us here she used to prepare a quick stir fry using black pepper and that’s when the idea of making a curry using coconut struck me.

Preparation Time – 5 Minutes

Cooking Time – 5 Minutes

Serves – 2 to 3

Ingredients

Asparagus – 1 bunch

Coconut oil – 1 Tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 Tsp

Split Urad Dal – 1 Tbsp

Dried red chilies – 2 or to taste

Grated coconut – 1/2 Cup

Salt – 3/4 Tsp or to taste

Turmeric powder – 1/2 Tsp

Method

1) Wash and trim the thick white ends of the asparagus and then chop into fine pieces.

2) Heat a wide pan and add the coconut oil once the pan is hot. To the oil add mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add urad dal and stir it becomes slightly brown.

3) Now add the red chilies and saute till they are slightly brown and then add the chopped asparagus, turmeric powder and salt and stir fry on high heat for 3-5 minutes and then switch off.

4) To this add grated coconut fresh or frozen, not dried and mix evenly and serve.

Events

This delicious and healthy Curry is off to Wellness Weekend hosted by Ricki of Diet Dessert n Dogs.

Sending this to Srav’s Cooking concepts – Mom’s recipes.

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Kadhi Pakodi/Pakora(Baked Gram flour dumplings in Yogurt Sauce)

Kadhi Pakodi or pakora whatever name you call, is an Indian side dish made with tangy yogurt and besan(split chick pea) flour with spices and fried besan and onion dumplings and normally served with steaming hot rice and clarified butter(ghee).  Believe me they taste so good by itself or with hot cooked quinoa mixed with some ghee or even finger millet flat breads. What ever the main dish is this side dish is heavenly.  I love fried food but I  make fried snacks very rarely and try to bake or use the Aebleskiver Pan as the alternate method of cooking. Believe me the dumplings after they are soaked in the Kadhi, you cannot make out if it is fried or baked.

Now coming to the recipe, I used to have a Nanny couple of years back when I used to work full time. She is a Gujarati and was from Mumbai and  used to run a Catering business before she moved here with her Daughter. She was so  well versed in different Indian regional  dishes and I surely learned a lot of cooking from her. This is one of her recipe. Thank you Nirupama Ben if you happen to read this post.

Preparation Time – 10 Minutes

Cooking Time – 30 Minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

For Pakora

Onion - 1 Big
Red Chili powder 1/2 tsp or to taste
Salt - 1/3 Tsp or to taste
Besan - 1 Cup
Water - About 3/4 th Cup
Oil - 1 Tbsp

Kadhi

Sour Yogurt - 1 Cup
Besan - 1/3 Cup
Turmeric powdder - 1 Tsp
Salt - 1 Tsp
Red Chili powder - 1 Tsp
Garam Masala powder - 3/4 Tsp
Ghee - 1 Tsp
curry leaves - few
Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp
Methi seeds - 1/2 Tsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 Tsp
Water - 3 Cups

Tempering

Ghee - 1 Tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 Tsp
Red chili - 2
Red chili powder - 1/2 Tsp

Method

1) Preheat baking oven to 400 Degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Mix the onion, salt, red chili powder and besan and grease your hands with the oil and pour the
rest of the oil in the flour mixture.

2) Take small balls of the mixture and place it in the baking tray and bake for 15 Minutes each side, by turning in between.

3) While the pakoras are baking let us get the kadhi prepared. Mix besan, red chili powder, asafoetida powder, turmeric powder, salt and make a smooth lump free paste. Using a whisk mix this mixture and then add the water and keep this mixture ready.

4) Heat a pan, add 1 Tsp of ghee and once it is hot add the mustard seeds, after they stop crackling
add the methi seeds and after they slightly brown add the curry leaves.

5) Now pour the besan mixture and slightly simmer in low to medium heat till the besan is well cooked and
the kadhi comes to a boiling point, now add the garam masala and the dumplings and simmer it for 4-5 minutes.

6) Heat a tsp of ghee once it is hot add the cumin seeds, red chili and red chili powder and pour on top of the kadhi and serve hot.

Note - You can add bay leaves, thinly sliced onions and garlic in step 4. But for some reason, I prefer it this way.

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Radish Yogurt Dip/Raita(Mullangi Pachidi)

Not many people like radish because of their pungent smell. But they are a  good source of dietary fiber, Vitamin C, folate, potassium, Vitamin B6, Calcium and Magnesium. Host of nutrition, right!! But how to include them, there are so many ways like salad, sambar(stew), stuffing inside flat breads, curries and also as raita. This is a very easy and simple to make with no cooking involved except for the tempering.

If you like radish then you will love it. Go for it and let me know what you think about this recipe.



Preparation Time - 5 Minutes

Cooking Time - 2 Minutes

Serves - 2





Ingredients



Tender white medium sized Radish - 1

Salt - 1/2 Tsp

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Yogurt - Thick 1 1/2 Cups (12 oz)



Tempering



Sesame Oil - 1 Tsp

Asafoetida - 1/4 Tsp (do not include if you are trying to be on a gluten free diet)

Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Curry leaves - few

Green chilies -1 to 2 or per taste finely chopped

Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp



Method



1) Wash, peel and grate the radish and ginger. Let them sit for 5 minutes.



2) Heat a pan, add a tsp of oil. Once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds and asafoetida powder.

After the mustard seeds stop spluttering add chopped green chilies, curry leaves, turmeric powder.



3) Squeeze out the juice from the grated radish and gulp it down, not much will be there but they are so good for you.



4) Add the grated radish and ginger saute for a second and then switch of the stove.



5) To this add the salt and yogurt and serve immediately. They taste good and smell good when freshly prepared. When made and refrigerated, I feel the pungent smell becomes more pronounced.

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Mullangi Sambar(Radish Stew)

Sambar is a stew  made with vegetables, cooked split pigeon peas, tamarind extract and spices. This is  a very common South Indian(Asian) side dish and is normally served with rice or Idli (Steamed Rice & Lentil Dumplings) or Dosai(Savory Rice & Lentil Pancakes).  Or you can just have it as soup, very filling, flavorful and nutritious dish. You can add any single vegetable or mixed vegetables to this stew. I make them quite often with radish because of their nutrition profile. Radishes are high in dietary fiber, vitamin C, folate, potassium, riboflavin , vitamin B6, Calcium and Magnesium.

Preparation Time - 15 Minutes

Cooking Time - 20 Minutes

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Small Red Globe Radish - 1 pack

Cooked Thoor Dal - 1 1/2 Cups (Cooked and mashed)

Water - 4 Cups

Tamarind - small lemon sized ball or a big goose berry sized ball( soak them in little bit of water, once it softens, adding 1/2 cup of water each time squeeze out the juice for 3 times and keep it aside. After soaking, take the softened tamarind and the top portion of the juice alone as you might notice little bit of sediments getting deposited in the bottom).

Sambar Powder - 1 1/2 Tsp or to your taste based on the spiciness of your choice

Salt - 1 1/2 Tsp or to taste

Rice Flour - 1 1/2 Tsp made to a thick paste by adding a Table spoon of water

Onion - 1

Tempering

Coconut Oil - 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp

Asafoetida - 1 small piece or 1/4 Tsp (For gluten free avoid this)

Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 Tsp

Green Chili - 2 to 3

Method

1) Wash, rinse and  slice the radish into thin slices.

2) Add 3/4 tsp of salt and 1 cup of water little well above the surface of the radish and boil for few minutes. (5-7 minutes)

3) Once it is half cooked, add the remaining salt, sambar powder and squeezed out tamarind extract and boil till the raw smell of tamarind is gone.(8-10 minutes)

4) Heat another small pan add the oil and once this is hot add the mustard seeds, asafoetida piece or powder. After the mustard seeds stop spluttering add  fenugreek seeds, green chili and once the fenugreek seeds slightly brown add it to the boiling tamarind juice.

5) Now add the mashed  thoor dal, rice paste and the remaining water and simmer for 5 minutes and then switch off.

7) Serve this with cooked quinoa or rice and enjoy.

Note - I like my sambar to be little thick like a stew, if you want it to be thin add more water and accordingly adjust your salt and spiciness at stage 3.

Event Participation



1) This goes to MLLA-34 hosted by Desi Soccer Mom an event started by Susan.



2) This goes to Cooking with Whole Foods - Toor Dal hosted by Veggie Platter an event started by Kiran

.

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Kale Sambar(Stew)

Kale is the King of Greens along with Brocolli. Though greens in general are nutritious foods, kale stands a head above the rest. Not only is it one of your best sources of beta-carotene, one of the antioxidants believed by many nutrition experts to be a major player in the battle against cancer, heart disease, and certain age-related chronic diseases, it also provides other important nutrients. In addition to beta-carotene, kale posses other important carotenoids: lutein and zeaxathin. These carotenoids help keep UV rays from damaging the eyes and causing cataracts. Include kale as part of your daily Diet to get rid of your glasses.



Kale can be eaten in so many ways, steamed, baked, raw in salad or adding them to vegetable juices and soup. I had a big bunch and they taste the best when they are fresh and green, so to use them up I tried to add this to Sambar(stew) and they justed tasted great.



Preparation Time - 15 Minutes

Cooking Time - 20 Minutes

Serves - 4



Ingredients



Kale - 1/2 Bunch



Cooked Thoor Dal - 1 1/2 Cups (Cooked and mashed)



Water - 4 Cups





Tamarind - small lemon sized ball or a big goose berry sized ball( soak them in little bit of water, once it softens, adding 1/2 cup of water each time squeeze out the juice for 3 times and keep it aside. After soaking, take the softened tamarind and the top portion of the juice alone as you might notice little bit of sediments getting deposited in the bottom).



Sambar Powder - 1 1/2 Tsp or to your taste based on the spiciness of your choice



Salt - 1 1/2 Tsp or to taste



Rice Flour - 1 1/2 Tsp made to a thick paste by adding a Table spoon of water



Onion - 1



Tempering



Coconut Oil - 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp

Asafoetida - 1 small piece or 1/4 Tsp (For gluten free avoid this)

Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 Tsp

Green Chili - 2 to 3



Method



1) Wash, rinse and remove the thick stem from the kale and then chop them into fine pieces.



2) Add little bit of salt and water and cover to cook the kale till tender.



3) Remove the kale from heat and using a masher, mash them up nicely and keep it aside.



4) Heat a pan add a tsp of oil and add the chopped onions, once they are translucent add the extracted tamarind juice, remaining salt, sambar powder and boil till the raw smell is gone.



5) Heat another small, add the remaining oil, once hot add the mustard seeds, asafoetida powder. After the mustard seeds stop spluttering add  fenugreek seeds, green chili and once the fenugreek seeds slightly brown add it to the boiling tamarind juice.



6) Now add the mashed kale and thoor dal, rice paste and the remaining water and simmer for 5 minutes and then switch off.



7) Serve this with cooked quinoa or rice and enjoy.



Note - I like my sambar to thick like a stew, if you want it to be thin add more water and accordingly adjust your salt and spiciness at stage 6.

Event Participation



1)  This goes to Food Palette Series - Green.



2) This goes to MLLA-31 an event hosted by Bricole and started by Susan.

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Ginger & Curry Leaf Rasam(Spiced Soup)

With the temperature dropping down to below freezing and with snow all around, it is very much common to find signs of cold and cough in the house hold. Apart from a healthy diet, exercise and optimum levels of Vitamin D, certain spices like ginger which is a warming herb can help knock out a fever. The warming effects make it a natural decongestant as well as an antihistamine, making it the perfect remedy for colds.

This rasam(a spiced soup) can be had with warm rice or warm quinoa. It not only tastes excellent, stimulating your taste buds but really helps out when you have a cold, fever or any kind of digestive disorder. There is no reason for not trying this easy, healthy and tasty one. Do let me know how you like it.

Preparation Time - 5 Minutes

Cooking Time - 15 Minutes

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Tamarind - 1 small lemon sized ball

Red Chili - 4 or to taste

Black Pepper - 1 Tsp

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Thoor Dal - 1 Tsp

Curry leaves - handful

Salt - 1 1/2 Tsp or to taste

Water - 4 Cups

Rasam Powder - 1/2 Tsp (This is optional and you can add it or skip it, but adding it gives little bit more flavor)

Tempering



Ghee (Clarified Butter) - 1 Tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 Tsp



Method



1) Soak the tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water and let this sit down for few minutes. You can even presoak in the night for making an instant rasam in the morning.



2) Heat a pan and dry roast black pepper, red chili, thoor dal till the raw smell is gone and they slightly brown. Switch of the stove and to this add the curry leaves and the peeled chopped ginger piece and set it aside.



3) Squeeze out the pulp from the soaked tamarind, by adding 3 cups of water little by little. Make sure it is thoroughly squeezed and the pulp is all extracted. Boil this tamarind juice by adding salt and rasam powder.



4) Now grind all the roasted ingredients into a fine powder and i use this left out 1/2 cup of water to rinse the blender with any of the powder sticking to it.



5) Once the tamarind juice boils for 10 minutes and the raw tamarind smell is gone, add the ground spices along with the 1/2 cup of water and let this simmer for another 2 minutes and switch off the stove.



6) Now heat a pan and add the ghee, once it is warm add the mustard seeds. After they stop spluttering add the cumin seeds and after they turn golden transfer it to the hot rasam. Serve this with steaming hot brown rice, or quinoa.

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Morkuzhambu (Spicy Yogurt Sauce)

Have you tried Morkuzhambu before, it is a spicy, tangy sauce made with Yogurt and spices and tastes fantastic with cooked Quinoa, rice or flat breads. You can add your choice of vegetables like eggplant, white pumpkin etc. This yogurt sauce is made in different regions of Indian and they are called by different names with different recipes. This is my Mom's recipe and we all love it.

Preparation Time - 15 Minutes

Cooking Time - 10 Minutes

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Thick Sour Yogurt - 1 Cup

Water - 3 Cups

Asafoetida - pinch

White pumpkin pieces - 1 cup cubed

Turmeric powder - 1 Tsp

Salt - 1 Tsp or to taste

For grinding

Grated Coconut - 4 Tbsp

Split Chick Pea - 1/2 Tbsp

Rice - 1/2 Tbsp

Cumin Seeds - 1 Tsp

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Green chili - 2 or to taste

Coriander seeds - 1 Tsp

For tempering

Coconut Oil - 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp

Red chili - 2 or taste

Curry leaves - 1 Tbsp

Asafoetida powder - pinch

Method

1) Soak the channa dal, rice, cumin seeds, corainder seeds in 1/4 cup of water.

2) Put the vegetables in a pan and add 1 cup of water or just to cover the top of the vegetables, asafoetida powder, salt and turmeric powder.

Yogurt

3) Grind the soaked masala and rest of the ingredients left out in the For grinding section into a smooth paste adding enough water.

4) Now combine the left out water, ground masala, yogurt and whisk smoothly.

5) Once the vegetables are cooked thoroughly add the yogurt mixture to it and leave it in the stove for 3-5 minutes. Once the whole thing becomes frothy and comes up, switch off the stove. Do not overcook this as the yogurt will curdle.

6) Now heat a pan add oil and then asafoetida, mustard seeds and after the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add red chili and curry leaves. Once the chili becomes slightly brown, switch off and add the tempering to Morkuzhambu.

7) Serve with hot cooked Quinoa and enjoy..

Note - If you are sensitive to gluten, exclude Asafoetida as it contains wheat.

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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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Tomato Rasam (Spiced Indian Tomato Soup)

Rasam is one of the best comfort foods, spicy, tangy, flavorful and goes perfect with cooked Quinoa or Rice and can be made in a jiffy. There are so many different kinds of rasam and this is one of the simplest and easiest one. With bare minimum ingredients and very quick to make, this will be very handy if you are rushing against time and are still aiming for home cooked healthy meals.



Cooking Time: 10 to 15 mins



Preparation Time: 5 mins

Serves : 2 to 3



Ingredients



Small sized tomato chopped into pieces - 1

Green chilly - 1 (if you want really spicy increase it)

Chopped Cilantro - 2 table spoons

Asafoetida - 1 small piece or 1/2 tsp

Water - 3 cups

Cooked thoor dhal along with turmeric powder - 1/2 cup

Rasam powder - 1 tsp

Tamarind - small lemon sized ball soaked in 1/4 cup of water

Salt - 1 Tsp or to taste



Tempering



Oil - 1/2 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp



Garnishing



Chopped Cilantro - 1 tsp

Method



1) Soak the tamarind in 1/4 cup of warm water and let this sit for few minutes till the tamarind softens.



2) In a pan combine half of the water, tomato pieces, green chilli, asafoetida, rasam powder, cilantro, ,salt and boil for about 5 minutes till the tomato pieces are little softened.



3) Now squeeze out the soaked tamarind using the remaining 1 1/2 cups of water and add it to the tomato mixture and boil for 10 more minutes or till the tomato pieces are well cooked.



4) Now add the cooked toor dhal and let this boil for 2 minutes till the dhal is well combined. Switch off.



5) Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds, once they stop spluttering transfer it to the cooked tomato dhal mixture.



6) Let this cool for few minutes then garnishwith cilantro and server with cooked plain quinoa or rice with a spoon of ghee(clarified butter) and sauteed vegetables.

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Lemon Rasam(Soup)

Rasam is a spicy, tangy South Indian soup prepared with tamarind juice or lemon along with pepper and other spices.

Know what you Eat - A half-cup of juice meets 100% of the RDA for vitamin C.

Cooking Time: 10 to 15 mins

Preparation Time: 5 mins

Serves : 2 to 3

Ingredients

1 Small sized tomato chopped into pieces

Green chilly - 1 (if you want really spicy increase it)

Chopped Ginger - 1 tsp

Chopped Cilantro - 2 table spoons

Asafoetida - 1 small piece or 1/2 tsp

Water - 3 cups

Cooked thoor dhal along with turmeric powder - 1/2 cup

Rasam powder - 1 tsp

Lemon - Juice of half lemon (Increase this if you want to taste it more tangy)

Tempering

Oil - 1/2 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Garnishing

Chopped Cilantro - 1 tsp

1) In a pan combine water, tomato pieces, green chilli, asafoetida, rasam powder, cilantro, ginger,salt and boil for about 10 minutes.

2) Once the tomato pieces are well cooked, add the cooked toor dhal and let this boil for 2 minutes till the dhal is well combined. Switch off.

3) Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds, once they stop spluttering transfer it to the cooked tomato dhal mixture.

4) Let this cool for few minutes then add the lemon juice and garnish with cilantro.

5) When the rasam is boiling hot, do not add the lemon juice as it will become bittter.

6) Cilantro is normally used only for garnishing at the end, but when boiled along with all the spices the aroma will be awesome.

This dish is our contribution to RCI-Pondicherry Cuisine, hosted by Lavi as an entry from Tamil Nadu. RCI was originally started by Lakshmi.

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Milagu Rasam(Indian Spicy Pepper Soup)

Rasam is South Indian Dish prepared with tamarind or lemon juice, flavored with spices and made either with or without the addition of cooked Toor Dal. It is normally mixed with rice and eaten or you can relish as a soup too. To somebody who is used to the taste of this dish it is surely a comfort food, very simple to make and with an awesome taste to entice your taste buds. Do try this rasam out and let me know what you think.



Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - 20 Minutes

Serves - 4 Ingredients



Tamarind - a small lemon sized ball

Water - 3 to 4 Cups

Tomato - 1/2 chopped into small pieces

Coriander Seeds - 1 Tbsp

Black Pepper - 1/2 Tsp

Salt - 1 1/2 Tsp or according to your taste

Dried Red Chili - 3 or more as per taste(this purely depends on your spice level & that of the chili

Ghee(clarified butter) - 1 Tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 Tsp



Method



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



2) Heat a pan add 1/2 tsp of ghee and once it is warm add coriander seeds, black pepper and dried red chili and fry till they are slightly brown, switch off and let this cool.



 3) Extract the juice out of the tamarind by adding more water and squeeze out till all the pulp is extracted.



4) To this add salt and boil till the raw smell is gone.



 5) Grind the roasted mixture to a fine powder.



6) Add this mixture to the boiling tamarind water and let this boil for a minute and the whole thing will rise to the top, at this point switch off the stove.



7) Don't allow the mixture to boil for a long time after adding the pepper powder, as this will become more like a medice than a rasam.



8) Heat the rest of the ghee, add the cumin seeds and roast till golden and garnish the rasam and serve with hot rice , cooked plain quinoa or cooked polenta.

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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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Green Mung Bean & Split Chick Pea Curry

Green Mung Bean & Split Chick Pea are widely used in Indian Cuisine and they can be found in Asian Indian Store. Both these legumes are very good source of protein without any fat associated with them and low in glycemic index, good source of iron and fiber. These are good for people who are on a weight loss diet, growing children and people with diabetes.

With all the spices added to the bean, they simply enhance the flavor and taste and are sure treat to eat. In all these gravy types, normally lot of butter or cream is added, but i just skipped these two and added milk instead to get a creamy gravy. Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients, it is a very simple curry with few spices and in fact these are the base spices which are used in spiced kidney bean, chick pea curry.

Preparation Time – 10 Minutes

Cooking Time – 40 Minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Green Whole Mung Bean – 1 Cup

Split Chick Pea(Chana daal) – 1/2 Cup

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Onion – 2 medium sized chopped finely

Tomato – 2 medium sized chopped finely

Turmeric powder – 1 Tsp

Salt – 1 Tsp or to taste

Red Chili powder – 1 Tsp or to taste

Garam Masala powder – 1 Tsp

Ginger Garlic paste – 1 Tsp

Whole Garam Masala – 1 Tbsp

Green Chili – 1 or 2 as per taste

Asafoetida powder – 1/4 tsp

Milk – 1/2 cup

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Oil – 1 Tbsp

Chopped Cilantro – 1 Tbsp for garnishing

Method

1) Soak Mung bean over night, rinse and drain and add enough water to cover the surface of

green mung bean and chana dal and cook in a pressure cooker separately by adding 1/2 tsp

and 1/4 tsp salt and the piece of ginger and asafoetida powder. Adding ginger and asafoetida

powder will decrease and the gassy and bloating effect of eating these beans.

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

seeds stop spluttering, add the whole garam masala once they are slightly browned add the ginger

garlic paste and saute till the raw smell is gone.

3) Now add the chopped green chili and chopped onions and fry till the onion turns translucent.

4) Add the chopped tomato pieces, turmeric powder and salt and fry till the tomatoes are cooked

completely and become a thick paste.

5) Combine the cooked mung bean and chana dal and add 3/4th of the cooked beans to the

tomato, onion paste and mash the rest of the bean to a fine paste and add this paste also to

to the rest of the bean and add little water and garam masala powder and simmer in low heat for

10 minutes till all the spices are well absorbed by the beans.

6) Now add the milk and the required amount of water based on the consistency you want and

simmer for 5 minutes and then switch off. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with

Indian flat bread or rice.

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Kadai Paneer

Paneer/Cottage cheese is a vegetarian cheese made without rennet which is a very good source of calcium and protein however it is high in fat, so watch out and eat in moderation. Kadai paneer is a famous Indian side dish which is made with cottage cheese, bell pepper and spices and tastes fantastic with flat bread or rice or just tastes great by itself.

Preparation Time – 10 Minutes

Cooking Time – 15 Minutes

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Paneer Cubes – 2 Cups

Cubed Bell Pepper/Capsicum/Shimla Mirch – 1/2 cup

Sliced Onions – 1 Cup

Chopped Tomatoes – 1 Cup

Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 Tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 Tsp

Red Chili powder – 1 Tsp

Dried Fenugreek leaves(Kasoor Methi) –1 Tsp

Oil – 1 Tbsp

Clarified Butter – 1 Tbsp

Bay leaf – 2

Cloves – 2

Cinnamon - 1

Salt – 1 Tsp or to taste

Method

1) Heat Oil in a pan, add cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf and then add the ginger garlic paste.

2) Grind the tomatoes into a paste.

3) Now add the onion and saute till they are translucent. Now add the tomato paste, turmeric

powder, red chili powder, salt and fry till the water from the tomatoes evaporate and it becomes a thick paste.

3) Add green bell peppers and cover the pan and simmer it for about 5 minutes until the pepper are half cooked.

4) Add butter,the paneer pieces and crushed kasoor methi and cook till the bell pepper is cooked

completely.

5) Serve hot with Indian flat bread.

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Onion Pickle(Thokku)

Life without Onion, would be impossible for me. It just not only adds taste and flavor to the dishes you

cook but has immense health benefits.

Onions have a variety of medicinal effects. Early American settlers used wild onions to treat colds, coughs,

and asthma, and to repel insects. In Chinese medicine, onions have been used to treat angina, coughs,

bacterial infections, and breathing problems. Onions are a rich source of flavonoids, substances known to

provide protection against cardiovascular disease. Onions are also natural anti clotting agents since they

possess substances with fibrinolytic activity and can suppress platelet-clumping. The anti clotting effect

of onions closely correlates with their sulfur content.

Preparation Time – 15 Minutes

Cooking Time – 30 Minutes

Serves – 20

Ingredients

Red Onion – 6

Red Chili – 8 to 12 depending on your taste

Red Chili powder – 1 Tsp

Tamarind – Lemon Sized ball

Salt – 2 Tsp or to taste

Tempering

Oil – 3 Tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 Tsp

Asafoetida powder – 1/2 tsp

Method

1) Wash, peel and chop the onions, soak the tamarind in warm water to cover the surface.

2) Heat a pan, add a tsp of oil add the red chili, saute for 5 minutes and then add the chopped onions

salt and the red chili powder.

3) Once the onions are translucent switch off the stove.

4) Let this cool for few minutes.

5) Now transfer the contents to a food processor and blend till a smooth paste.

6) Heat a pan, add half of the oil and add the mustard seeds, once they stop spluttering add asafoetida

powder and the onion paste.

7) Simmer this for a few minutes till all the water evaporates and this becomes a thick paste, now

add the rest of the oil and saute for 2 minutes and then switch off the stove.

8) Once this is completely cooled, store in a dry clean air tight bottle. This stores good in a refrigerator

up to a month.

9) Use this as a side dish with Idli, Dosa, Quinoa, Indian Flat Bread, Rice, Dip or spread.

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Cilantro Peanut Chutney

This inexpensive and tasty herb is a powerful natural cleansing agent. Cilantro has been effectively

used to help remove heavy metals and other toxic agents from the body. The chemical compounds in

cilantro actually bind to the heavy metals, loosening them from the tissues, blood and organs. Cilantro's

chemical compounds then aid to transport these harmful substances out of the body through elimination.

Cineole and linoleic acid are two primary components of organic cilantro that contain anti-rheumatic and

anti-arthritic properties. These two components also help purge extra water present in the body due to

swelling. Cilantro also contains oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid and ascorbic acid (vitamin-C).

Each of these elements are effective in lowering high cholesterol in the blood, as well as the internal walls

of the veins and arteries.

I love cilantro for its flavor and for its beautiful green color and try not just to include it in the garnishing

but make it as a chutney and eat it often. This combined with the goodness of protein rich peanuts

is not only good for your health for tastes so good for your taste buds too. Easy to make and can be

refrigerated for at least 5 days, can be used as a dip, spread, chutney. Do give it a try.

Preparation Time – 20 Minutes

Cooking Time – 5 Minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Cilantro – 1 bunch

Roasted peeled peanuts – 1 cup

Green chili – 4 to 6 or to taste

Tamarind – small ball(half the size of a lemon)

Salt – 1 1/2 Tsp or taste

Water – 1/4 cup

Tempering

Oil – 2 Tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida powder – 1/4 tsp

Urad Dal – 1 tsp

Red chili – 2

Method

1) Soak the tamarind ball in warm water for few minutes and carry on to step 2.

2) Wash, rinse and drain the cilantro leaves and chop into small pieces.

3) In your blender throw in the chopped cilantro, peanuts, salt, green chili and

soaked tamarind ball with water discarding the residue as the dirt will settle

down at the bottom.

4) Blend into a fine paste and add little bit of water if required.

5) Heat a pan, add oil and once it is hot add mustard seeds. After they stop

spluttering add asafoetida powder, urad dal, red chili and once the urad dal is

slightly brown add the tempering to the ground chutney and mix thoroughly.

6) Serve with Idli, Dosa, Rice or use as a spread on your sandwich.

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Beetroot Salad

Containing the powerful antioxidant betacyanin, which gives beetroot its deep red hue, this vegetable purifies the blood and has anti-carcinogenic properties. Research shows it boosts the body’s natural defenses in the liver, regenerating immune cells. Also contains silica, vital for healthy skin, fingernails, ligaments, tendons and bones. With all these health benefits, i do include this veggie in my food very often. This salad is very easyto prepare and very nutritious too. Try out and let me know, how you liked it.

Preparation Time – 15 Minutes

Cooking Time – 2 Minutes

Serves – 2

Ingredients

Beetroot – 2

Onion – 1

Lemon Juice – 1/2 tsp or to taste

Salt – 1 tsp

Tempering

Oil – 2 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida powder – 1/4 tsp

Grated Ginger – 1 Tbsp

Green chili – 2 or to taste

Method

1) Wash, peel and grate the beet root, keep it aside.

2) Peel and chop the onion into fine pieces and add it to the grated beetroot.

3) Heat a pan, add the oil and then add the mustard seeds, once the mustard

seeds stop spluttering add the asafoetida powder, green chili and the grated ginger.

4) Switch of the stove, transfer the contents to the grated beets and onion bowl.

5) Add lemon juice, salt and stir thoroughly and serve.

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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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