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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Cauliflower & Peas in Coconut Sauce(Cauliflower Pattani Kootu)

Kootu is a traditional Tamil comfort food which can be done in a jiffy. Vegetables, lentils and coconut with some spices are the base for this easy and delicious food. A perfect complete balanced food with veggies, lentils and coconut is served traditionally with cooked rice and rasam(spiced soup). I served this with some hot pepper rasam and cooked quinoa. Believe me quinoa tastes great with lot of traditional Indian side dishes like sambar, rasam etc than adding to salads. There are lot of ways this kootu is done and in my family itself it is done in so many ways, either by adding cooked dal, grinding raw dal or with the addition of tamarind juice. Whatever way it is the end result is sure healthy and very tasty.

Preparation Time – 10 Minutes

Cooking Time – 20-30 Minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Cauliflower – 1 medium sized(Cut out the florets from the thick stem and wash and keep it aside)

Frozen green peas – 1/2 Cup (Thawed)

Sambar powder – 1 Tsp or to taste

Turmeric powder – 1/2 Tsp

Salt – 1 Tsp or to taste

Raw Thoor dal – 2 Tbsp

Coconut pieces – Taken from 1 half

Rice flour – 1 Tsp

Tempering

Coconut oil – 1 Tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 Tsp

Split Urad dal – 1 Tbsp

Curry leaves – few optional

Method

1) Put the cauliflower florets, peas, salt, turmeric powder, sambar powder in a thick bottomed pan and add around 1/3 cup of water at the bottom.

2) Cover and cook till slightly tender, the more you cook the more nutrients will be lost. So cook till desired time.

3) Grind the Thoor dal, coconut pieces, rice flour in to  a fine paste and add it to the cooked cauliflower and simmer for 2-3 minutes and switch off.

4) Warm the coconut oil and then add mustard seeds. Once the seeds stop spluttering add urad dal and cook till slightly brown and then add the curry leaves and transfer it to the cauliflower, coconut kootu.

5) Serve hot with some spicy rasam and cooked main course of your choice.





Note – There are three different recipes I follow for this kootu, ver 1 veggies, tamarind juice,  cooked dal and roasted spices+coconut ver 2 – cooked dal, coconut, rice flour, sambar powder ver 3 – coconut, dry red chili, rice flour, cumin sees and raw uncooked dal. But this one is a combination of ver 2 and 3 because just at the time of adding the cooked dal I realized that  I had ran out of the same.



Events

Sending this to Vardhini’s Healing foods – Cauliflower an event started by Siri.

Sending this to Kaveri’s Kerala Kitchen Event an event started by Ria and Rose.

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Sweet Tender Pumpkin in Coconut Sauce(Parangikottai Paal Kootu)

Think Pumpkin people think the ripe orange color, but the young tender pumpkin is green in color with very tender seeds. I don't know how many of you have used it in your cooking, I rarely find that kind of young tenders ones in the grocery stores or farmers market here. This dish was made almost year and half before when my parents visited us. I love this young tender pumpkin and my sister who was in the west coast at that time, packed off couple of them from the farmers market there. The tender pumpkins have slight green color skin and the skin is also pretty edible because they are not thick like the yellow ones. A very simple dish made by adding jaggery(panela) & coconut, this dish absolutely tastes divine. So if you happen to see the young green pumpkin next time, do pick them up and try it out and let me know how you liked it. You can also do this with the yellow pumpkin if doing so, adjust the quantity of jaggery.



Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - 15 Minutes

Serves - 4



Ingredients



Chopped Pumpkin pieces - 4 Cups

Powdered Jaggery(Panela) - 1/3 Cup or according to your sweet tooth

Grated coconut - 1/2 Cup

Rice flour - 1 Tsp

Salt - 1/4 Tsp

Ghee(clarified butter) - 1 Tsp



Method



1) Boil the chopped pumpkin pieces adding little bit of water and salt. Stir in between to cook evenly and add more water if required.



2) Grind the coconut and rice flour adding little bit of water into a fine paste and add this to boiled pumpkin pieces and simmer on low heat for around 5 minutes.



3) Now add the jaggery and simmer for 3-5 minutes till it completely dissolves and add the clarified butter and serve.



Note - Even though this is called paal kootu(paal meaning milk in my language) this version which we do in our house hold just uses coconut and no milk is involved.

Sending this to Halloween fiesta hosted by Vardhini of Vardhini's Kitchen.



Now to the answer of my previous post riddle, who carved the pumpkin. Check out the following pictures. I thoroughly enjoyed this carving and had to hide and click these photos.

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Pineapple Curry in Coconut Milk

Don't just think of Vitamin C alone when thinking of pineapple also think of Bromelain, Manganese and Dietary fiber. Pineapple is a very good source of Bromelain. Bromelain is an effective anti-inflammatory enzyme found in pineapple's fruit and stem. It may help relieve swelling caused by sports injuries and surgery.

Eating pineapple may benefit your bones. A cup of pineapple chunks contains 76 percent of your daily need for manganese, an essential mineral required for the synthesis of healthy bone and cartilage.  So nothing to lose in eating this healthy fruit but if you are on a low sugar diet, check out the fructose content of Pineapple to adjust your daily intake of fructose.



Delicious flavorful pineapple and the yummy tasting coconut milk are surely an unbeatable combination. With an array of flavors and taste this curry pairs so well with some cooked brown rice with vegetables. Very simple to put together and takes very less time to cook. Try this curry out if haven't tried out before and let me know what you think about this.



Preparation Time - 15 Minutes

Cooking Time - 10 Minutes

Serves - 2

Ingredients



Pineapple chunks-1 cup

Bell Pepper - 1 Cup (preferably green, red, yellow but I had only yellow in hand so used that alone)

Onion - 1 small (chopped)

Coconut Milk - 1 Cup

Salt - 1/2 Tsp or to taste

Thai yellow curry paste - 1 Tbsp or to taste

Soy sauce - 1 Tsp

Handful Chopped Coriander leaves & Green onion pieces- to garnish

Sesame Oil-2 tsp

Method

1) Heat a pan and add 1 Tsp of oil, add onions and fry till they are nicely browned. Now add the bell pepper pieces and saute for 2 minutes. Keep the vegetables aside.



2) Now add the remaining oil, once its warm add the yellow curry paste and saute for a few minutes(1-2). Then add the coconut milk, sauteed vegetables, pineapple pieces, salt and soy sauce. Cover and cook in medium heat for 5 minutes.



3) Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onion pieces.



Note - When buying Thai curry paste, do check for the ingredients and buy the ones which says suitable for vegetarians. This curry is lying in my drafts for more than a year. So I don't remember the brand of the yellow thai curry paste I used. If I happen to see the one suitable for vegetarians, will update this post here. Also to add more color and taste to this curry, try adding baby corn, carrots, tempeh and miso pieces along with the vegetables. 

Event participation



1) Sending this Thai curry to A 100 Day Global Food Festival hosted by Kalyani of Sizzling Tastebuds.



2) This goes to Saffron Streak's Healing Food - Coconut an event started by Siri.



3) This also goes to Veggie Fruit a Month- Coconut hosted by Priya of Mharo Rajasthan.

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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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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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Asparagus Stir Fry with Sesame Seeds

It is a well know fact that one of the best way to improve good health is to eat lot of fresh minimally processed organic vegetables. Asparagus one of the best vegetables for good health and is low in calories and is very low in sodium. It is a good source of vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium and zinc, and a very good source of dietary fiber. Also Asparagus and few other vegetables like Avocado, broccoli contain lowest residual pesticide load, making them them the safest bet among conventionally grown vegetables.

This is a easy to do stir fry and takes less than 10 minutes and tastes awesome. You can have it as a snack or include as part of your main course. Whichever way you have they taste great and more than that they are so good for you.

Preparation Time - 5 Minutes

Cooking Time - 10 Minutes

Serves - 2

Ingredients

Asparagus - 1 Bunch

Salt - 1/4 tsp or to taste

Fresh ground Pepper - 1/2 Tsp or to taste

Sesame Oil - 1 Tsp

Coconut Oil - 1 Tsp

White Sesame seeds - 1 Tbsp

Method

1) Wash, rinse and chop the asparagus. If the stems are thick then cut and discard them if not you can slightly trim the stem edges and use them. 

2) Separate the thick parts of asparagus from the thin parts as they need to cook a little longer than the thin tender parts.

3) Heat a wide mouthed pan, add a tsp of sesame oil and coconut. Once the oil is warm, add the sesame seeds and toast for a few seconds and now add the thick parts of asparagus and cover and cook for 5 minutes in medium heat.

4) Now add the thin tender parts and cover and cook for 5 more minutes.

5) Increase the stove flame to high and add the salt and cook on high heat so that if there is any water let this evaporate and then switch off.

6) Add freshly ground pepper and enjoy.

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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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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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Eggplant Raita/Yogurt Dip (Katharikai Pachidi)



Eggplant may not be one of the top food in many people's favorite food list. But there are so many interesting and tasty dishes one can prepare using this vegetable. Eggplant referred to as Brinjal or Aubergine is technically a fruit and is a native to India. It contains numerous vitamins and minerals, plus eggplant contains phytonutrients, antioxidants which can help prevent damage from free radicals and protection from certain types of cancer. With so many nutritional benefits and also with a superb taste, there should be no reason why any body shouldn't try this recipe.

Preparation Time - 15 Minutes

Cooking Time - 2 Minutes

Serves - 2

Ingredients

Big Round Purple Eggplants - 2

Thick Yogurt - 2 Cups

Onion - 1

Salt - 1 Tsp

Cilantro - Chopped finely 1 Tbsp

Tempering

Sesame Oil - 1 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Green Chili - 1 to 2 as per taste

Asafoetida powder - 1/4 Tsp

Method

1) Wash and dry the eggplants.

2) In a medium open flame roast the eggplant one at a time, by rotating the eggplant once in a while, so that it gets evenly roasted on all the sides. Roast till the skin becomes charred and starts cracking. It is very easy to peel the eggplant after it is roasted.

3) Once the eggplant is completely roasted, remove it from fire and place it in a bowl and cover it for 10-15 minutes. This will ensure that the eggplant is evenly cooked on the inner side as well.

4) Once the eggplant is cold enough to handle with hands, peel the eggplant and mash it with your hands or a with a spoon.

5) To this mashed eggplant, add chopped onions, cilantro, salt, yogurt and combine thorougly.

6) Heat little oil, to this add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add asafoetida and slit green chilies. Leave this for a few seconds and then transfer it to the raita and serve.

Note - You can add grated carrots, chopped bell pepper etc. But a simple eggplant alone or eggplant + onion tastes great.

Event Participation

1) This goes to Healing Foods - Eggplant event by Seasoned & Dressed an event started by Siri.

2) This goes to Dish Name starts with E an event by Akhila.

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Pumpkin Olan(White & Red Pumpkin in Coconut Milk Sauce)

Olan is very popular South Indian(Kerala) Dish made with vegetables and Coconut milk. This Olan recipe is from my Sister and we all enjoyed this in our household and I am sure you will too.

White Pumpkin with a green and white covering can be found in Asian Indian grocery store. The inside of the pumpkin is snow white in color and has a neutral taste unlike the orange pumpkin with a sweet taste. The juice of raw white pumpkin is believed to be very good brain stimulant. Coconut Milk is a good source of a wide range of vitamins, minerals, potassium, folate and other vital nutrients. The bright orange pumpkin is loaded with an important antioxidant, beta-carotene. Current research indicates that a diet rich in foods containing beta-carotene may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer and offers protect against heart disease. Beta-carotene offers protection against other diseases as well as some degenerative aspects of aging.



Ingredients



White Pumpkin - 2 cups(Slice into thin squares an inch in dimension)

Orange Pumpkin - 1 1/2 cups

Green Chili Slit into half - 4 or increase it if you want it more spicy

Salt - 1 1/2 tsp or as per taste

Water - 1/4 cup

Coconut Milk - 1 cup

Cooked Black eyed bean - 1/4 cup

Coconut Oil - 2 tsp



Method



1) In a pan add white pumpkin, orange pumpkin, green chili, salt and water.



2) Cover and cook till pumpkin is evenly cooked.



3) Now add the cooked black eyed bean and coconut milk to the cooked pumpkin.



4) Simmer for 5 minutes add 2tsp of coconut oil and switch off.



5) This tastes great with both roti and rice.



6) Note there is no tempering or garnishing in this dish.

Event Participation



This Olan goes straight to the Kerala Kitchen.

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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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