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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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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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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Ragi Puttu & Kadala Curry(Steamed Finger Millet with Brown Chick Pea Curry)

Ragi(Finger Millet), Quinoa all these are Pseudo grains meaning not actual grains like Wheat, Rice, Corn etc but seeds which are actually used as grains. If you are a vegetarian and looking for a gluten free and trying to eliminate grains like Wheat, Corn and Rice, these pseudo grains are a sure savior. Finger millet is a very good source of calcium and a good source of fiber and complex carbohydrates. This along with the protein rich Brown Chick Pea(the protein content in this is much more than the white variety), would make a perfect balanced break fast or lunch. 

Kadalai Curry

Ingredients

Kala Channa(Brown Chick Pea) - 1 Cup

Onion - 1 (chopped)

Tomato - 1 (chopped)

Grated Coconut - 1/3 Cup

Garlic - 3 Cloves

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Masala/Spices  - (1 Tsp Coriander seeds, 1/4 Tsp cumin seeds, 1-2 dry red chili, 1/2 Tsp Fennel seeds, 1 Clove, 1 inch piece of Indian Cinnamon Stick, 1/4 Tsp Black Whole Pepper Corns)

Curry Leaves - few for seasoning

Coconut Oil -2 Tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Green Chili -2 

Salt - 1 1/2 Tsp or to taste

Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp

Method

1) Soak the brown chick pea overnight and pressure cook with enough water to cover its surface by adding salt and split green chili for 3 to 4 whistles.

2) Heat a pan and add 1/2 tsp oil and roast the grated coconut and keep it aside.

3) Heat the pan once again and add 1/2 tsp oil and to this add the chopped garlic cloves, once this browns nicely add all the ingredients mentioned next to masala  in the ingredient list and once they slightly brown, add the onion and ginger as well and saute for a few minutes till it becomes translucent, now add the chopped tomato and saute till the tomato becomes tender. Keep this aside to cool.

4) Now grind the cooled coconut, onion & tomato mixture along with masala and add a handful of cooked chick pea (if you want a thick gravy) into a fine paste.

5) Heat a pan, add the remaining oil and add the mustard seeds. Once these seeds stop spluttering, add the curry leaves and the ground paste. To this add the turmeric powder, remaining salt and saute for 3-4 minutes.

6) Now to this add the cooked chick pea along with the water and simmer for another 5 minutes and then switch off. Add more water and salt at this stage based on your preference.

Ragi Puttu



Ingredients



Sprouted and Roasted Ragi flour - 2 Cups

Water - 1/2 Cup

Salt - 1 Tsp or to taste

Grated Coconut - 3/4 Cup

Warm Coconut Oil - 1 Tbsp



Method



1) Warm the water slightly. Add salt, grated coconut and warm coconut oil to the ragi flour and set it aside.



2) To this slowly add the water little by little and combining it nicely, the flour should be slightly wet and damp enough for steaming. If you take a small amount of flour in your hands and give a slight pressure and set it down, the flour should be able to hold it's shape. If not add little more water and try. (Do not pour a lot of water at the same time,  since you are not trying to form a dough).



3) I don't a have a puttu maker, so I greased a idli plate and took the ragi mixture in a small greased bowl and  pressed it evenly and then inverted it in each of the idli mold and steam it for 10 minutes.



4) Serve hot with kadala curry.

Event Participation



This Olan goes straight to the Kerala Kitchen.

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Boondi Raita

Boondi, boondhi is a Indian snack. To prepare boondi, Gram flour batter is made into small balls using a

ladle with holes. These balls are then deep fried in oil.

Don’t worry, pretty much all that grease we will squeeze out by soaking them in water, so add calcium

rich yogurt and enjoy this dish with spiced rice or spiced quinoa. I am sure you will not stop with a single

serving.

Ingredients

Chilled Plain Yogurt - 2 cups

Boondi - 1 cup

Black pepper - 1/2 tsp

Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp

Warm Water

Salt to taste

Method

1) Place the boondi in a bowl and pour warm water and leave for a minute, now gently squeeze out

water and place the boondi in another bowl.

2) To this squeezed out boondi, add yogurt, salt, black pepper and jeera powder.

3) Garnish with cilantro(optional) and serve with rice.

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Stuffed Eggplant Curry(With Coconut , Peanuts & Spices)

Know what you Eat - An eggplant, which is commonly referred to as a brinjal or an aubergine is a native to India. Eggplant's ample bioflavonoids may be beneficial in preventing strokes and hemorrhages. The fruit contains the phytochemical monoterpene, an antioxidant helpful in preventing heart disease and cancer. Eggplant may also prevent the oxidation of cells that leads to cancer growth. Eggplant is rich in dietary fiber and also contain Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, and phosphorous. To boost the nutritional benefits, pair eggplant with other vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Peanuts are not true nuts but a member of a family of legumes related to peas, lentils, chickpeas and other beans. Peanuts are a very good source of monounsaturated fats, the type of fat that is emphasized in the heart-healthy diet.

My Mom makes this eggplant stuffed curry very frequently. But to make them you need to have little smaller sized eggplants and tender ones. She uses channa dal for the stuffing and when i was making this i ran out of them and was in no mood to drive for 5 miles to get this single grocery. So i substituted with peanuts and it tasted awesome.

Ingredients

Small sized eggplants - Around 20
Onion - 1 big
Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Coriander seeds - 3/4 cup
Peanuts - 3/4 cup
Red chillies - 6 to 8 or to your taste
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Cinnamon stick - 1
Oil - 3 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Tamarind - Gooseberry sized ball
Water
Salt to taste

Method

1) Heat 1 tsp of oil add cinnamon sticks, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, peanuts, red chillies. Roast till you get a nice aroma from all the spices and all of the ingredients are slightly brown. Now add the grated coconut to the other spices and roast till it is slightly brown. Set this aside.
2) Heat 1 tsp of oil, add the chopped onion pieces and saute till the onions are translucent.
3) Soak the tamarind in little bit of warm water and set it aside.
4) Now wash and dry the eggplants. Slit them from the top till 3/4 of the length and on the bottom in the opposite direction once again slit till 3/4 of the length. Make sure not to slit the eggplant into two.
5) Grind all the roasted spices in step 1, 2, 3 into a coarse mixture along with salt to taste and keep this aside.
6) The eggplants you get here are not fresh and tender, if they are tender just stuff the spices in the eggplant. Heat 1 tbsp of oil add cumin seeds, once they stop spluttering add the stuffed eggplant and little bit of salt and cover and cook. Once the eggplant is cooked, add the remaining stuffing and mix thoroughly and switch off the stove. Serve the eggplant curry with rice or bread of your choice. If you don't get tender ones go to step 7.
7) Heat 1 tbsp of oil add the split eggplants and little bit of salt and saute till they are slightly tender and not completely cooked. Now remove from heat and let this cool.
8) Take the eggplant one by one and stuff the spices on both the ends and repeat till all the eggplants are stuffed.
9) Now heat the remaining oil, add the cumin seeds. Once they stop spluttering add the stuffed eggplants and the remaining stuffing and little bit of water. Cover and cook and once the eggplants are well cooked, increase the heat, remove the cover and let the water dry up. You will get a dry curry with stuffed eggplant and spices.
10) Serve it with rice or bread of your choice.

Event Participation

1) This dish goes to JFI-Peanuts guest hosted by Pavani of Cook's Hideout, event started by Indira.

2) This goes to Sanghi's FIL-Brinjal

3) This dish goes to MLLA-13th helping guest hosted by Sunshinemom, event started by Susan.

4) This dish goes to PJ's Lets Go Nuts- Coconut event.

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Quick Sambar (Stew)

Sambar is a vegetable stew based on a broth made with tamarind and yellow lentils and a very popular South Indian dish.

Know what you Eat: Lentils are one of the best vegetable sources of iron. This makes them an important part of a vegetarian diet, and useful for preventing iron deficiency. Iron is particularly important for adolescents and pregnant women, whose requirements for it are increased.
 Cooking Time: 15 min
Preparation Time: 15 min
Serves: 4

Ingredients

Tamarind – Goose berry size ball
Green chilly – 2 or to taste
Onion – 1 medium sized chopped lengthwise
Tomato – 1 medium sized finely chopped
Garlic (optional) – 2 peeled and crushed cloves
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Cooked Toor Dhal – 1 cup
Asafoetida – 1 small piece
Curry leaves – few
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Quick Sambhar powder – 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil – 1 tsp
Water


For Quick Sambar powder

Cumin seeds – 4 tsp
Coriander seeds – 4 tsp

I got this recipe from one of my friend long time back. This is very easy to make and very delicious and goes very well with Idli, Dosa and Vada. The consistency should be slightly watery than the regular sambar.

1) Dry roast cumin seeds and coriander seeds till they are nicely toasted, make sure they don’t become black and let it cool and powder it and keep it aside. You can take just 1 tsp each of cumin and coriander and dry roast, but in lot of blenders you can’t make a fine powder if the contents fall below the blade level and can only get a coarse powder. You can make this powder and use two tsp for now and store the rest for later use.
2) Soak tamarind in some water.
3) Heat a pan add oil, once the oil becomes hot add the mustard seeds and the asafoetida piece.
4) After the mustard seeds splutter well add the chilly, garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add the sliced onion and curry leaves.
5) Once the onions turn translucent add the tomato pieces, turmeric powder and salt, sauté till the tomato pieces are half cooked.
6) Now squeeze out the tamarind pulp from the soaked tamarind with just enough water and add it to the above, let this boil for 5 minutes.
7) Combine the quick sambar powder to the cooked dhal and mix it thoroughly without any lumps and add it to the above. Add water if required, the consistency of this sambar should be slightly thin then the regular sambar. Stir and cook for 5 more minutes.
8) Switch off and garnish with chopped cilantro and the sambar is ready to serve.

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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Tindora (Little Gourd) 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.



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

Curry Powder
Red Chilli - 2 or to taste
Chana Dal (Split chick pea) - 1 table spoon
Coriander Seeds - 1 table spoon

Tempering
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Split Urad Dal(split black lentil) - 1 tsp
Chopped Curry leaves - 1 table spoon

Garnishing
Chopped Cilantro - 1 table spoon
Grated Coconut - 2 table spoons

Method
1) Rinse and dry tindora and slice into small rounds.
2) Add turmeric powder, salt and asafoetida powder and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
3) For curry powder dry roast chana dhal, coriander seeds and red chilli till they slightly change color and grind it to a coarse powder after it cools down.
4) Heat oil, add mustard seeds once they stop spluttering add urad dal. After the urad dal slightly browns add curry leaves and the cooked tindora along with the water( When you pressure cook, even if you don't add water to these vegetables, there will be slight water accumulation in the boiled vegetables, transfer this also and do not add more water).
5) Simmer till water fully dries up and add the curry powder saute for 2 minutes and switch off.
6) Now add the grated coconut and chopped cilatro and mix thoroughly and serve.

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Mullangi - White Radish Curry

Good to Know : Throughout history radishes have been effective when used as a medicinal food for liver disorders. They contain a variety of sulfur-based chemicals that increase the flow of bile. Therefore, they help to maintain a healthy gallbladder and liver, and improve digestion.

Cooking Time: 10 mins
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Serves : 2 to 3

Ingredients

Long white Radish - 2
Onion big - 1 chopped finely.
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp (based on how spicy you can handle, adjust this)
Dhania powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp
Curry powder - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

Method

1) Peel and grate the radish and keep it aside.
2) Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds, once it stop spluttering add the curry leaves, asafoetida and onion.
3) Saute the onion till it becomes translucent, now add the dhania powder, turmeric and red chilly powder.
4) Add the grated radish and salt, stir it well so spices and salt is evenly coated in all of the vegetables.
5) Cover and simmer till the radish is well cooked.
6) Once the radish is well cooked and if there is still water in the bottom of the vessel, cook on high heat stirring continously.
7) Once the water is completely evaporated, add the curry powder and leave it for a minute and switch of the stove.
8) Once it is slightly cooled add the lemon juice and mix it thoroughly and the curry is ready to serve.

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EggPlant Gothsu (Side dish for Pongal,Idly etc)

Good to Know - An eggplant, which is commonly referred to as a brinjal or an aubergine is a fruit that is native to India. The fruit, which contains small, edible seeds, is generally used as a vegetable in cooking. Eggplants have low calorie content and are good sources of vitamin C, potassium and calcium.

Gothsu is a South Indian side dish cooked with vegetables, tamarind, spice and some times with the addition of cooked bean/lentil.

Cooking Time: 20 min

Preparation Time: 10 min

Serves – 4



Ingredients



Egg Plant (small) - 4 to 5

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Onion (medium) - 1

Curry leaves - few

Green chilly - 2 to 3 or to taste

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad Dhal - 1/2 tsp

Channa dhal - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida - small piece

Tamarind - goose berry size ball.

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Rice Flour - 1 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste.



Garnishing



Chopped Cilantro – 2 tablespoons





This is normally made by roasting the egg plant and peeling the skin and using the pulp inside. The eggplant I had was too small to roast and I didn’t have the time to bake it and peel and take the pulp out.



Method



1) Soak Tamarind in water.

2) Heat Oil and add mustard seeds, once they splutter well add urad dhal, channa dhal, and asafoetida.

3) Once the dhal brown a little add green chilly, chopped ginger, onion pieces and curry leaves.

3) Cut the egg plant into small pieces and add it to the above.

4) Now add turmeric powder and salt and cover it for a while till the egg plant gets cooked.

5) Once it is cooked squeeze out the tamarind pulp from the soaked tamarind using water and add it to the egg plant mixture.

6) This should be in-between consistency of rasam and sambhar, so add water accordingly.

7) Once the tamarind water boils well and the raw smell is gone, mix the rice flour in little bit of water and add the paste to this mixture.

8) Simmer for a minute or two till the gravy thickens and is not very watery and switch of and garnish serve with Pongal or Idli.

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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