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.

Read more »

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.

Read more »

Mixed Vegetable with Mung Beans & Spices (Gothsu)

Know what you Eat : Want to color your life healthy? Brightly colored vegetables, whether green, red, orange or yellow, are rich sources of some of the best nutrients available. These antioxidants work together to effectively neutralize free radicals, which can travel through the body causing huge amounts of damage to cells. Free radicals are major players in the build up of cholesterol in the arteries.

Gothsu is an authentic side South Indian dish prepared with vegetables, cooked lentils and spice.

Preparation Time : 15 mins
Cooking Time : 20 mins
Serves : 4
 Ingredients

Carrot - 1
Onion (medium) - 1
Potato (small) - 1
Beans - handful
Bell Pepper(Red,Green, Yellow) - 1
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Curry leaves - few
Green Chilly - 2 or to taste
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Channa Dal - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - small piece
Tamarind - goose berry size ball
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste.

Garnishing

Chopped cilantro - 2 tbsp

Method

1) Soak tamarind in water.
2) Cook the moong dal and keep it ready.
3) Heat the oil add mustard seeds.
4) After they splutter completely add asafoetida, channa dal, after the dal browns add curry leaves, ginger pieces, green chilli and onion.
5) Once the onion changes color add the chopped carrot, egg plant, beans, bell pepper and potato pieces.
6) Add turmeric powder, salt and sauté till the vegetables are well cooked.
7) Once the vegetables are cooked squeeze out the tamarind pulp and add it along with enough water to the vegetables.
8) Boil it for 5 minutes and add the mashed mooing dal and simmer it for a minute or two and switch off.
9) Garnish with chopped cilantro.
10) This can be served with Idly, Pongal or Dosa.


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

Read more »

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.

Read more »

Garlic Rasam

Good to Know - Garlic is thought to play a role in providing natural protection against some forms of cancer, and the compounds in this herb continue to be studied as possible cancer treatments. It is thought that many of the compounds found in garlic have the ability to neutralize many cancer causing compounds, and that the compounds found in garlic may even be able to slow the growth of tumors.

Rasam is a South Indian soup cooked with spices, lentil and tamarind or lemon juice.
Cooking Time: 10 min

Preparation Time: 5 min

Serves: 3

Ingredients

Tamarind - 1 small lemon size ball.
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp or to taste
Garlic - 8 cloves
Curry leaves

Oil/ Ghee - 1/2 tsp


To Grid (Rasam Masala)

Red Chilli – 1 (or to taste)
Black pepper - 1tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 3/4 stalks
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Ghee – ½ tsp

Tempering

Ghee – ½ tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Method

1) Soak tamarind in warm water for a while and once soaked squeeze the juice thoroughly and filter and keep it.
2) Heat the ghee and roast Black Pepper, Jeera, Red Chilly and curry leaves and set them aside.
5) Chop the tomato and keep it aside, crush the garlic slightly without making them to pieces.
6) Now heat 1/2 tsp oil and add the crushed garlic and saute till they turn golden.
7) Add the tamarind juice, salt, asafoetida and tomato pieces and boil for till the tomato and garlic is cooked.
8) Mix the cooked horse gram and the roasted pepper, jeera, red chilly and curry leaves into a fine paste and add it to boiling mixture.
9) If the mixture is thick add little more water and boil it for another 5 minutes till all the spices are well mixed.
10) Heat the 1/2 tsp ghee and add cumin seeds and once they splutter turn golden add it to rasam.

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

Read more »

Kollu Rasam

Good to Know - Horse gram is a very healthy legume and is one of the home remedies for cold and body aches.

Rasam is a South Indian soup cooked with spices, lentil and tamarind or lemon juice.


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

Ingredients

Kollu (Horse Gram) - 4 tbsp
Tamarind - 1 small lemon size ball.
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp or to taste
Garlic - 5/6 cloves (optional)
Tomato - 1/2
Curry leaves
Asafoetida - 1 small piece or if using powder 1/2 tsp


To Grid (Rasam Masala)

Red Chilli – 2 (or to taste)
Black pepper - 1tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 3/4 stalks

Tempering

Oil - 1 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Garnishing

Chopped cilantro – 2 table spoons

Method

1) Soak tamarind in warm water for a while and once soaked squeeze the juice thoroughly and filter and keep it.
2) Dry roast the horse gram till it is well roasted, watch carefully as it will burn out very quickly.
3) Remove the horse gram and pour enough water to immerse it and pressure cook it along with rice or whatever you cook. Once cooked filter any excess water
and keep this aside
4) Dry roast Black Pepper, Jeera, Red Chilly and curry leaves and set them aside.
5) Chop the tomato and keep it aside, crush the garlic slightly without making them to pieces.
6) Now heat 1/2 tsp oil and add the crushed garlic and saute till they turn golden.
7) Add the tamarind juice, salt, asafoetida and tomato pieces and boil for till the tomato and garlic is cooked.
8) Mix the cooked horse gram and the roasted pepper, jeera, red chilly,curry leaves and grind into a fine paste and add it to boiling mixture.
9) If the mixture is thick add little more water and boil it for another 5 minutes till all the spices are well mixed.
10) Heat the remaining oil and add mustard seeds and once they splutter add it to the rasam.
11) Garnish with cilantro and 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.

Read more »

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.

Read more »

Quick Pumpkin Sambar for Pongal

Good to Know - Pumpkin is a low calorie, low fat food. Rich in potassium, a nutrient that helps maintain blood pressure and kidney function, pumpkin has a high fiber content, which has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease. Pumpkin flesh also contains a fair share of vitamin C, an antioxidant essential for healthy skin and gums.

Pongal is a rice and bean based main dish & sambar is a lentil based stew cooked with vegetables and spices and is a very popular dish in South India

Cooking Time: 20 mins
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Serves: 4

 Ingredients

Pumpkin - Chopped around 3 cups
Sambhar powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Red chilly - 1
Tamarind - gooseberry size ball
Thoor Dhal - 2 handfuls
Water
Salt

Method of Preparation

1) Remove the seeds and the skin of the pumpkin and chop the pumpkin into small pieces.
2) Heat oil and add mustard seeds once it stops spluttering add chilly, curry leaves, thoor dhal, asafoetida, sambhar powder, turmeric powder and water.
3) Now add the chopped pumpkin pieces and boil for around 5-10 mins and once the pumpkin is half cooked add the tamarind puree.
4) Make the tamarind puree thick by adding small quantities of water and let it boil for another 5- 10 mins and the sambhar is ready.
5) This will be in between consistency of kootu and sambhar. Much thicker than sambhar but thinner than kootu.
6) The thoor dhal in this sambhar will become soft but will not be very soft and mushy the usual way it is done for regular sambhar.
7) This is one of the traditional side dish for pongal in southern parts of Tamil Nadu.

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

Read more »