Vazhaikai Kootu /Raw plaintain kootu

Ingredients:

Raw plaintain (Vazhaikai) - 3-4

Chana dal - 1 big Tblsp

Curry leaves - few

Salt as required

Fresh grated coconut

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Roast and wet grind:

Urad dal - 1 1/2 tsp

Dry red chillies - 3-4

Black peppercorns - 10

Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp

Coriander (daniya) seeds - 1 tsp

For seasoning:

Ghee - 2 tsps

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Hing a pinch

Method:

Remove the plaintain skin with a peeler and cut into small pieces and put in a vessel with water.

Now add chana dal along with plaintain with water and pressure cook for 20 minutes.

Mean while roast the items for roasting and wet grind with fresh grated coconut and keep aside.

After the kootu is cooked in the cooker remove it and add the ground paste and mix nicely.

Add salt and curry leaves and cook for 2-3 mins on the gas.

Now remove from gas and keep aside and garnish with coriander leaves.

Now take a kadai and add all the seasoning items and season the kootu and mix nicely.

Now the Vazhaikai kootu is hot and ready to be had with plain rice and roasted appalam or can even be had as a side dish with chappathis.

Vellarikai Kootu /Cucumber Kootu

Ingredients:

Cucumber - 2 medium sized

Chana dal - 1 Tblsp

Split yellow moong dal - 1 1/2 Tblsp

Black pepper corns - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 1/2 tsps

Curry leaves - few

Fresh grated coconut

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Hing a pinch

Ghee for seasoning

Coriander leaves for garnishing.

Salt as required

Dry red chillies - 3-4

Method:

Remove the cucumber skin with a peeler and cut into small pieces.

Wash the cucumber and put in a vessel along with chana dal,moong dal and some water and pressure cook for about 15 minutes.

Roast Urad dal, dry red chillies, black pepper and grind along with fresh coconut and jeera.

Now remove the cooked cucumber from the cooker and add the ground paste with curry leaves and salt and mix nicely.

Take a kadai and season in 1 tsp ghee with Urad dal,mustard seeds, a pinch of hing.

Now add the seasonings to the kootu and garnish with coriander leaves.

The cucumber kootu is ready to be eaten either with plain hot rice with dollops of ghee or even with Chappathis as a side dish.

Drumstick Vatha Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

Drumsticks - 2

Tamarind - slightly big lemon size

Sambar powder - 3-4 tsps

Hing - a pinch

Haldi powder - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Chana dal - 1 tsp

Methi seeds - 1 tsp

Dry red chillis - 3-4

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Sesame oil for seasoning.



Method:

Cut the drumsticks into small lengthy pieces wash and keep side.

Take a vessel and soak tamarind in water and make a thick extract.

Take a kadai and pour sesame oil and season with mustard,methi seeds,chana dal and dry red chillies,hing and curry leaves.

Now put the drumstick pieces over it and pour the tamarind extract.

Add salt, sambar powder,haldi powder and mix nicely and allow it to boil.

After the the kuzhambu becomes thick, turn off the gas and remove.

If the kuzhambu is little watery, you can take 1 tsp of rice flour in a small cup and dilute it with water and add to the kuzhambu to make a little thicker.

Now the drumstick Vatha kuzhambu is ready to be eaten with hot plain rice and drops of sesame oil., with papad or any Curd raita (pachadi) as a side dish.

Red Keerai Sambar / Red Spinach Sambar.

Ingredients:

Red Spinach - 1 bunch

Tamarind - 1 medium size

Sambar powder - 4 tsps

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Hing - a pinch

Toor dal - 1/2 cup

Mustard seeds - for seasoning

Salt as required

Method:

Take a bunch of Red spinach leaves cut into small pieces and wash nicely.

Take a vessel put the tamarind and make a thick extract and keep aside.

Put Toor dal in a vessel and place in a cooker and cook it with water.

Now take the tamarind extract and put the washed and cut spinach leaves in it .

Add salt,sambar powder,turmeric powder,hing and mix nicely.

Now boil the mixture nicely till the spinach gets cooked in it and gets mixed nicely.

After it is almost cooked, add the cooked toor dal and mix in the sambar.

Keep it for about 5 minutes and then remove from the flame.

Season the sambar with mustard seeds.

Now the sambar is ready to be eaten with hot rice and some nice vegetable curry.

Aloo Methi Sabzi

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 2 medium sized

Finely chopped onions - 2 medium sized

Fenugreek leaves (Methi leaves) -2 bunches

Green chillies - 2

Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 2 Tblsps

Fresh thick curds - 2 Tblsps

Tomato paste - 2 Tblsps

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Red Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsps

Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Pressure cook potatoes or peel off the skin and cut the potato into cubes and keep in microwave bowl with water for 7-8 minutes in the microwave oven.

Slit green chillies length wise.

Wash and chop fenugreek leaves (methi leaves)

Heat oil in a kadai, add jeera (cumin seeds), slit green chillies and then chopped onion.

When it turns brown, add fenugreek leaves and fry for 1-2 minutes.

Now add turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt , and then curds.

Mix well and then add potato pieces.

Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring in between.

Now add tomato paste, garam masala powder and cook till the gravy thickens.

The aloo methi sabzi is hot and ready.

Serve hot with chappathis.

You can also have it with rice if you wish.

Moong Dal

Ingredients:

Moong dal - 1 cup

Big onion - 1

Tomato - 1 big

Green chillies - 2

Garlic - 3-4 flakes

Curry leaves - few

Jeera - 1 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - as required

Oil

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Small lemon - 2

Daniya powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

Method:

Pressure cook the moong dal with water for 25 minutes.

Cut the onion ,tomato,garlic,green chillies into small pieces.

Grate the ginger .

now take a kadai and season with Jeera and then add the cut onions and garlic pieces and add grated ginger and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

Now add tomato pieces and green chillies and stir fry.

After the moong dal is cooked add it with the seasonings and add salt, turmeric powder and curry leaves and hing and mix nicely and stir.

Now add daniya powder and garam masala powder and mix nicely.

Now add some water and cook the mixed moong dal nicely for some time.

After the moong dal is cooked nicely remove from fire and garnish with coriander leaves and squeeze lemon and mix nicely.

Now the moong dal is hot and ready to be served with rotis,chappathis and hot rice.

Baby Corn Masala

Ingredients:

Baby corn - 10

Big onion - 1

Tomatoes - 2

Oil

Jeera (cumin seeds) -1 tsp

Red chilly powder -1 tsp

Daniya powder - 1 tblsp

Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt as required

Grind together:

Onion

Garlic -4-5 flakes

Coriander leaves

Green chillies - 3

Cashew nuts - 10

Tomato

Method:

Pressure cook baby corns in enough water.

Heat oil in a kadai and add jeera and when it splutters pour the ground paste and stir fry in reduced flame till pleasant aroma comes from the masala.

Now add the cooked corn alon with the masala and add 1 tsp red chiily powder,1 tblsp daniya powder and 1/2 tsp garam masala powder and salt and mix nicely and cook till the gravy becomes thick.

Serve it hot with puris or chappathis.

Lauki Chana Dal /Bottlegourd with chana dal

Ingredients:

1/2 small bottlegourd cut into small pieces

Chana dal (bengal gram dal) -1/2 cup

Salt -as required

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1 Tblsp

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Green chillies - 2 (chopped)

Asafoetida (hing) - a pinch

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Daniya (coriander) powder -2 tsps

Tomatoes - 2 medium chopped

Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Lemon juice - 2 tsps

Coriander leaves for garnishing.

Method:

Soak the chana dal for 1 hour in water and then drain.

Cook the chana dal and lauki with salt, turmeric powder in the cooker till soft.

after it is cooked mash and mix well

Take a kadai put oil and add jeera, green chillies and hing for i minute.

Add the chilli powder and coriander powder and cook till fragrant.

Add the tomatoes and cook till they soften.

Now add the cooked chana dal and lauki and stir to mix.

Add the garam masala powder and mix nicely.

reduce the flame and cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in the lemon juice (optional) and garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

This dish can be had either with hot Rice or phulkas, roti, or Naan.

Parupu urundai moar kuzhambu /lentil balls in buttermilk gravy

Ingredients:

Thick slightly little sour buttermilk -1 medium sized vessel

Jeera -1 1/2 tsps

Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Green chillies - 5-6

Haldi powder (turmeric powder) 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

For the urundais/lentil balls:

1/2 cup -Tuar dal (black gram dal)

1/2 cup - Chana dal (bengal gram dal)

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Whole red chillies - 7-8

Method:

Soak the dals in water for 1 hour and the drain the water and put it in the wet grinder along with red chillies, hing and pour little water and grind to a paste.

Take a kadai and season with mustard seeds and pour the paste and little oil and stir till the paste becomes a little semi soft and dry.

Now when the paste is a little hot make small balls with the paste with the touch of rice flour to avoid stickiness.

Now after making the balls place them on a plate or wide vessel and steam cook them.

Moar kuzhambu/Buttermilk gravy

Take a wet grinder and pour the thick buttermilk along with green chillies,jeera, and fresh coconut and grind to a paste.

Now remove the paste from the grinder and pour it in a vessel and pour more thick buttermilk on top of it.

Now add salt,turmeric powder and curry leaves and place it on the gas to heat.

After the froth of the buttermilk starts coming up ,off the gas.Do not heat the buttermilk too much as it tends to curdle.

Now after the urundais/lentil balls are steam cooked in the cooker,remove and put the balls one by one in the moar kuzhambu/buttermilk gravy.

Now season in 1 tsp oil mustard seeds and pour it on the kuzhambu.

The parupu urundai moar kuzhambu is ready for consumption.

You can have it with rice and any curry of your choice.

Mushroom,paneer curry

Ingredients:

Onions -2 big

Tomatoes - 2

Green chillies -3

Button mushrooms - 2 packets

Paneer - cubed ones - 1 packet

Oil

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

Cashewnuts - 10

Jeera powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala powder -1/2 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsps

Fresh thick curd -1 cup

Fry in oil and grind to paste:

Sliced onions -1 cup

Chopped tomatoes - 2

Cashewnuts - 10

Method:

Cut onions,tomatoes finely and green chillies length wisw.

Wash the button mushrooms nicely.

Heat oil in a kadai, add cashewnuts, slit chillies ginger garlic paste and then onions.

Fry till golden brown and add chopped tomatoes, mushrooms.

Stir for few minutes, add ground paste and fry for another few minutes.

Add chilly powder,jeera powder, garam masala powder, salt haldi powder and mix well.

Pour whipped curds and cook till oil floats on top.

Now add the paneer cubes and mix gently and cook for another 2 minutes.

Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

You can have this curry with Nan or roti or chappathi.

Kadai Sabzi (Vegetables)

Ingredients:

Tomato -1

Capsicums -2

Green chillies -2

Baby corn - 2oo gms

Carrots -2

Beans -7-8 nos

Potato - 1 medium size

Paneer cubes - 1/4 cup

Red chiily powder - 1 tsp

Haldi powder (turmeric) -1/2 tsp

Dhania powder -1 Tblsp

Garam masala powder -1 tsp

Kasoori Methi (dry fenugreek leaves) -1 1/2 tsp

Salt - as required

Oil - to cook

Fry in oil and then grind to paste:

Onion 1 big

Tomatoes - 2

Cashew nuts -10

Method:

Cut all the vegetables into 1 1/2 inch length pieces.

(If you want you can pre cook the vegetables except paneer cubes in microwave oven for 7 minutes and the add to the masala or cook it along with the masala gravy.)

Slit green chillies into two.

Heat oil in a kadai and add slit green chillies and tomato pieces and stir fry for 2 minutes.

Now add the ground paste and then stir fry for some time.

Add all the masala powders and salt and mix with the paste.A

Add all the vegetable pieces into this masala mixture in the kadai and mix nicely and then add the paneer cubes and cook in reduced flame.

Add some water and cook till the gravy becomes thick.

Wash dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) in warm water and add to curry just before removing from fire.

After the vegetables are cooked nicely, remove from fire and serve hot in a kadai along with phulka chapathis or rotis.

Alu Palak

Ingredients:

Palak (spinach leaves) - 1 bunch

Potato - 2

Onion - 1 big

Tomato -2 medium size

Garlic - 4 flakes

Ginger - 1 small piece

Jeera (cumin) powder - 1 tsp

Dhaniya (coriander) powder - 1 tsp

Salt - as required

Jeera whole - for seasoning.

Oil for seasoning

Green chillies - 4

Method:

Boil the palak (spinach leaves) and grind in a wet grinder with tomato,onion,green chillies,garlic and ginger.

Now take a kadai pour 2 tblsps oil and season with jeera, then pour the ground palak mixture and mix thoroughly.

Now add salt jeera powder and dhaniya powder and mix .

In the meanwhile peel the potato skin and cut into cubes and cook .

Now add the cooked potatoes to the palak gravy and mix well.

Keep on stirring till the raw smell goes and the palak is cooked.

After the palak is cooked remove from fire and serve hot with phulkas,rotis,nan,poori etc.

Mushroom and mutter (peas) masala curry

Ingredients:

Big Onion -1

Mushrooms -1 medium sized container

Oil

Salt as required

Mustard seeds -1/2 tsp

Curry leaves -few

Asafoetida (hing) -little

Grind to paste:

Red chillies - 5-6

Dhaniya seeds (coriander seeds) -1Tblsp

Jeera (cumin) seeds -1 tsp

Black peppercorns - 1/4 tsp

Roast above items with little oil and grind to paste with 10 cashew nuts,one big tomato, and one big onion

Method:

Peel and chop the onions finely.

Wash the mushrooms properly and cut into half.

Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds,curry leaves and asafoetida (hing).

When it splutters, add onions and fry till translucent.

Put in mushrooms and peas and stir constantly.

Add ground paste with enough salt and add some water also.

Cook till the gravy becomes thick.

The mushroom peas curry is ready to be served hot with either rice or phulkas or rotis.

You can also cook the peas in advance in the microwave oven for 7 minutes and keep aside and then add it with the mushrooms and cook.

Raswale Alu

Ingredients:

Potatoes -1/4 kg

Jeera - 1 1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder -1 tsp

Turmeric (haldi) powder -1/2 tsp

Jeera powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Dhaniya powder -1 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Green chillies - 3

Salt - as required

Oil for seasoning

Method:

Peel the skin of the potato and cut into small cubes.

Take a kadai pour little oil and add jeera, green chiilies and curry leaves and saute.

Now put the potato pieces and stir.

Now add salt, jeera powder, dhaniya powder, garam masala powder ,red chilly powder and haldi powder and mix thoroughly.

Now add sufficient water to cover the potatoes and boil and cook it.

After the potatoes are cooked and the gravy becomes a little thick with the masalas, remove from fire.

you can garnish with coriander leaves.

Now the raswale Alu is ready full of gravy to be eaten either with puri or even chappathi.

Chow chow / Bangalore kathrikai/ chayote kuttu

Ingredients:

Chow chow - 1

Chana dal (bengal gram dal) -1 Tblsp

Moong dal - 1 Tblsp

Coconut Grated fresh -1/2 cup

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Jeera -1 tsp

Black peppercorns - 1 tsp

Whole red chillies - 2-3

Curry leaves - few

Salt - as required

Ghee -2 tsps for seasoning

Hing -1/4 tsp

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

Peel the skin of chow chow and cut into small pieces and wash thoroughly.

Take a vessel put the cut pieces and chana dal and moong dal as indicated above in the ingredients and pour some water in the vessel and keep it in the cooker to cook for approximately 20 minutes.

Take a kadai dry roast the urad dal, pepper corns, jeera and red chillies and wet grind with fresh grated coconut.

After the vegetable is cooked in the cooker remove it and mix it with the ground masala, a pinch of turmeric, curry leaves thoroughly.

Now keep it on fire just for 5 minutes and keep mixing and stirring.

Now remove from fire and garnish with coriander leaves and season in a little ghee with mustard

seeds urad dhal and hing.

Now the chow chow kootu is ready to be eaten either with rice and ghee or as a side dish for chappathi.