Broccoli Mushroom Stir Fry

The last post was done in haste, and today also I wanted to post something real quick, but then decided against it when I came across these pictures.

And an idea hit me.

You see, the dish that got made with the above ingredients has a history. It got done so quickly over a chat conversation! Yes, and if you have already seen Nags' awesome pictures and post of Stir Fried Broccoli with Mushrooms and Bean Sprouts, you can guess that the person who guided me over chat was Nags.

So, the idea was - why not share the conversation in a post with these pictures and show you how easy it is to cook over chat! But some background before the actual chat first.

I had picked up mushrooms and broccoli and got home around 12:00 p.m. one day and wanted to make something with both since my daughter likes them. I quickly chopped them, logged in and searched for Nags' recipe, and realized I didn't have a few of the ingredients. I was also unsure how to judge whether the mushrooms were cooked once I got started, so I checked if she was online.

I sure was lucky that day, because here's the conversation we had:

(The ingredients I didn't have/ use are italicized)

12:25 PM me: hi Naga

Nags: hey

me: QQ - how do you know when mushrooms are cooked

button mushrooms

Nags: they dont need much time

what dish are u making

12:26 PM me: I'm inspired by your broccoli mushroom dish

Nags: :)

me: though I'm not using soya and corn flour

my daughter likes both broccoli and mushrooms, so i thought of combining both and making a dish to suit herr tastebuds (no soya:-() just onions

12:27 PM no bell pepper too

Nags: oh hmm, yeah onions should be enough actually

me: k

Nags: i make something with just broccoli and onions

me: is it ok to add tomatoes?

Nags: but a little bit of soya sauce really helps

yeah why not

12:28 PM maybe u can puree and add so that it has a base

me: k, that shud give her the flavour she likes

ok cool

Nags: the mushroom gets soft very quijcly and becomes a deeper colour

me: k, i used garlic too

12:29 PM added a little salt and pepper, that shud be enuf?

Nags: more than :)

me: i'm doing it as i chat wiht u ok

Nags: simple yet flavourful

:)

me: cool, so i'll wait for colour to change and turn off?

Nags: yes, test one piece if u are unsure

me: coz i just made mushrooms once before

Nags: wont take too long

me: long back

k cool

Nags: even broccoli cooks super quick

me: softness indicates cooked?

yeah

Nags: yes

12:30 PM me: cool, think its done..thanks!:D

Nags: shudnt be rubbery

me: great! :D

Nags: enjoy!

me: wow my dish is done over chat

Nags: hahah this is awesome

me: yeah, thank God you were available, i just logged in to check ..

12:31 PM Nags: :)

me: after cutting all stuff and keeping the pan on the stove

take care have a great day ahead

Nags: u too

me: catch u later

Nags: bye for now

me: have to go pick her now:D

From the time stamp in the above chat conversation, you can deduce that my dish was done in 5 minutes!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

Mushrooms - I used button mushrooms - about 1 1/2 cups after halving each

Broccoli - 1 big head cut cut into floret

Onions - 2 medium sized - finely chopped

Garlic - 2 - 3 cloves - peeled and pounded

Tomatoes - 2 - finely chopped

Salt - to taste

Pepper - to taste

Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

• Heat oil and saute the onions and garlic

• Add the tomatoes, mushrooms and broccoli and stir fry until the mushrooms and broccoli are cooked

• Add salt and pepper to taste and mix well

Serve with Rice/ Chapathi

In case anyone is wondering: I actually keep chopped tomatoes ready in the refrigerator each day, so I could quickly grab the box and add them to this dish. This makes it so much easier to cook pasta or tomato chutney or any dish requiring tomato as a base. I also have chopped onions, peeled ginger and garlic ready for use everyday. And yes, I was chatting from the kitchen.

Crab Curry

Here is the recipe for Crab curry.

Ingredients:

Crab - medium sized - 12 - with the legs, cleaned and cut

Onions - 3 - finely chopped

Tomatoes - 3 - finely chopped

Ginger - peeled and pounded - 2-3inch sized/ 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Water - 1/2 cup

For the masala paste:

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Sesame seeds - 2 tbsp (optional)

Coriander seeds - 3 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

Red chillies - 3-4 (or more depending on taste)

Black pepper - 1tsp

Water - 2tbsp

For tempering/ garnish:

Onions - 1 whole chopped lengthwise

Coriander leaves - chopped

Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

• Dry roast all the ingredients for the masala paste, let cool, and grind to a smooth paste with little water and keep aside

• In a wide bottomed pan mix the chopped onions and tomatoes, ginger and crab and a little water and leave to boil until crab is cooked (You will get a lovely smell of the crab meat and can check with a fork or knife if the meat is soft enough). Add water in between if you want lots of gravy with the curry, else let it be semi dry

• Add the masala and mix well by tossing with two ladles and keep covered on low flame and cook for another 5 minutes, increase the flame and then let it simmer for another 2 minutes before you turn off

• Keep a tadka pan and heat the oil, add the onions and let it caramelize into a dark brown, pour it on top of the curry and also garnish with chopped coriander leaves

Serve with rice/ chapathi

Prawn Curry

This was another dish prepared along with the Brinjal Masala for lunch, the recipe being Amma's and the cook being me. Normally, I prefer prawns fried. However, we wanted something interesting to go with rice for lunch that everyone would like, and prawn curry seemed the best option. 

To make the Prawn Curry seen in the picture, you will need:

Prawns - deveined - 1/2 kg

Onion - finely chopped - 2 large

Tomatoes - finely chopped - 3 large

Ginger -  peeled and pounded - 2 tbsp 

Garlic - peeled and pounded - 1 tbsp 

Green chilly - 1 - sliced

For the marinade:

Salt - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

For the paste:

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

Roasted coriander powder - 1 tsp

Jeera/ Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Lemon juice - 1 whole lemon (optional)

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

• Marinade the prawns in salt, turmeric, red chilly powder and keep aside for 15-20 min
• In a pan, heat a tbsp of oil, saute 3/4 of the onions with ginger, garlic, green chilly
• Add the tomatoes after the onions are done and cook
• Meanwhile, boil the prawns with one cup of water, and cook covered over medium heat
• Grind the grated coconut, red chilly powder, cumin seeds, roasted coriander powder, to a smooth paste
  
• Add the paste to the cooked prawns, mix well, and cook on medium heat for another 5 minutes
  
• In a tadka pan, heat the oil and add the remaining 1/4 of the chopped onions and lightly stir until light brown
• Add the onions to the dish, then add the lemon juice and mix well

Note: You may increase the red chilly powder quantity if you like the curry to be spicy. But if you have children who are gonna eat the dish and have a share of the prawns in the curry like A did, I suggest you keep the spice level low. Also, I mentioned that the lemon juice is optional because the tomatoes will add a tanginess to the curry. If you prefer more tanginess, the juice extract of a lemon-sized ball of tamarind can be used as a substitute for lemon, however, it should be added along with the paste and cooked.

Serve with hot rice/ chapathi

Brinjal Masala

This is a dish, among many others, that I have been putting off posting for so long! When I went to Singapore in October during Diwali vacation, my Bhaabhi (elder sister-in-law) made this dish, and we all loved it. Though I clicked pictures of dishes prepared at home in Singapore, I never got around to posting them. 

Last week, I was browsing through  my Picasa albums (a favorite pastime!:D) and stumbled upon these pictures below. I wanted to post the recipe, however, I realized I had forgotten how Bhaabhi made it. And while editing the pictures in Picasa using 'Retouch' , with reference to Nags' Google Picasa editing article, I think I did something weird and later, I could not find the pictures!

After many attempts of locating the files and a final search and scan of all pictures in the system, I 'retrieved' the pictures (don't ask me what had happened, I have no clue!), and asked my Bhaabhi to email me the recipe, which she did. So here goes!

To make the Brinjal Masala seen in the picture, you will need:

Brinjal - cut into cubes - 3 cups

Tomatoes - finely choppped - 2

Large onions - finely chopped - 2

For the masala:

Ginger - peeled and pounded - 2 tsp

Garlic - peeled and pounded - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Red Chilli powder - 1-2 tsp (depending on how hot you like the dish to be)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Lime juice - 1 medium sized lemon 

Coriander leaves - chopped (optional)

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

• In a pan, roast the chilli powder, turmeric powder, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds along with ginger and garlic in a tsp of oil, and allow to cool
  
• Grind the above to a fine paste
  
• Heat remaining oil in a pan, sauté the onion until brown, add the tomatoes and fry until the oil separates
  
• Add the brinjal and masala paste, mix well, and cook covered on low flame until brinjal is cooked
  
• Squeeze lemon juice over the dish and garnish with coriander if you feel like it
  

Note: You can also use vinegar as a substitute for lemon juice, however, I am not sure of the quantity. Both taste fine.

Serve with rice/ chapathi

Mung Bean Sprouts and Potato Masala

The other day, I was busy clearing up stuff in the kitchen and dicovered a whole jar (about 500 gms) of mung beans. I was not sure how long the beans had been lying there, waiting to be used, but I knew I had to finish them before buying fresh stock. I just washed the whole quantity and decided to sprout half, while the remaining half was used in preparing the cherupayar curry. It was served with puttu for breakfast, and with chapathi(R and A)/ wheat bread (me) for dinner.

However, I still had the sprouts to finish and was thinking of making a simple salad, when I remembered a masala subji Amma used to make with mung bean sprouts.


This used to be one of my favorites with chapathi/ bread. The recipe is very simple too.



To make the Mung Bean Sprouts and Potato Masala seen in the picture, you will need:

Mung bean sprouts - 2 cups
Potatoes - 2 large - peeled and cubed
Tomatoes - 3 large - finely chopped
Onion - 2 medium sized - finely chopped
Green chilly - 1 sliced
Ginger - peeled and pounded - 1 tbsp
Garlic - peeled and pounded - 2-3 cloves

Water- 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds powder - 1 tsp
Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala powder - 1/4 tsp

Coriander leaves - chopped - to garnish

Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste



Method:

• Heat oil in a pan, and add onions, ginger, garlic, green chilly and stir well
• After the onions are done, add the tomatoes and cook covered on low flame for 3-5 minutes
• Throw in all the powders except garam masala, add the potatoes and sprouts along with half a cup of water, mix well
• Cook covered on low flame until the potatoes are done, add the garam masala, mix well, and cook uncovered until the subji is dry
• Garnish with coriander leaves

Serve with chapathi/ bread

Though I did not use the whole quantity of sprouts for the dish, I was happy I did not have to make a salad with all of it! Maybe what remains will end up being used in a salad.

Chakka/ Jackfruit Thoran

I have always refrained from making jackfruit-based dishes due to the fear of getting my hands (knife, cutting board, etc. also) sticky with the white gum. Jackfruit too has played an important role in making my childhood memories special, second only to the king of fruits in India, mango. I remember grandmother choosing the ripe/unripe jackfruit that needed to plucked from the tree depending on whether it was going to eaten or cooked, ensuring everything it touched was covered in coconut oil first and then cleaning it thoroughly, peeling and removing the flesh and seeds separately. The smell of a ripe jackfruit and biting into the soft, sweet yellow fruit itself was refreshing during the summer!

Amma makes so many mouth-watering jackfruit delicacies like chakka chips, chakka thoran, chakka sambar, chakka payasam, chakka varatti (jackfruit jam), chakkakuru-muringa curry (jackfruit seeds-drumstick curry), etc. during the season when jackfruits are available in plenty.

After the Vishu feast (I did prepare a feast, but had no time to take pics of the Sadya on the plantain leaf:-(), I had the jackfruit from the Vishu Kani waiting to be cooked, and I chose to make the thoran. Of course, I was scared I would make a mess of it, especially cutting and cleaning. With lots of oil applied on the knife, cutting board, my hands and plates, I set about the task of peeling and chopping the unripe inside of the fruit into big chunks. After following Amma's recipe, the result was the thoran in the picture below (unfortunately, I did not even plate them and take some good pics:-(), and R and I loved eating it by itself, and also with rice for lunch and with phulkas for dinner! A called it 'chakka noodles' and had it with her 'mammam' and yellow sambar.



To make the Chakka/ Jackfruit Thoran, you will need:

Jackfruit - unripe medium sized fruit/ 1/2 kg of the peeled fruit
Onions - 2 - finely chopped
Ginger - peeled and pounded - 2 tsp
Garlic - peeled and pounded 4-5 cloves
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Chana dal - 2 tsp
Urad dal - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Red chillies - 3-4
Curry leaves - 2 strands
Asafeotida/ Hing - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste



Method:

• Apply lots of oil the knife, cutting board, hands and plates, and peel the jackfruit
• Chop the inside fruit into chunky cubes (seeds and flesh and all) and wash in lukewarm salt water
• Boil the pieces in enough water with salt and turmeric powder until cooked
• Pound the pieces. I transfered the boiled pieces back on the cutting board and used my rolling pin to kind of mash them
• Heat oil in a large pan and add the chana dal, urad dal, red chillies and roast, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves and asafeotida
• Add onions, ginger, garlic and stir fry for a few minutes
• Mix the jackfruit into this with salt, red chilly powder and grated coconut
• Keep stirring and mixing well on low flame until all the ingredients are blended well and a lovely smell wafts into the air from the dish

Serve with rice/ chapathi (or eat it as it is!)


Dear Priti of Indian Khana is hosting Festive Food: Summer Treat event and I am sending the Jackfruit Thoran as my entry.

Matthi Porichathu/ Sardine Fry

Without breaking into the reasons for not posting for over two months, let me get to the most wonderful fish dish I enjoy with rice as well as chapathi. (Vegetarians, please spare this post).

I have always loved seafood and have relished and devoured all the seafood delicacies Amma prepares at home.

Matthi or Sardine is a fish known for containing omega 3 fatty acids. Though the fish has a strong smell, the taste is divine!



To make the Matthi Fry seen in the picture, you will need:

Sardine - cut, gutted, cleaned - 4-6 -atleast one per person :-)
Red chilly powder - 3 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Freshly ground pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice - 1/2-1 slice
Salt - to taste
Oil - for frying (shallow or deep per preference)


Method:

• Make slits on both sides of the fish
• Take a mixing bowl and mix the powders into a smooth paste with the lemon juice
• Marinade the fish and leave for 30 minutes
• Heat oil in a skillet, and place the fish and start frying on medium heat
• Turn the fish after one side is done
• Remove on to a kitchen towel to absorb any excess oil

Serve with rice/ chapathi

Banana Flower Thoran

A lot of things have kept me busy over the past few weeks. After a wonderful vacation to Coorg and Mysore, I returned home tired but happy that the first couple of days of the new year was spent traveling and enjoying places, food, and the company of some wonderful people. Unfortunately, most of the things that kept me busy after returning, and in the last two weeks, happened to deal with sickness - first me, then Amma, and then A. When the new year begins on a 'sick' note, you start feeling apprehensive and do not feel like doing much, not to mention blogging! Now that things are gradually getting back to normal, I wanted to post something different from the usual vegetables that I cook. Before I go on, let me wish all my blogger friends and readers a very Happy New Year 2009, and belated Happy Pongal/ Sankranthi.

The Banana Flower (also called Banana Blossom) or 'Vaazha Koombu' as I know it, can be used to make curries. As a child, I never liked it, but as I grew up I realized it is very healthy and is considered to have medicinal properties in Ayurveda. Amma always made Koombu Thoran (a dry curry) from the blossoms in our garden, and after moving to the city, I buy this vegetable whenever I find it in the market.

To make the Banana Flower Thoran seen in the picture below, you will need:

Banana Flower/ Vaazha Koombu - 1
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Red Chillies - 3-4 depending on taste
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Raw rice - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cury leaves - 1 strand
Oil - 1-2 tbsp
Salt - to taste


Method:

• Peel the top layer 'petals' on the flower, remove the flowers seen inside, and chop them separately
• Start chopping the vegetable into thin shreds from the narrow edge
• Once the entire vegetable is chopped, rinse it in a bowl with turmeric and salt, and drain the water as much as possible (This is done in order that the vegetable does not oxidise and turn black immediately, and also to remove the sticky texture)
• Heat a large flat pan, and cook the vegetable on low flame keeping it covered
• Stir in between after adding salt, and mix in the grated coconut when the vegetable is fully cooked
• Heat oil in a tadka pan, add rice and mix well until goden brown, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, and red chillies
• Season the dish with this, and mix well while on low flame

Note: Cutting the banana flower can sometimes be messy, so you can try chopping cross-sections first through the entire length of the flower and then cutting into thin shreds. Add red chilly powder if the taste of the red chillies is not 'hot' enough.

Serve hot with rice/ chapathi

Idlis with a simple green chutney

While I have been unable to spend time in visiting all the blogs on my reader list as well as posting recipes, I have diligently been clicking pictures of my dishes in the hope that I will be able to get back to regular blogging sooner than later. This post, being framed in the midst of sudden plans for another vacation to Coorg, features a breakfast menu after a long time.

Idli is our favorite breakfast dish, and we usually prefer it with sambar or tomato chutney, or plain coconut chutney. Many times though, we also enjoy the lovely light green coriander and curd chutney along with idlis.

Idli

To make Idlis as seen in the picture, you will need:
Rice - raw - 2 cups
Urad Dal (Black lentil, de-husked) - 1 cup
Chana Dal - a fistful (optional, Amma does this, to make it more healthier)
Moong Dal - a fistful (optional, same as above)
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Soak the rice and the 3 different dals in 4-5 cups of water for about 5-6 hours
• Grind into a fine paste, and leave the batter to ferment overnight and rise
• Grease the idli pans with oil/ ghee and steam cook for 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the idlis

Note: You may also add about 2 fistfuls of rice flakes (atukul/poha/aval) while grinding the batter, in order to make the idlis more fluffy. My sister-in-law told me about this, and though I do normally add rice flakes, these Idlis (seen in the picture) are made from batter to which rice flakes were not added.

The simple white Idlis go to FIC - WHITE hosted by Kitchen Flavours this month.

Food in colors is a unique event started by Sunshinemom of TongueTicklers.

Coriander and Curd Chutney

To make the coriander and curd chutney seen in the picture, you will need:

Coriander leaves - chopped - 2 cups
Curd - fresh, not sour - 1/2 cup
Ginger - peeled and pounded - 2 tbsp
Green chilly - 1 large
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp (optional, I did not add)
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Grind all the ingredients to a fine paste
• Allow to simmer in a pan over low heat, while stirring continuously, for 2-3 minutes

Note: You may temper the chutney with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and asafeotida (hing), in 2 tsps of oil. I did not do this, as I made this in the morning rush, and wanted to save time. Also, more importantly, A hates mustard seeds in her curries:-( and starts picking them out!

Serve with hot idlis

Colourful and Healthy Salad

These days I have been trying to eat more fruits and vegetables and reduce the intake of rice and roti (wheat), especially in the evenings. Being a South Indian who is used to typical Idli/ Dosa/ Puttu/ Appam/ Upma breakfast menu and a minimum of 2-3 dishes served with rice for lunch, I decided to stop eating anything heavy for dinner. Also, I have been eating more dry fruits and totally avoid fried food stuffs, including packeted chips/ biscuits and anything sugary.

For the first time in my life (it is never too late!), I actually prepared a salad without just slicing cucumber, carrots, cabbage, and beets, and also used sprouts and a fruit! Below, you can see some of the ingrediets.



Now, let me get to the recipe.


To make the salad seen in the picture above, you will need:

Mung bean sprouts - 1 cup
Cucumber - 1 medium-sized
Carrot - 1 large
Beetroot - 1 medium-sized
Pomegranate - 1 medium-sized
Lemon juice - to taste
Coriander leaves - chopped
Pepper - to taste
Salt - to taste
Extra virgin olive oil - 2 tbsp (optional)



Method:

• Peel and chop all the vegetables into tiny cubes and keep aside
• Cut the pomegranate into two halves and squeeze each half into a small bowl to separate the arils from the internal white pulp membranes
• In a mixing bowl, add the sprouts, then add the chopped cucumber and carrot pieces and toss
• Mix the pomegranate and then add the beetroot pieces
• Add the olive oil, lemon juice, coriander leaves and mix well
• At the time of serving, season to taste with salt and pepper

R loved it and asked to make salads more often, though A just played around with her portion for a while and gave up. Guess it really will take some time for her to eat salads.

Okra w/ Coconut n Tamarind Masala

It is long since I posted an Okra recipe here. However, bhindi dishes feature quite regularly in our weekly menu, considering that it is my daughter's favorite vegetable. Very often, I just stir fry it with all the powders thrown in without any chopped onions. This time, I felt like doing something different with it. As I start my 3 week vacation tomorrow, I was trying to finish everything lying in the refrigerator. Of course, I did make a lot of other things, which I will post later, but I so wanted to post this Okra with Coconut and Tamarind Masala as seen in the picture.

You will need:

Okra/ lady's finger - 250 gms
Coconut - grated - 1/2-3/4 cup
Tamarind - one small lemon sized ball OR 3-4 tbsp paste
Ginger - peeled and pounded - 2 tbsp
Green chilly - sliced - 1
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Hing/ Asafeotida - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Grind coconut, cumin seeds, green chilly, tamarind paste and ginger into a coarse mixture
• Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, add the asafeotida and curry leaves
• Add the turmeric, red chilly, and coriander powders, slightly roast for 2 seconds, and add the cut okra pieces, mix well
• Cook covered for 3-5 minutes, add salt, mix well, and leave on low flame for the okra to be cooked
• When the okra gets cooked, add the ground masala, and stir well without breaking the okra pieces

Another bright picture:

Serve with hot rice/ chapathi

Note: Unfortunately, A did not like it this way. If you have children who do not enjoy vegetables with coconut, do refrain from making this for them:-(

Yard Long Beans Subji

The yard long bean or long beans is a regular entry in my list for vegetable shopping, and though I usually combine it with kaya (raw banana) to make the kaya-payar thoran, or use it in olan and avial, I like to make a subji exclusively with it. Amma makes the payar thoran with grated coconut, tempered with mustard and curry leaves, but I did not have coconut and decided to try something different.

To make the dish seen in the picture, you will need:

Long beans - washed and cut/broken by hand into long pieces - 250 gms (see pic below)
Onions - chopped - 2 medium sized OR 1 cup
Ginger - peeled and pounded - 1 large OR 2 tbsp
Green chilly - 1
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Jeera/ Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Curry leaves - 1 strand (optional)
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Boil the cut beans in 1 cup of water with salt, turmeric, and red chilly powder in a pan, and keep aside
• Grind more than half of the chopped onions, ginger, and green chilly to a coarse paste
• In another pan, heat the oil, temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves (optional), and add the remaining chopped onions
• Fry the onions until light brown, and add the onion-ginger paste
• Add the jeera, coriander powders and stir well
• Mix the boiled beans into this paste and cook on low flame for 3-5minutes until semi-dry

Serve with rice/ chapathi

This dish goes to Sunshinemom's Food In Colours: Green event for this month.

Note: If you do not wish the dish to be spicy, please avoid the use of red chilly powder while boiling the vegetable. The onion paste and use of onions in the dish renders it to be only mildly hot.

"Back with a Breeze"

I remember reading ages ago, while doing follow-up reading on 'Gone with the Wind,' that Margaret Mitchell retorted to requests for a sequel to her book with "What shall I call it, 'Back with a Breeze'?" Well, I felt like using the phrase for today's post title because I am back, and in great spirits!

Dear friends, I sincerely apologize for my absence from the blogosphere, and for not visiting your blogs. I was slightly indisposed and was unable to post on my blog or participate in the many wonderful events that were held the past month. I have missed reading all your blogs! I promise to visit all your blogs, catch up with the event round-ups, and also collect the awards that my blogger friends have passed as soon as I read all the comments to my previous post. I thank each and every one of you for the kind words and support you have been giving me.

Though my parents could not stay back to celebrate Onam with us, my elder brother was able to visit us on Onam day and partake of the Onam Sadya that I prepared. I would love to share the pictures of the Pookalam (flower carpet), and the Ona-Sadya, as seen below.

Inside the house, on Onam day

Outside the house, at the entrance of the main door, the day before Onam

Ona-Sadya

I am so glad that I can still participate (I hope) in the Festive Food Event for Onam Celebration hosted by Priyanka of Asan Khana.

Though I prepared Puli-Inji, Cabbage Thoran, Avial, Kootu Curry, Pacchadi, Sambar, and Pappdam (I wanted to prepare Olan, Kaalan, and Erissery too, but couldn't), the recipe that I would like to submit for the Festive Food: Onam Celebration event is that of Kootu Curry. Unfortunately, I do not have separate pictures of the dishes, and have to make do with a cropped image of the Kootu Curry from the Sadya.

Things you will need:

Chena/ Yam/ Suran - 2 cups - cut into cubes
Nendra Kaya/ Plantain - 1 cup - cut into cubes (of the Nendra variety
Black Chana/ Kadala/ Chick peas - 1 1/2 cups - soaked overnight
Water - 2 cups
Ginger - 2 tbsp - peeled and pounded
Coconut - grated - 1 1/2 cups
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilly powder- 1 tsp
Jeera/ Cumin powder - 1 tbsp - roasted
Pepper - 1 tbsp
Red Chillies - 2
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 strands

Method:

• Pressue cook the cut chena and nendra kaya along with kadala and ginger (2 whistles)
• Coarse grind 1 cup of coconut along with turmeric, red chilly, and jeera
• Mix this into the cooked vegetable and peas mixture, and add pepper
• Temper mustard seeds, red chillies, and curry leaves, and roast the remaining 1/2 cup coconut in this until brown
• Season the dish with the above mixture

Serve for Sadya, or with rice and chapathi on normal days

The Yellow Subji Served on Sunday!

I hope everyone who read the Bitter Gourd Masala post would have noticed the yellow subji in the final picture of the Sunday meal, and also guessed what the vegetable is. I had a small piece of pumpkin lying in the fridge, and since I usually clear my fridge of all veggies on Sundays to make space for the fresh batch of the coming week, I wanted to make something quick and easy with it. So, I made Pumpkin Tomato Subji.

Here is a snapshot of what I used for the dish:


Pumpkin - Cut into long rectangles - about 2 cups
Tomatoes - Blanched, peeled, and quartered - 4-5
Onion - chopped - 1 large
Green chilly - sliced - 1
Ginger - peeled and pounded - 2 tsp - optional - (not seen in the picture)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Jeera/ Cumin seeds powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 strand (not in the above picture)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, temper mustard seeds, add green chilly, ginger, and curry leaves. Add the Urad dal and stir until light brown. Toss in the onions, and keep stirring on low flame until light brown (I had forgotten about the ginger lying pounded in the mortar and added it at a later stage)
  

• Add the tomatoes, a pinch of salt, mix well, and cook covered on low flame until tomatoes are cooked and mashable
  

• Add the pumpkin pieces, turmeric, red chilly, jeera, and coriander powders, and mix well

• Keep covered (DO NOT add water), and cook on low flame for 5-8 minutes, stir, and continue process until pumpkin is fork tender. The pumpkin pieces will release enough water and the steam in the covered pan will help in the cooking process. Ensure that the pumpkin pieces don't break while stirring, and are cooked evenly
  

Pumpkin Tomato Subji is ready!


Serve as a side dish to rice/ chapathi

This Yellow Subji goes to WYF: Colour in Food event hosted at Simple Indian Food - An Easy Cooking Blog by Easy Crafts

Thanks, Rekha, for reminding me of this event. As before, I forgot about the event!