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.

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

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.

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!

Dry Gobi (Cauliflower) with Spring Onions

First, I would like to thank Valarmathi of Simple and Yummy Recipes, for passing me the Blogging Friends Forever award. I am so excited about receiving the award again, and all the friends I have made, and will make through this blog! I would love to pass this award to all the bloggers who visit and continue to encourage me to keep posting...

To begin with the Cauliflower with Spring Onions (scallion, green onion, salad onion), this is the first time I made something with spring onions. I never knew what to do with them, and was quite lost when R bought a pack when he shopped for groceries one weekend. I did google for recipes, but was more confused with all the results which were alien to me (I don't make salads! Yeah, not a healthy eater).

Thankfully, R had also bought cauliflower, and I decided I'd just chop those spring onions into whatever I would make with the cauliflower. I normally use onions, and therefore, it was easy to substitute them with the spring onions, including the green leaves. To make Dry Gobi with Spring Onions, you will need:

Gobi/ Cauliflower - 4-5 cups of evenly broken florets

When cooking, the outer leaves and thick stalks are removed, leaving only the florets. The leaves are also edible, but are most often discarded. The florets should be broken into similar-sized pieces so they are cooked evenly. After eight minutes of steaming, or five minutes of boiling, the florets should be soft, but not mushy (depending on size). Stirring while cooking can break the florets into smaller, uneven pieces. - Wikipedia

Spring Onions - chopped - about 2 cups
Tomatoes - chopped - 3 large
Green chilly - sliced - 1
Ginger - peeled and pounded - 1 tbsp
Garlic - peeled and pounded - 2 tsp/ 3-4 medium sized cloves
Lemon - 1/2 slice
Coriander leaves - chopped - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Jeera/ Cumin seeds powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Water - 2 cups
Salt - to taste


Method:

• After breaking the washed cauliflower florets into similar-sized pieces, boil 2 cups of water in a saucepan, remove from stove, add the cauliflower pieces, squeeze the lemon juice over it, add about a tsp of salt, mix well, and leave covered for 30 minutes.

Note: This does not cook the cauliflower. This helps to clean the cauliflower, and retain the white colour of the cauliflower.

• Heat oil in a pan, add the chopped spring onions, ginger, garlic, green chilly, and tomatoes
• Mix well, and toss in all the powders except pepper and garam masala
• Keep covered, and cook on low flame until tomatoes are cooked, stirring in between

• Drain the water completely from the cauliflower pieces, and add them to the tomato-spring onion mixture
• Add the garam masala powder, pepper, and salt to taste and mix well, taking care not to break the cauliflower
• Leave this to cook for another 5-10 minutes, covered and on low flame, until the cauliflower pieces are cooked well, but not mushy
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves

Serve with chapathi/ roti

Below, I have a picture of the same dish prepared with normal onions, instead of spring onions. As you will notice, the cauliflower became a little mushy and broken in this one:D

Chembu/ Arabi - Buttermilk Sabji, and Tag 2

Ever since I read this post by Sunshinemom, I have been wishing to lay my hands on Arabi (Taro corms/ Colocasia / Chembu in Malayalam/ Chemadampa in Telugu), and post this recipe.

Vegetable shopping is reserved for weekends at my place and I had to be patient. This recipe is a variation of my mother's; she makes it a full-fledged gravy curry with coconut as a base, while I like it without the gravy, or rather semi-dry, if I can call it that. In my version, I also omit the coconut.

To make the Arabi Sabji seen in the picture, you will need:

Arabi - washed (better scrubbed with a vegetable scrub brush) - 1/2 kg

Buttermilk - 1/4 cup (Not the very thin buttermilk got after adding water; just blend 2-3 tbsp of fresh curd with less amount of water for 3-5 minutes and separate cream on top, if any)

Green chilly - sliced - 1
Ginger-Garlic paste - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 strands
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Jeera/ Cumin seeds powder - 1/2 tsp
Methi/ Fenugreek seeds powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper - 1/4-1/2 tsp (per taste)
Coconut - grated - 1/2 cup (optional)
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste

Method Without Coconut:

• Steam the washed arabi in a steamer (or along with rice, if using rice cooker) until knife-tender (I always use a knife for this purpose!) and leave to cool and dry
• Peel the skin, and cut into slightly thick circles, and mix the pieces in the buttermilk with salt
• Heat oil in a pan and temper mustard seeds, toss in the curry leaves, green chilly, ginger-garlic paste, and turmeric, jeera, methi powders
• Roast the powders on low flame for a minute, and add the vegetable in buttermilk
• Keep stirring on low flame until semi-wet/ dry, without separating
• Sprinkle the pepper on top and leave on hot stove until serving time

Method With coconut:

• Grind the grated coconut along with turmeric, jeera, methi powders
• After tempering mustard seeds in oil, and adding curry leaves, green chilly, ginger-garlic paste, add the coconut paste and stir well
• Add the steamed, peeled, and cut vegetable into the paste, mix well and leave covered for 3-5 minutes
• Finally, add the buttermilk (if you wish to have more gravy curry, use 1/2 cup buttermilk), and stir until slight boil on low flame, without the buttermilk separating
• You can add pepper at the end to the curry

Serve with rice, chapathi

Wait, there's more! I have been tagged twice in the same week.

Rashmi has tagged me.

Before I get to the Qs and answer them, the rules for this tag are as follows:

"At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 or 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read my blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answers."

1.What was I doing ten years ago?
A. Studying in college as a second year engineering student!

2. Five things on Today's "To do" list
A. Decide what to make for breakfast tomorrow, Organise daughter's room and cupboard (again!), Call a friend, Read the recent copy of Outlook, and Publish this post!

3.I am addicted to :
A. Rice, I can't sleep without eating a little rice at night!; Checking my email, orkut, and this blog atleast twice a day

4.Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
A. Travel the world, buy books and read, and put rest of the money in a bank

5. Places I have lived:
A. Kannur, Muscat, Trivandrum (if stay in hostel for 3 months is living!), Hyderabad, Mumbai

I would like to pass on this tag to Bharti, Illatharasi, Purva, Valarmathi, and Vegetable Platter.

Another Gourd and Curd, and Tag 1

Hmm, I can't seem to be getting enough of gourds, and they seem to be perennial vegetables here. This time, it is bitter gourd that gets the honor, although I have mentioned before that I am not very fond of the vegetable. However, R loves bitter gourd, or Karela (Hindi), and prefers to have it every Sunday at lunch.

I will slightly digress here, to address the tag, else I will forget! A_and_N has tagged me, and I would like to pass this tag to Priti and Swati. Responses at the end of this post.

Getting back to the bitter gourd, I guess we all know that it is a healthy vegetable, and recommended for diabetics. To prepare Bitter Gourd with Curd, you will need:

Bitter Gourd - cut round as below - 3-4 cups

For marination, grind the following into a paste:

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Green Chilly - 1
Ginger - peeled and chopped - 2 tbsp
Garlic - peeled - 4-5 medium sized cloves

Also, salt - to taste


For seasoning -

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 strands
Hing/ Asafoetida - a pinch
Oil - 3-4 tbsp

Final step - 3 tbsp of fresh curd

Method:

• Mix the bitter gourd pieces with the paste and salt and leave aside for 15-20 minutes
• Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan and temper the mustard seeds and curry leaves along with asafeotida
• Lay the bittergourd pieces slowly in the pan and cover the pan
• Let this cook for 10 minutes on low flame
• Take a flat ladle and turn over the pieces, and leave to cook for another 10 minutes, covered
• Turn off the flame, add the 3 tbsp of curd evenly on top of the cooked vegetable and spread with flat ladle on top
• Leave the vessel on the hot stove, until time to serve

Serve with rice

Tag Time

1) LAST MOVIE U SAW IN A THEATRE?

Sarkar Raj (We are AB fans! Before this, Bhoothnath)

2) WHAT BOOK ARE U READING?

Selected Fiction - Manoj Das

3) FAVOURITE BOARD GAME?

Monopoly

4) FAVOURITE MAGAZINE

Outlook, The Week, Outlook Traveller, Vanitha and Arogya Masika (Malayalam)

5) FAVOURITE SMELLS?

Smell of earth after fresh rain, Amma's food-Sambhar, Neyyappam (Vishu), Aviyal (for Sadya), Vegetable Biriyani, Sardine fish curry, etc...

6) FAVOURITE SOUNDS?

My daughter singing 'Are You Sleeping' in the bath tub, her payal which lets me know what she's up to and where she is in the house!

7) WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?

When you know someone's lied/lying to you deliberately!

8) WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN U WAKE?

What to make for breakfast and tiffin for my daughter!

9) FAVOURITE FAST FOOD PLACE?

Chat bandi/restaurant, and McDonald's at times

10) FUTURE CHILD'S NAME? Ans. Not sure...

11) FINISH THIS STATEMENT—’IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY

Travel the world, buy more books and read, and put the rest in a bank

12) DO U DRIVE FAST? Ans. No, I am scared to drive!

13) DO U SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL? Ans. No

14) STORMS–COOL OR SCARY? Ans. Scary

15) WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR? Ans. None of my own!

16) FAVOURITE DRINK? Ans. Mango/ Orange juice

17) FINISH THIS STATEMENT-IF I HAD THE TIME I WOULD

Read all the books I have bought and learn painting

18) DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI? Ans. No (I don't eat broccoli)

19) IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY OTHER COLOUR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE? Ans. Brown (Brunette!)

20) NAME ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS U HAVE LIVED IN?

Kannur, Muscat, Trivandrum (if stay in hostel for 3 months is living!), Hyderabad, Mumbai

21) FAVOURITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Ans. Tennis

22) ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?

A_and_N: The most delightful cooking-inclined newly wed couple I have come across:-)

23) WHATS UNDER YOUR BED?

Currently, 8 cartons of books lying unpacked, because of lack of space in Mumbai apartment

24) WOULD U LIKE TO BE BORN AS YOURSELF AGAIN?? Ans. Yes, taller
25) MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL? Ans. Morning Person

26) OVER EASY OR SUNNY SIDE UP? Ans. Neither!

27) FAVOURITE PLACE TO RELAX? Ans. At Home...

28) FAVOURITE PIE? Ans. Apple Pie

29) FAVOURITE ICECREAM FLAVOUR? Ans. Chocolate

30) OF ALL THE PEOPLE U HAVE TAGGED, WHO IS THE MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND FIRST?

Priti

Teasle Gourd (Kakrol) and Carrot Subji

There are some vegetables I dislike (bitter gourd), and some that I simply love (bhindi!). There are some I don't have any feeling for; either way it doesn't matter. The teasle gourd or kakrol is one such vegetable. I was introduced to it only after I got married. I first saw it in the sabji mandi near my house in Hyderabad, years ago. R wanted to know if I knew how to make it, and I replied in the negative. Ever since that day, whenever R buys vegetables (once in a while) he gets his favorites like Arabi, Bitter Gourd, Kakrol.

He calls it Ghee Karela. It is like a smaller version of the bitter gourd, but don't know if it is supposed to have ghee-like properties, or if it is due to the ghee-like colour on one side of the vegetable. Anyway, I have never been able to make it the way R likes it. I try something of my own, or like with this dish, ask my mother what I could possibly do to make it tasty. I really liked the result, and so did R, though he did complain that it is not what he was expecting.

To make the subji in the above picture, you will need:

Teasle Gourd - cut into cubes (deseed as much as possible) - 2 cups
Carrots - cut into cubes - 1 cup
Onions - chopped - 2
Green chilly - sliced - 1
Ginger paste - 2 tbsp
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Steam cook the teasle gourd and carrots together
• Mix the powders, ginger paste, salt, and lemon juice into the vegetables and leave for 30 minutes
• Heat oil in pan, splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves and green chilly
• Saute the onions in this pan until light brown
• Add the vegetables and stir fry well for 5 - 10 minutes

Serve with hot rice

P.S. I would really love to get more recipes with this vegetable, and especially ones with gravy.

Thalorikka (Ribbed Gourd) Thoran

Gourds are so healthy, and full of fibre. I love the ribbed gourd vegetable, and usually make it with Dal. Very rarely do I make it as a dry subji, but this time, I wanted to try something different.

You will need:

Ribbed Gourd - washed, peeled and cut into cubes - 3 cups
Onions - chopped - 1/2 cup
Tomatoes - finely chopped - 1 cup
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1/4 cup
Curry Leaves - 2 strands
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Pepper - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Coconut - grated - 1/2 cup (optional)
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Boil the cut vegetable in 1 cup of water in a covered pan on low flame
• When the vegetable is cooked and dry, heat oil in a separate pan, and temper the mustard seeds
• Add the onions, ginger-garlic paste, and saute until the onions turn light brown
• Mix the tomatoes, and keep covered on low flame until tomatoes are cooked
• Add the cooked gourd vegetable, stir well, add pepper and leave for 5 minutes
• If adding coconut, grind it into a paste with jeera powder and add at this stage

Serve hot with rice/ roti

Amla Subji

Nellikka (Amla or Indian Gooseberry) is normally used in pickles only by my mother, and I had bought a kilo of them with just that intention-make pickle of out it. However, I realized it's going to be tedious to make pickle, and instead decided to make something different from it. I really enjoyed the Amla subji (as I'd like to call it) with hot rice.

You will need:

Amla - 1 kilo

Onions - finely chopped - 2 large ones (optional)

Ginger-Garlic-1 Green chilly paste - 2tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - 2 strands

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Red chilly powder - 2 tsp

Methi powder - 3 tsp

Corainder powder - 1 tsp

Jeera powder - 1 tsp

Hing (Asafoetida) - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Mehtod:

• Pressure cook the amla for 10 minutes in 2 cups of water
• De-seed the Amla and cut into 4 pieces each
• Heat oil in a pan, temper mustard seeds and curry leaves
• Add the ginger-garlic-green chilly paste and onions
• Keep the flame on sim, and add the turmeric, red chilly, coriander, methi, jeera powders and stir well until slightly fried
• Mix the Amla along with any water left after boiling and salt
• Keep on flame until water dries, and temper again with hing

Serve with hot rice

Aloo Methi

While making rotis or chapathis for dinner, I am always inclined to choose dal (lentils) or some gourd vegetable (dhoodhi/bootle gourd, ribbed gourd etc) to go with it. I would also have made dal methi, but I so wanted to make Aloo Methi and this is the way the picture turned out:

To make Aloo Methi (Potato-Fenugreek Leaves), you need:

Potatoes - boiled, peeled, and sliced into 4 each - 3
Methi leaves - chopped - 4-5 cups
Onions - chopped - 1 cup
Green chilly - sliced - 1
Ginger - peeled and pounded - 2tbsp
Garlic - peeled and pounded - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Jeera (Cumin seeds) powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Oil - 3 tsp
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a kadai, temper mustard seeds, and add the onions
• After the onions turn light brown, ad the ginger, garlic, green chilly, turmeric, red chilly, jeera, and coriander powder
• Mix the chopped methi leaves well along with salt, and cook covered on low flame for 5 min
• Remove lid, and add the sliced potato pieces
• Mix well, and let the water from the methi leaves dry up
• Add the garam masala and stir well

Serve with hot rotis/chapathis

Vendaykka Thoran/ Bhindi Subji

Okra or lady's finger as the vedakka is also known, is one of the favourite vegetables in our house. It is used to make different dishes, including the Vendaykka Rasa, which will be featured in another post.

To prepare the vendaykka thoran in the picture, you will need:



Vendaykka - cut into small cubes - 2 cups
Ginger - peeled and pounded - 1 tsp
Green chilly - sliced - 1
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Jeera/ cumin powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Methi (fenugreek seed) powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup (optional)
Chopped onions - 1/2 cup (optional)
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in pan (preferably non-stick heavy-bottomed pan), splutter mustard seeds, and add curry leaves, ginger, and onions
• Add the turmeric, red chilly, jeera, coriander, and methi powders and stir well
• Add and mix the vendaykka along with salt, and cover pan to cook on low flame
• Stir occasionally and gently
• Add the grated coconut and mix well

Serve with rice, chapathi as a side dish

Muringa Ila Thoran (Drumstick Leaf Subji)

Leafy vegetables are a source of iron for the body, and though cabbage leaves, spinach leaves, and lettuce leaves can be eaten raw, drumstick leaves taste better when cooked. You can add aloo (potato) or drumstick pieces too to the dish. However, my mother usually makes this just a leafy affair. I personally do not like this dish, but it is highly nutritious and a source of vitamin C, iron, and protein.

Things you need:

Drumstick leaves - washed, dried, and removed from the stem - 4 cups

Rice - 2 tbsp

Urad Dal (White lentils) - 2 tsp

Red chillies - 2

Garlic - 3 cloves

Chopped onion - 2

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

Jeera or Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in pan, and add leaves, garlic, salt, and turmeric,red chilly, and jeera powder
• Leave pan covered and cook on low flame, stirring in between
• Heat oil in pan, add urad dal and rice until light brown
• Add red chillies and once it splutters, season the dish

Serve with rice or chapathi

Simple meal for lunch

After the breakfast of Dosa and chutney, I was so bored watching TV and playing puzzles with my daughter, that I decided to help Amma in the kitchen today. When I suggested I will help her wash the dishes, she said that I might as well decide what to prepare for lunch.
I opened the refrigerator to find kaya (plantain-1) and payar (yardlong beans-100 gms), and washed and cut them into small pieces. To make the kaya-payar thoran seen in the picture, you will also need:

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Grated coconut - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Add the finely cut kaya and payar pieces into a kadai with 1 cup of water and bring to boil
• Add turmeric, chilly powder and salt
• Cover the kadai and let the water dry
• Add grated coconut and curry leaves along with 1 tsp of oil

You may season with mustard seeds spluttered in oil along with the curry leaves

Serve with Rice/ Chapathi

The most common gravy curries made by Amma are Sambhar, different vegetable curries with Moru (buttermilk) and coconut as base, masala curries, curries with puli etc.

As I was given the option to choose, I decided to make a simple daal curry. Daal or lentil is rich in protein and easy to cook. Of the many varieties of daal, yellow daal is used in sambhar, and that is what I chose to make today, along with tomatoes.

To make Tomato-Daal you will need:

Yellow daal - 2 cups
Tomatoes chopped - 3
Ginger chopped - 1 tsp
Garlic - 2 cloves
Green chilly - 1
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Jeera powder - 1 tsp Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

• Pessure cook the yellow daal, chopped tomatoes, green chilly, crushed ginger-garlic paste with 2 cups of water
• After 4-5 whistles over medium flame, allow the cooker to cool down
• Heat a pan on low flame, and add the turmeric powder, red chilly powder, coriander powder, and jeera powder to it.
• Remove immediately, open the cooker, and add the powder mixture.
• Turn on the flame and stir the mixture well, adding boiled water to make a smooth curry.
• Add salt to taste
• Splutter mustard seeds and add curry leaves to the oil heated in a pan
• Season with coriander leaves, if you wish

Serve with Rice/ Chapathi