Nut Ladies Ground Finger! (Thirumaran )

Nut Ladies Ground Finger!

It had been long I myself prepared vegetarian item in home. Kugan Kitchen la irunthu oru item eduththu pannalaamnu, thaedi pidichchu itha pannaen..

It was named as Okra with Groundnuts..

As the above mentioned name is not good, I am renaming it as.

Nut Ladies Ground Finger!

Original recipe la irunthu Coconut taken out, green chilles and garlic added. Prepared with minimum oil. 

Ladiesfinger-Capsicum pepper curry: (Dev )

Ladiesfinger-Capsicum pepper curry: Chef Damu

Heat oil. Splutter mustard,2 dry chillies,curry leaves. Add 1 onion chopped, 1/4 kg ladiesfinger cut into 1 inch pieces, 1 b.capsicum cubed and saute these 3 together till LF is 1/2 cooked.
Add chilli pwd-1 tsp, turmeric pwd, dhaniya pwd-3 tsp and saute well. Add lil water if req and cook on sim for 5 mins. 
Now add pepper pwd-1 or 2 tsp and saute for 2 mins. 
Done.

Serve with phulkas or curd rice.

Sesame vegetable thokku (Dev )

Sesame vegetable thokku: (Chef Damu)

Powder sesame seeds- 1 part, dry chillies n cori seeds-2 parts.
Heat oil. add sombu, curry leaves, onions. Saute.
Add gin-gar paste and saute well. Add turmeric, vegs(carrot,cauliflower,potatoes),water, salt and cook till done. There should be some water still in the vegs.
Add the powder, tamarind juice(optional) and cook till dry.
Done.

THE SPREAD (Madhu Sree )

Uppu Paruppu (Dev )

Uppu Paruppu: By DEV

1. Cook a cup of thoor dhal along with a1/2 tsp oil & turmeric pwd. Cook until soft & the dhal just starts to brekup. Don't let it cook too long ,or the dhal will become a paste. Mash the dhal lightly.

2. Add 1/2 medium onion chopped finely, 3 cloves garlic chopped finely, few curry leaves torn roughly,Kongu spl masala powder and salt. Cook for 5 mins. The dhal should be thick(of dosa batter consistency)

3. Switch off flame & add in chopped coriander leaves & a tbsp of ghee. Mix well. 

4. Serve with rice & more ghee if u wish. Yum. Avarakkai porial goes well with this. U can prepare he poriyal the same way as mentioned in the brinjal-potato poriyal recipe.

Adding ghee to the dhal is a must(either as the last step or while serving). Don't ever think of skipping it.

VEGETARIAN KEEMA DOSAI (Kugan )

VEGETARIAN KEEMA DOSAI

Ingredients:

Dosai flour to make dosais.

For fillings:

(A)
1 cup soya chunks
1 pip garlic smashed
1 small piece ginger smashed
1 small piece cinnamon stick
Little salt
Enough water

2 tbs oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste

1 big onion finely chopped
Salt to taste
2 red tomatoes finely chopped
1 tsp chillie powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp garam masala powder

2 tbs of frozen green peas
Salt to taste
2 tbs of chopped coriander leaves

Method:
Boil all the ingredients in (A) for about 5 minutes.
Remove and wash in fresh water for two to three times.
Drain and squeeze out the water completely. Chop it into very small pieces.
Keep aside.

Heat the oil in a wok, add in the mustard seeds, let it crackle, add in the cumin seeds.
Add also the curry leaves, ginger and garlic paste. Stir fry well.
Add in the onions and little salt, sauté well till the onions turn lightly brown.
Add in the tomatoes, and cook till they turn mushy.

Add in the red chillie powder, turmeric, coriander and garam masala powders.
Give a nice stir, add in the chopped soya chunks and the green peas.
Cook well till all the spices are mixed well. Sprinkle little water if needed.
Stir fry till dry. Add in the cut coriander leaves and remove.

Now put a dosai kal, and make a dosai. Spread 2 tbs of the cooked keema.
Just like we do for masala dosai. Pour little oil all around the dosai.
When the dosai is cooked, fold it into two and remove and serve hot.
You do not need any chutney for this.

Russian Sandwich (NOV)

 

Ingredients:
8 bread slices

To Be Mixed Into A Stuffing
1 1/2 cups finely chopped and boiled vegetables (cabbage, carrots, green peas, cauliflower, potatoes, french beans)
1/2 cup low-calorie mayonnaise
4 tsp thick low-fat curds
1/3 cup grated carrot
1 tsp mustard (rai / sarson) powder 
salt and freshly ground black pepper powder taste

Method:
Divide the stuffing into 4 equal portions and keep aside.
Place a bread slice on a clean, dry surface and spread a portion of the stuffing evenly over it.
Sandwich using another bread slice on it and press it lightly.
Repeat with the remaining bread slices and stuffing to make 3 more sandwiches.
Cut each sandwich in 2 equal pieces and serve immediately.

Image Courtesy: avantikabshah.wordpress.com
Recipe Courtesy: tarladalal.com

SIMPLE SPICY DAL (Kugan )

SIMPLE SPICY DAL

Ingredients:

¾ cup toor dal
¼ cup channa dal
Salt to taste

1 tbs oil
A pinch of asafetida powder
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
3 green chillies, slit into 4 and cut across
1 sprig curry leaves
1 big onion chopped 

1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
2 red tomatoes chopped

1 tsp chillie powder
1 tsp cumin powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tbs coriander powder

½ tsp garam masala
1 tbs lime juice
1 tbs chopped coriander leaves

Method:
Soak the two dals for ½ an hour. Then pressure cook with salt and 5 cups of water,
for about 4 whistles, let the steam subside by itself. Keep aside.

Heat a pot with the oil, add in the asafetida powder. Add slso the mustard seeds.
Let it crackle, add in the cumin seeds, green chillies, curry leaves and the onions.
Sauté till the onions turn limp.

Add in the ginger and garlic paste, stir fry till raw smell goes.
Add in the tomatoes, and cook till it turns a bit mushy.
Add in the chillie, cumin, turmeric and coriander powders.

Mix well and cook for a minute. Add in the cooked dal.
See that the dal is not very thick. Add little water if you feel the dal thick.
Let it come to a nice boil, simmer for few minutes.

Now add in the garam masala powder, lime juice and cut coriander leaves.
Give a nice stir and remove from the stove.
It goes well with rice or roti.

SPINACH POTATO (Kugan )

SPINACH POTATO

Ingredients:

2 potatoes, skin and cut into cubes
1 tbs oil

½ tsp cumin seeds
1 tomato chopped fine
1 tsp chillie powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
½ tsp ginger paste
Salt to taste
2 cups of chopped spinach
1 tsp lemon juice

Method:

Heat the oil in a non- stick pan. Fry the potatoes till they turn little brown.
Remove the potatoes.

In the same pan add in the cumin seeds, stir for a second.
Add in the tomatoes, and stir fry for a minute.
Add in the chillie powder, garam masala powder, ginger paste, and salt.

Stir fry till the tomatoes turn mushy.
Add in the spinach, stir fry for few minutes.
Add in the fried potatoes, stir nicely and cover and cook for a minute.

See that the spinach is not over cooked.
Add in the lime juice and remove, serve hot as a side dish.

Stuffed Bananas (NOV)

Stuffed Bananas 

Ingredients:
6 ripe, peeled Rajali bananas
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh coconut
green cardamom
ghee for frying 

Process:
Cut banana into 3-inch pieces. Cook sugar and coconut with cardamom seeds on slow fire, until sugar melts and the mixture thickens. Slit each banana piece, and fill in coconut mixture. Hold together with a toothpick. Fry in ghee over medium flame till golden brown. 

Recipe: fatfreekitchen.com 
Image Courtesy: manjooos.blogspot.com

SPINACH SAMBAR (Kugan )

SPINACH SAMBAR

Ingredients:

(A)
1 cup toor dal, soaked
5 shallots
4 pips garic smashed
2 green chillies sliced
¼ tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
3 cups water

(B)
2 big tomatoes quartered
1 tbs red chillie powder
3 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp roasted cumin powder
A pinch of fenugreek powder
A pinch of asafetida powder


3 cups chopped spinach

½ cup thick coconut milk

(C) 
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
3 dry red chillies broken
1 sprig curry leaves

Method:
In a pressure cooker add all the ingredients in (A).
Cook for 2 whistles, allow the pressure to release by itself.

Open the cover, mash the dal well, add in all the ingredients in (B).
Let it come to a boil, and the tomatoes are cooked.

Add in the chopped spinach, and cook till the spinach is cooked.
Lastly add in the thick coconut milk, switch off the stove when it starts to boil.

In a pan, heat the oil, add in the mustard seeds, red chillies and curry leaves.
Pour it over the cooked dal and spinach. Serve with rice or roti.

Rava and coconut burfi (Ramrish )

Rava and coconut burfi

Hi Kugan,
This is the authentic recipe!
Ingredients:

Sooji / Rava - 1 cup

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 3/4 cup or 2 cups if you want it to be sweeter

Ghee - 2 tablespoon

Powdered Cardamom - 2tsp

Method :

Grease a plate.

Slightly roast grated coconut and rava separately till i tbecomes slightly golden

In a thick bottomed vessel add the sugar and just enough water to cover the sugar.

Heat the mixture on high until it starts boiling.Reduce the heat and allow it to cook till you get one string consistency.

Now add the coconut and rava and keep on stirring for every 2 minutes on medium heat.

Once when the mixture starts leaving the pan,add the cardamom powder and 2 tablespoon of ghee.

Transfer the contents into the greased plate,level it with a flat bottomed cup and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.

Cut into desired shapes

SCRAMBLED TOFU OMELETT (Kugan )

SCRAMBLED TOFU OMELETT

Ingredients:

1 big onion chopped finely
1 tbs ginger chopped finely
1 tbs finely chopped green chillies
2 tbs finely chopped coriander leaves
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp black pepper powder
1 cup crumbled tofu
1 cup besan flour
Salt to taste
Enough water to make a thick batter

Oil

Method:
Mix all the ingredients, except the oil.
Make it into a thick batter, add little more besan if needed.
Now heat a non - stick pan or dosai kal.
Pour a ladle full of batter, and spread it a little, the size of an omelett.

Pour little oil all around the omelett.
Cook on a slow flame, flip over when one side is cooked.
Cook the other side and remove to a plate.
Both sides should be light brown in color.

Serve it hot with a sauce ot chutney.
Great for vegetarian lunches.

Pudhina rice (Madhu Sree )

Pudhina rice(serves two):

Pudhina - 1 cup
Onion - 1 medium
Tomato - 1 medium
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder
chilli powder
coriander powder
Oil
salt to taste

Optional: (To get a masala taste)

Cloves- 2
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
Bay leaves


Method:

Grind the mint leaves with little water.(Note: Semi grind it, not to a fine paste)
Heat a pan with oil. Add the optional items specified and jeera, fry for 1/2 minute.
Add ginger garlic paste, fry for ten seconds, add onion, fry till it becomes transparent.
Add tomato, salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder. Fry for about 2 mins. 
Add ground mint leaves. Mix and fry till the raw smell goes and till the water drains out completely.

Add this mixture to rice and mix well(if salt is required you can add it and mix again). Pudhina rice is ready. Server with cucumber raitha .

MOONG DAL WITH GREEN BANANA (Kugan )

MOONG DAL WITH GREEN BANANA

Ingredients:

1 cup presoaked whole green moong dal
Salt to taste
1 plantain, peel and cut into chunks

6 green chillies chopped
1 tbs of grated coconut
2 pips of garlic
2 shallots
Grind to a smooth paste

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp of oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp of cumin
2 dried red chillies cut into pieces
1 sprig curry leaves

Little lime juice (optional )

Method:
Add 2 cups of water, salt and boil the presoaked green moong dal.
Cook for about 15 minutes, add in the green banana chunks.
Add little water if needed, cook for another 10 minutes.

Now add the ground ingredients to the moong dal.
Cook for another 5 minutes. Add in the turmeric powder.

Heat a pan with the oil, add in the seasonings, let them splutter.
Pour over the cooking green moong dal. Stir and remove.
If you like you can add in little lime juice after removing from the stove.

NOTE: This curry is usually made in the villages.