CAULIFLOWER PEPPER FRY (Kugan )

CAULIFLOWER PEPPER FRY

Ingredients:

500 grms cauliflower florets
Little tumeric powder
Little salt

1 tbs butter or oil
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 medium onion sliced
Little salt
3 green chillies sliced
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 sprig curry leaves
1 ½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
Little chopped coriander leaves

Method:
Clean the cauliflower florets. Apply in the tumeric and salt.
Steam the cauliflower florets till ½ cooked. Remove.

Heat the butter in a wok. Add in the cumin seeds, let them splutter.
Add in the onions and salt. Saute well.
Add in the green chillies, ginger, garlic paste.
Add also the curry leaves. Stir fry well.

Add in the steamed cauliflowers, stir fry well.
Lastly add in the coarsely ground blackpepper.
Give a very good stir fry , garnish with coriander leaves.
Remove and serve hot as a side dish.

SWEET SOMAS (Meerra )

SWEET SOMAS

Ingredients:

The dough:
300 grms all purpose flour
1 tbs sooji
2 tbs ghee
1 tsp baking soda
Salt to taste
Warm water as needed

Fillings:
1 cup sweetened khoya
2 tbs chopped almonds and cashews
2 tbs chopped raisins and sultanas
½ tsp cardamom powder

Sealing:
1 tbs all purpose flour
2 tbs water

Syrup:
1 cup sugar
½ cup water

Oil for frying

Method:
Take the flour, sooji, ghee baking soda and salt in a bowl.
Add water slowly and knead it into a soft dough.
Knead this dough for 5 minutes till it gets soft and manageable.
Apply some ghee, cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Mix all the ingredients for the fillings well and set aside.
Mix the all purpose flour with the water, keep aside the sealing

Make a syrup with the sugar and water.
It should be a one string consistency. Keep it warm.
Heat the oil in a kadai.

Now take the dough and divide into equal portions depending how big you want.
Take one portion and roll it into a thin puri
Put some of the fillings into one side of the puri.
Apply little sealing around the edges. Now fold it into a semi circle.
Now press the edges together with your fingers, while making the pattern.

Now fry the sweet somas on low heat till it gets light golden and crispy.
Lift them out of the oil with a slotted spoon.
Dip the somas into the syrup making sure they are coated with syrup all around.
Place the somas on a wire rack to allow the extra syrup to drain.
Somas will dry in an hour. Store in airtight containers

LIMA BEANS CURRY (Meerra )

LIMA BEANS CURRY

Ingredients:

1 tbs oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 big onion cut fine
2 tomatoes chopped

2 cups of fresh lima beans
½ tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander powder
Little water
Salt to taste

To Grind:
1 tbs ginger
2 tbs fresh coconut
½ tsp aniseeds
2 tsp chillie powder

Little coriander leaves to garnish

Method:
Heat oil in a kadai, add in the mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
Let them splutter. Add in the onions and sauté till light brown.
Add in the chopped tomatoes and cook till mushy.

Add in the cumin powder and coriander powder.
Add in also the ground ingredients, mix well.
Add in the lima beans, salt and also some water.

Cook till the beans are cooked but not mushy.
Let the gravy become little thick.
Add in the coriander leaves and remove.

VEGETARIAN CHILLIE (Meerra )

VEGETARIAN CHILLIE

Ingredients;

1 tbs oil
1 big onion chopped
1 red capsicum chopped
1 tbs chopped garlic
2 green chillies chopped

1 small zucchini cubed
½ a cup corn kernels
500 grms button mushroom quartered

1 tbs chillie powder
1 tsp cumin powder
Salt to taste
2 big tomatoes chopped
1 cup cooked beans, ( white cannellini, lima or black beans
1 can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup vegetable stock
2 tbs chopped coriander leaves
2 tsp hot sauce
Little freshly ground pepper

Method:
In a large pot, heat the oil, add in the onions, capsicum, garlic and green chillies.
Cook stirring for 2 minutes. Add in the zucchini, corn and mushrooms.
Keep stirring for about 6 minutes. Add in the chillie powder, cumin and salt.
Keep stirring for about 1 minute, add in the cut tomatoes, stir well.

Add in the cooked beans crushed tomatoes, and vegetable stock.
Bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add in the black pepper, hot sauce and the coriander leaves.
Stir once and remove.

I usually serve this chillie with cooked brown rice.
Top it with sour cream and serve.

GREEN TOMATOES IN SPICY SAUCE (Meerra)

GREEN TOMATOES IN SPICY SAUCE

Ingredients:
1 tbs oil
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp funugreek seeds
300 grms green tomatoes quartered
2 green chillies chopped
1 tsp chillie powder
2 tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
½ tsp sugar
2 pips garlic smashed
1 tsp lime juice if needed

Method:

Heat the oil in a kadai. Add in the cumin and funugreek seeds.
Let them splutter, add in the green chillies and the green tomatoes.
Stir fry for a minute. Add in chillie, coriander, turmeric powderes.

Stir fry again for a minute. Add in the salt, and let it cook well.
Once the tomatoes are cooked, add in the sugar and the smashed garlic.
Give a good stir, taste, if your tomatoes taste sour, leave out the lime juice.
If not add in the lime juice and dish out.
A very tasty dish for rice, chapathis.

VEGE CUTLET (Suvai )

The other day I tried this vegie cutlet in the oven & it came out pretty good.

Potato - 1 - boiled & mashed
carrot - 1 - boiled & mashed
peas - a little - boiled mashed
beans - 4 strings. - boiled mashed

onion - 1 - cut fine
ginger a little piece. grated
G. Chillie - 1 or red chillie powder according to yr taste.
1 slice bread - crumble & keep aside.

2 cloves
1 inch cinnamon
powder the above two & keep aside.

In a kadai...add little oil & add little jeera to this add the cut onions / chopped green chillie / ginger fry for a bit & add the powder....now quickly add in the mashed vegies...give it a good stir...add salt & a little lemon juice......once this cools....add crumbled bread...depending one or two slices ( this helps in binding).

Now take a baking sheet & smear some oil on it. Divide the mashed vegies into portions & shape them like a cutlet....i did small rounds....now smear some oil on both sides of these cutlets & put them on to a preheated oven (between 350 & 400 degrs). Allow it the sides to become slightly brown...then flip & do the same.
U can add garam masala too if u like.
This can be eaten with yogurt / ketchup / mint or corriander chutney....or even plain.
Enjoy!!!

TARO ROOT ROAST (Meerra )

TARO ROOT ROAST

Ingredients:

300 grms taro root

½ tsp ginger paste
½ tsp garlic paste
1 ½ tbs besan flour
2 tsp rice flour
1 tsp red chillie powder
¼ tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp garam masala powder
Little asafetida powder
Salt to taste

Oil for shallow fry

Method:

Boil the taro root. See that it does not over cook.
Cool , skin and cut into ¼ inch in thickness.

Mix all the ingredients together, except the oil.
The cut taro roots will be sticky.
Now toss the cut taro root in the ingredients.
The dry ingredients will stick to the taro roots.

Now heat very little oil in a non-stick saucepan.
Arrange the slices of taro roots, and shallow fry them.
The slices should be roasted to a nice golden colour on both sides.
Remove and serve with rasam rice, or curd rice.