Bitter Gourd kootu

  Bitter gourds are very low in calories but is an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, and B3, C, magnesium, folic acid, zinc, phosphorus, manganese, and has high dietary fiber. This curry tastes delicious and reduces the bitter taste. This is suggested as insulin replacement in some diabetic patients.
 

Serves up to 4

Ingredients:

1 cup of Bengal gram(channa dhal)

2 cups of chopped bitter gourd

1 onion

2 tomatoes
2 green chilies

1 small cup of yogurt

1 tbsp of grated coconut

1/2  inch of cinnamon

2 cloves

1/4 teaspoon of turmeric

1 teaspoon of sambhar powder

1 teaspoon of mustard

1 teaspoon of cumin

coriander for garnish
1 tbsp of oil

salt as required

Preparation:

1.Pressure cook channa dhal till it is soft. Add oil to preheated pan, add mustard and cumin. Once cumin sputters, add finely chopped onion and green chilies. Saute till the onion turns golden brown.

2. Add tomatoes and saute for 3 minutes. Add turmeric, sambhar powder and little salt, saute for a minute. Add bitter gourd, saute well for 5 minutes.

3.Add little water and close the lid. Cook till it is 75% done. Add cooked channa dhal and salt. Once the bitter gourd is cooked, add coconut. Add the crushed cinnamon and cloves, cook for another 5 minutes in medium flame. Garnish with coriander leaves.

5.Switch off the burner and add yogurt. 

6.Mix well and serve with roti/ rice.

Spinach raitha

  Spinach raitha is very healthy recipe. You can make this recipe as side dish for any rice varieties. Even this goes well with paratha recipes. 

Ingredients:

1 cup of yogurt
1 small cup of chopped baby spinach
1 green chili
pinch of kasoori methi(dried fenugreek leaves)
pinch of cumin powder
1 tsp of mustard
1 tsp of oil
salt as required

Preparation:

1.In the preheated pan, add oil. Add mustard, as it sputters add green chili and spinach.
2.Saute till the spinach is welted. Add a pinch of cumin, kasoori methi and salt.
3.Add the spinch to the yogurt and the raitha is ready.

Rava upma

    Rava upma is made out of sooji which can be nice and quick recipe for breakfast or dinner. This can be done in 15 minutes. When you want to eat something different from rice/roti try upma.

Serves up to 2
Ingredients:

1 cup of sooji
2 1/2 cups of water
1 onion
3 green chillies
1 tbsp of grated ginger
1 teaspoon of mustard
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of bengal gram
pinch of asafoetida
1 sprig of curry leaves
coriander leaves for garnish
1 tbsp of oil
1 tbsp of ghee
10 cashew
salt as required

Preparation:

1.Roast sooji in kadai (heavy bottomed vessel), till it gives a nice aroma. Transfer the sooji to a plate.
2.Heat oil in the kadai. Add mustard,cumin, bengal gram, asafoetida and curry leaves.
3. Once the mustard sputters, add chopped onion, slit green chillies, grated ginger and saute for 2 minutes.
4.Add 2 and half cups of water and it starts to boil. Add required amount of salt.
5.Add roasted sooji to the kadai and keep stirring. Keep it low flame and keep stirring to avoid the formation of lumps.Close the lid and cook for 10 minutes.
5.Roast cashew in ghee separately and add to the upma finally.
6. Add coriander leaves for garnishing. Serve with coconut/peanut chutney.

Papaya curry

   I made this curry yesterday which is really simple and delicious. This curry I learnt from my cousin gayathri. I am not a very big fan of papaya. First time I really enjoyed this curry and thought I will give it a try (preparing it) . Papayas are an excellent source of vitamin C as well as a good source of vitamin E, vitamin A & three very powerful antioxidants. 

Serves up to 3-4

Ingredients:

1 medium raw papaya
10 pearl onions
5 cloves of garlic
4 green chillies(slit lengthwise)
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1 tbsp of olive oil

1 teaspoon of cumin(jeera)
1 sprig of curry leaves
1 red chilli* 

salt as required

Preparation:

1.Cut the papaya into small 1 cu.inch pieces. Add the papaya and turmeric in hot boiling water.Cook till the papaya is 90% cooked.
2.Add olive oil to the pan, add cumin and curry leaves. As the cumin sputters, add onion and garlic.
3.Once the raw smell disappears, add the green chillies. Finally add  the papaya and salt. Saute for 10 minutes. 
4.To spice it up, you can add 1 broken red chilli(*optional).

Aloo Subzi/ Potato curry

        I know that potato is one vegetable which most people like. I tried making this curry in a typical south Indian style. It goes well with dosai, sambhar or curd rice. It is really yummy..and I am sure you will enjoy it! This is one of my favorite curry as a kid. I use to relish this recipe with curd rice.

Serves up to 4 people
Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:


500 grams of  potato (3-4 medium size)
1 large red onion
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 inch of ginger
2 green chillies
1 teaspoon of sambhar podi
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric

1 teaspoon of mustard
1 teaspoon of Bengal gram(channa dhal)
1 sprig of curry leaves
pinch of asafoetida
2 tbsp oil
Salt as required


Preparation:


1. Boil the potatoes and peel the skin. Cut the potatoes into 2 cubic inch pieces.
2.Heat oil in the pan. Once the oil is heated, add mustard, channa dhal and curry leaves. As the mustard sputters, add asafoetida and onion .
3. Add green chilli, garlic and grated ginger. Fry till the onion turns golden brown.
4.Add turmeric, chilli powder and salt, saute for a minute. Now you can add the potatoes and mix gently.
5.Make sure the potatoes are well coated with all the spices.
6.Add 1/4 cup of water and close the lid. Cook for 10 minutes. Potato curry is ready.

Gobi paratha/ Cauliflower flatbread

 My husband doesn't like roti/paratha recipes. My mom was discussing this recipe over phone. I was missing the food made by my mom. I thought I would prepare this dish and enjoy the real taste made by her. When I did, I was skeptical about my husband's comments. But first time without any fussiness he relished the paratha. Try this recipe and have fun!

Ingredients:

3 cups of wheat flour
1 cup of water 
1 spoon of melted butter
salt as required

Filling:

250 grams of cauliflower
1 potato
1 small onion
1/2 spoon cumin/ jeera
2 green chilli
1 spoon grated ginger
1/2 spoon red chilli powder
1/2 spoon garam masala
1/4 spoon turmeric
Oil as required
salt as required 


Preparation:

   1.Mix the wheat flour, salt , butter and add water. Knead well enough to make a dough. Keep aside for half an hour.
   2.Grate the cauliflower and potato. In a pan heat 1 spoon of oil,     add jeera. As jeera sputters add  finely chopped onion, green chilies, grated ginger. Once the onion turns golden brown add grated cauliflower and potato. Fry for 2 minutes, then add turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala and salt. Saute for five minutes
and the filling is done.
   3. Make lime sized balls out of the dough, add the filling to it. Roll it out.
   4. In a pan put little oil, fry the paratha on both the sides till it turns golden brown. Serve hot fluffed paratha with raitha or pickle.

Badam Halwa

   A very Happy Diwali to all my readers. Diwali is arguably the most celebrated festival in India and people enjoy the occasion with sweets, lights and fireworks! This year I tried making badam (Almonds) halwa. I think peeling the almonds is the tricky part as it takes sometime. I did realize that we get peeled almonds from the supermarket. Then making of halwa itself is not difficult.

Ingredients: 

1 cup of Badam
1 1/4  cup of sugar
3 tbsp of ghee
1/4 cup of milk
few strands of saffron


Preparation:

1.Soak Badam for 4 hours in warm water. Soak saffron in 1 spoon of milk.

2.Here comes the tricky part, peeling the skin of badam. Grind badam with milk (use as little milk as possible). Take heavy bottomed vessel and pour the mixture.

3.Add fine sugar and keep stirring. When badam paste starts to thicken, add ghee(clarified butter).  Cook in medium flame. Stir constantly.

4.As the halwa bubbles reduce the flame. As it thickens and halwa starts leaving the sides of the pan.

5.Add saffron which gives nice yellow color and flavor.  Mix well.

         

6.Allow them to cool and Badam halwa is ready.