Jackfruit is available in several countries in Asia, and its not easily available in its fresh form in the USA (although that has been changing recently). However, it is available in the frozen aisles of several grocery stores. This Jackfruit seeds can be cooked in a variety of ways.
Serves up to 4 people Preparation time: 40 minutes
Ingredients: 4 medium sized potatoes cubed 10 Jackfruit seeds 1 tbsp of grated ginger 2 garlic cloves minced 1 1/2 tsp of red chilly powder 1/2 tsp of crushed black pepper 1 tsp cumin powder 1 tbsp of oil salt as required
Seasoning: 1/2 tsp of mustard 1/2 tsp of Bengal gram dhal pinch of asafoetida 1 sprig of curry leaves
Preparation: 1.Pressure cook the jackfruit seeds and peel the outer skin. Since jackfruit is not in season I used the frozen jackfruit seeds. Cut them in to four longitudinally. 2.Do not peel the skin of potatoes and cut them in to small cubes. Heat oil in the pan and add the seasoning. As the mustard sputters, add ginger and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. 3.Add the potatoes to the pan, saute well. Add turmeric, chilly powder, cumin powder and salt and saute well till the potatoes are covered with spices. 4.Close with lid and allow the potatoes to cook in medium flame. Stir occasionally. When the potatoes is cooked 90%, add the jackfruit seeds and crushed pepper. Saute till it turns golden brown. 5.Potato jackfruit seeds curry is ready. Serve with rice and sambhar.
Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin C and iodine. It can be included in dieting, as it is a low calorie food.
Serves up to 4 people Preparation time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
500 grams of cabbage 1 chopped onion 1 cup of toor dhal 8 curry leaves 1/2 tsp of mustard pinch of asafoetida 1/2 tsp of turmeric 1 green chilly 1 tbsp of oil salt as required
For grinding:
1 tbsp of Bengal gram dhal 1 tbsp of urad dhal 4 red chillies 1 tsp of cumin seeds 3 tbsp of grated coconut
Preparation:
1.Pressure cook toor dhal with 1/4 tsp of turmeric and 3 cups of water. 2.Dry roast the ingredients Bengal gram dhal, urad dhal, cumin and red chillies in the pan, until the dhal turns golden brown. Grind them with coconut in to coarse powder. 3. Heat oil in the pan and add mustard, asafoetida and curry leaves. As the mustard crackles, add onion and slit green chillies. Saute for 2 minutes. 4.Add the cabbage to the pan and saute well for 5 minutes. Add the turmeric, ground powder and salt to the cabbage. Close the lid. 5.Stir occasionally and check if the cabbage is cooked and add the toor dhal and cook for 5 more minutes. 6.Cabbage spicy dhal is ready. Serve with rice.
The delicate flavor of Lima beans complement a wide variety of dishes. Although fresh Lima beans are often difficult to find, they are worth looking for in the summer/ fall. Lima beans provide fat-free high quality protein and high fiber content.
Serves up to 3 people Preparation time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
300 grams of carrots 1 small onion 1 small cup of Lima beans (frozen) 1 1/2 tsp of sambhar powder 1/4 tsp of turmeric 1/4 tsp of mustard 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds pinch of asafoetida 5 curry leaves 1 1/2 tbsp of oil salt as required
Preparation:
1.Cut the carrots in to small pieces and chop the onion. Heat oil in the pan and add the mustard, asafoetida, cumin seeds and curry leaves. As the cumin sputters, add onion and saute for 2 minutes. 2.Add carrots to the pan and saute well for 5 minutes. Add the spices (turmeric, sambhar powder) and salt to the carrots and close the lid. Stir occasionally. 3.Once the carrot is 75% done add the Lima-beans and close the lid. Check if the Lima-beans is cooked. Carrot-Lima beans curry is done. Serve with rice.
Vegetable korma is invariably mildly spicy and this curry often features with coconut. This is my mom's recipe just reminding me of my childhood.
Serves up to 4 people Preparation time:45 minutes
Ingredients:
1 small cup of chopped beans 1 chopped potato 1 chopped carrot 2 tbsp of peas 1/2 red pepper 1 small onion 1/4 tsp of turmeric 1 tsp of red chilly powder 1 tbsp of chopped coriander salt as required
For grinding:
1 tbsp of roasted gram 1 large chopped tomato 3 tbsp of grated coconut 2 green chillies 1 tbsp of ginger 2 cloves of garlic 1 tbsp of coriander powder 1/4 tsp of turmeric
For seasoning:
2 tbsp of ghee 1 piece of cinnamon 2 pieces of cardamom 1 piece of anistar/ anasi poo 1 tsp of aniseed 3 cloves
Preparation:
1.Cook the vegetables with little water, chilly powder, turmeric and salt till it is 90% done. 2.Grind the ingredients mentioned in grinding together in to a coarse paste. 3.Heat ghee in the saucepan, add the seasoning. As the nice aroma comes, add onions and red peppers. Saute for 5 minutes and add the ground paste. 4.Cook in medium flame till the raw smell disappears and add the cooked vegetables. Close the lid and allow it to cook for 15 minutes in simmer flame. 5.Vegetable korma is ready. Add coriander as garnish. Serve with roti/ paratha.
Thayir sadam is a very popular dish and everyone makes it in a unique way. This is my mother-in-law's version. I remember she made this really tasty yogurt rice when we were going on a trip to Mahabaleshwar. My mom makes it with green chillies and ginger. In a way, I am lucky that I get to taste and experiment both the versions and relish it!
Serves up to 2 people Preparation time:15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup of rice 3/4 cup of yogurt 1/4 cup of milk 2 moar milagai/ dahi mirchi 6 curry leaves 1/2 tsp of mustard 1/2 tsp of urad dhal 1/4 tsp of cumin seeds pinch of asafoetida 1 tsp of oil salt as required
Preparation:
1.Pressure cook the rice with 3 cups of water.Allow the rice to cool. 2.Heat oil in the pan and add the mustard, urad dhal, cumin seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves and broken moar milagai. 3.As the milagai turns brown, transfer the seasoning to the rice.Add the yogurt, milk and salt to the rice and mix well. 4.Yummy yogurt rice is ready. Serve with pickle.
