Aloo capsicum is a dry vegetable with mild spices which ensures that the taste of the underlying vegetables in not overwhelmed by the spices. For those who feel that Indian dishes often does not allow the flavor of the vegetable to fully exhibit themselves, this dish is a great example of the variations that Indian cuisine offers.
Preparation time: 30 minutes Serves up to 3-4 people
Ingredients:
2 medium sized-potatoes 2 red bell pepper 1/2 tsp of turmeric 1 tbsp of coriander powder 2 tbsp of oil salt as required
Seasoning:
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds 1/2 tsp of mustard 3 dry red chilly 1 inch of ginger Preparation:
1.Cut the potato and red bell pepper in to small squares. Heat the oil in the skillet, add the seasoning. 2.Once the mustard sputters, add the potatoes and red bell pepper to the skillet. Saute well till the vegetables is covered with oil. 3.Now add the spices (turmeric, coriander powder and salt) and saute well. Close the lid and cook in medium flame. 4.Stir occasionally and cook till the potatoes turn golden brown and crisp (Do not overcook the vegetables). Serve with rice/ roti.
Gobi Manchurian is one of the delicious Indo-Chinese fritters that can be tried as an appetizer/ side dish. Everyone will love this dish as it has the great flavor of spices, crispiness and tangy taste.
Ingredients:
1/2 cauliflower 5 tbsp of all purpose flour( maida) 1 tbsp of corn flour 1 tsp of freshly ground pepper 1/2 tsp of red chilly powder scallions for garnish
oil for deep frying salt as required
For the gravy:
1 red onion 1/2 capsicum(green bell pepper) 3 cloves of garlic chopped 1 green chilly chopped 2 tsp of soy sauce(dark soy) 1 tbsp of tomato sauce 1 tbsp of red chilly paste( as per spice level) 1/4 tsp of vinegar 1 tsp of corn starch 1 tbsp of oil
Preparation:
1.Cut the cauliflower in to small florets. Cut the onion and capsicum in to small squares. 2.Prepare the gravy first. Heat oil in the pan, add onion, capsicum, green chilly and garlic together. Saute well for 5 minutes in medium flame. 3.Add the tomato sauce and keep stirring till the moisture evaporates. Add the red chilly paste and saute for 2 minutes. Then add the vinegar and saute for a minute. Add the corn starch with 1 tbsp of water to thicken the gravy. Saute for 2 more minutes. 4.Finally add the soya sauce and keep stirring. As the gravy thickens, switch off the flame. 5.Prepare the batter - First swift the dry ingredients together( maida, corn flour, pepper, red chilly powder and salt) and then add water. The consistency of the batter should not be thick. 6.Add the cauliflower florets to the batter and then fry them in heated oil in the kadai. As the cauliflower turns golden brown, add them to the gravy. 7.Mix well till the florets coated well. Add the chopped scallions as garnish. Serve with roti/ naan.
More kuzhambu is a popular vegetable stew based on buttermilk. This dish is very popular in my household (and also at both my parents and in-laws). The thick and creamy texture makes it a great compliment to any meal.
Serves up to 3 people Preparation time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
300 grams of Okra(Ladies-finger) 1 cup of yogurt beaten 1 dry red chilly 1 tbsp of rice flour 1/4 tsp of turmeric 1 tbsp of oil salt as required
Grinding:
2 tbsp of grated coconut pinch of turmeric 1 tsp of coriander 1 tsp of cumin seeds 1 inch of ginger 1 tbsp of yogurt 5 curry leaves 2 green chillies
Seasoning:
1/2 tsp of mustard 1 red chilly 5 curry leaves 1 tsp of oil pinch of asafoetida
Preparation:
1.Heat oil in the pan, add okra, turmeric, salt and red chilly. Saute for 5 minutes and sprinkle some water. Add the rice flour and saute well. Close the lid till the okra is cooked. 2.While the okra is cooking, dry roast cumin and coriander till they turn golden brown. Grind them together with the items mentioned in grinding together in to a paste. 3.Add the ground mix to the okra and yogurt. Cook in simmer flame, bring it to boil. 4.Heat oil in the pan, add the seasoning and transfer to the kuzhambu. Serve with rice.
This curry was made by my friend when I was in the hospital for my delivery. The hospital food is usually not palatable and people crave for home-made food. It was my friend Sandhya who came to my rescue and made the best rasam and beetroot-carrot curry.
Serves up to 3-4 people Preparation time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
2 medium-sized beetroot 1 carrot 1 small onion 1 inch of ginger 1 tsp of sambhar powder 1 tsp of rasam powder 1/4 tsp of turmeric 1 tbsp of oil salt as required
Seasoning:
1/2 tsp of mustard 1 red chilly 1 sprig of curry leaves
Preparation:
1.Chop the beetroot and carrot in to small pieces. Pressure cook them with turmeric, sambhar powder, rasam powder and salt. 2.Heat oil in the pan and add the seasoning. As the mustard crackles, add the onion and ginger. Saute till the onion turns golden brown. 3.Now add the cooked vegetable and saute for 5 minutes. Curry is ready, serve with rice.
Red peppers are hot, sweet and brightly colored. Peppers are excellent sources of vitamin C and vitamin A.
Serves up to 2 people Preparation time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
2 medium red bell peppers 2 medium-sized potatoes 1 finely chopped onion 3-4 green chillies 2 tbsp of sweet peas 1 tbsp of broken cashews 1 chopped coriander leaves for garnish 1 tsp of garam masala 1 tbsp of Parmesan cheese olive oil as required salt as required
Seasoning:
1/4 tsp of mustard 1/2 tsp of aniseed pinch of asafoetida Preparation:
1.Pressure cook the potatoes and peel the skin and mash them. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in the skillet, add the seasoning (mustard, aniseed and asafoetida). 2.As the mustard crackles, add onion and green chillies and saute for 3 minutes. Add the turmeric and salt, then add the mashed potatoes and mix well. Add the garam masala and coriander leaves and close the lid for 5 minutes. 3.The potato stuffing is ready. Cut the top of red pepper and remove the seeds inside the pepper. Smear with 1 tsp of oil and little salt on the sides of red pepper. 4.Add the potato stuffing to the red pepper. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Apply oil on the sheet and keep the red pepper on the side for 10-15 minutes. Takeout the sheet and turn the pepper to other side and bake it for 10 more minutes. 5.Add parmesan cheese on the top of red pepper and bake till it turns golden brown. The parmesan cheese adds saltiness to the pepper. Serve with roti.
This is my father-in-law's favorite recipe. Usually he does not prefer coconut in his food but when it comes to adai he relishes with all the ingredients without any fuss. This is a mouth watering and delicious adai. For kids, make kara dosai, as it is thin and crispier.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of parboiled rice 1/2 cup of raw rice 1/2 cup of toor dhal 1/2 cup of channa dhal (Bengal gram dhal) 3 red chillies 1 inch of ginger 3 cloves of crushed garlic 2 tbsp of grated coconut oil as required salt as required
Seasoning:
1 tsp of cumin seeds 2 green chillies finely chopped 2 sprig of curry leaves pinch of asafoetida 1 tsp of oil
Preparation:
1.Soak the rice and dhals separately for 2 hours and grind them with red chillies and ginger in to a coarse paste. Do not add water and mix well with salt, coconut and garlic. 2.Ferment for 1 hour and heat oil in the pan and add the seasoning to the batter. 3.In the tawa, add 1/2 tsp of oil. Keep in lower flame and press the batter with fingers on the pan. Add 2 tsp of oil around the edges. The consistency is thick. 4.Allow it to cook and when the adai turns golden brown, turn to other side and add 1 tsp of oil and cook for 3 more minutes. 5.When added some water to dosai batter consistency, kara dosai can be made by pouring one ladle of batter on the heated pan making a thin circular shape. Serve with coconut chutney/ Idly milagai podi.
Coconut chutney is a very good side dish for lot of tiffin items. It is a really delicious chutney and definitely mildly spiced compared to other chutneys.
Serves up to 2 people Preparation time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
For grinding:
1 cup of grated coconut 2 tbsp of roasted gram 3-4 green chillies blueberry sized tamarind 1/4 inch of ginger salt as required
Seasoning:
1/4 tsp of mustard 1/4 tsp of cumin seeds curry leaves (optional) 1 red chilly 1 tsp of oil
Preparation:
1.Grind the ingredients with required amount of water mentioned in grinding together in to a coarse paste. 2.Heat oil in the pan and add the seasoning. As the mustard sputters, transfer the seasoning to the chutney. 3.Serve with idly, dosai / ven pongal.
