Swiss chard kuzhambu/ Swiss chard curry/Red keerai kuzhambu

   Swiss chard has a very good health benefit of regulating blood-sugar level. The intake of Swiss chard supports bone health as it has a very good supply of calcium, magnesium and vitamin K. My sister-in law Jisha, shared this recipe with me. The taste is unique and can definitely enjoy the richness of coconut and yogurt.

 Ingredients:

1 bunch of red Swiss chard

1 cup of yogurt

1/4 tbsp of mustard seeds

1/2 cup of grated coconut.

1/2 tsp of red chilly powder.

pinch of turmeric powder

salt to taste

oil

Seasoning: 

 

1/4 tsp of mustard

2-3 red chilly

1 sprig of curry leaves

 

Preparation:

1.Cut the red Swiss chard and steam with a pinch of turmeric powder.

2.Add red chilly powder and salt to the keerai.

3.Grind the grated coconut,mustard seeds,yogurt together in to a fine paste.

4.Add  the ground paste to the cooked keerai and cook in low flame.

5.Heat oil in the pan and add the seasoning. As the mustard sputters add the tadka (seasoning) to the keerai.

6.Swiss chard kuzhambu is ready. Serve with rice.

Cabbage vadai

      I made cabbage vadai for Holi party as an appetizer. My friend does not eat onion and garlic. So I have to find the substitute for onion. I was surprised that cabbage tasted so well. This can be done on the pooja days to avoid onion.

Ingredients:


1 cup of Bengal gram(channa dhal)
1/2 tbsp of rice flour
4 green chilies
1 inch grated ginger
1 small cup of cabbage 
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 sprig of curry leaves
2 tbsp of chopped coriander
salt as required
Oil for deep frying

Preparation:

1.Soak channa dhal in water for 2 hours. Filter the water and grind little coarsely. (Do not add additional water). 
2.Fine chop the cabbage,green chilies, ginger, curry leaves and coriander leaves and add them to the ground dhal. Add cumin seeds, rice flour and salt to the ground mixture. Mix well.
3.Make a small patty and put in the preheated oil. Once the patty turns golden  brown, cabbage vadai is ready.

Cabbage porial/ Dry cabbage curry/ Band Ghobi ki Subzi

        Steaming of vegetables is always better than cooking them in microwave. Research shows that steaming of cabbage maximizes the lot of health benefits of glucosinolates. The presence of glucosinolates helps in cancer prevention.

Serves up to 4 people
Preparation time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

500 grams of cabbage
1 chopped onion 
2 green chillies
1/4 tsp of turmeric
1-2 tbsp of paruppu podi 
1 tbsp of grated ginger
1 tbsp of oil
salt as required

Seasoning:

1/2 tsp of mustard
1/2 tsp of Bengal gram dhal

Paruppu podi:

1 cups of chutney dhal
1/2 cup of Bengal gram dhal
1/2 cup of urad dhal
2 red chillies
pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp of oil
salt as required

Preparation:

1.Heat oil in the pan, roast the ingredients Bengal gram dhal, urad dhal and red chillies till they turn golden brown.
2.Allow them to cool and grind them together till they are 85% done. Then add the chutney dhal, asafoetida and salt and grind them.Paruppu podi is ready.
3.Heat oil in the pan and add mustard, Bengal gram dhal. 
4.As the mustard crackles, add onion, ginger and slit green chillies. Saute for a minute.
5.Add the chopped cabbage, salt and turmeric to the pan and saute well for 5 minutes.Close the lid. Add 1/4 cup of water.
6.Stir occasionally and check if the cabbage is cooked and add the paruppu podi and cook for 5 more minutes.
7.Cabbage porial is ready. Serve with rice and sambhar.

Red Chori dhal/ kootu

  Red chori dhal are starchy beans but rich in fiber. The fiber content in red chori dhal lowers blood cholesterol while offering  cardiovascular benefits.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup red chori dhal

1/4 kg red pumpkin

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp of turmeric powder

1 tomato

oil as required

salt as required

Grinding:

1 large chopped onion

1/2  cup of grated  coconut

1/2 tbsp cumin seeds

1 red chilly

Seasoning:

1 sprig of curry leaves

1/4 tbsp mustard seeds

1 red chilly

Preparation:

1.Soak chori dhal for 5-6 hours. Add turmeric, salt and 2 cups of water to chori dhal and pressure cook with red pumpkin.
2.In a pan, add chopped tomatoes, red chilly powder and saute for 2-3 minutes.

3.Grind grated coconut, cumin seeds, red chilly, chopped onions with little water and make it into a smooth paste.

4.Add this paste to the tomatoes in the pan and cook till the raw smell disappears. Add the cooked dhal and cook for 5 more minutes in medium flame.

5.Add the seasoning to the chori dhal. Delicious chori dhal is ready.

6.Serve with rice and papad.