Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Plantain Podimas

Ingredients
Plantain 2-3
Turmeric 1/4 t.spoon
Hing a small pinch
Green Chillies 6
Ginger a small piece minced/gratted
Urad dhall 1/2 t.spoon
Channa dhall 1 t.spoon
Mustard 1/4 t.spoon
Curry leaves
Cilantro a small bunch washed and finely chopped
Lemon 1
Cooking Oil 2 t.spoon
Salt 1 t.spoon (or to taste)


Method
Boil plantains with turmeric and salt.
Peel skin and grate them and keep it aside.
Heat 2 t.spoons oil in a pan/wok, splutter mustard, then add urad
dhall, channa dhall, hing, turmeric, curry leaves, red chillies,
finely chopped ginger, lemon juice and salt and then add the
grated plantains. Let this cook for a few minutes and then
garnish with cilantro.

Spinach Kootu



Ingredients
Spinach 1 bunch washed and finely chopped
Thuvar dhall 1 t.spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 t.spoon
Red Chilles 3
Coconut 3 t.spoons
Curry leaves a few
Mustard seeds 1/2 t.spoon
Urad dhall 1 t.spoon
Hing a small pinch
Salt 1 t.spoon (or to taste)


Method
Boil spinach and salt in 1 cup water.
Soak thuvar dhall, cumin seeds, and, 2 red chilles for 30
minutes. Grind this with coconut. Add this paste to spinach
and cook until the flavour comes out.
Heat some coconut oil in a pan, splutter mustard, then add urad
dhall, 1 red chille, curry leaves, little hing, and add this to
the kootu.
Coconut Milk Kulambu



Ingredients :
Coconut- 2cups
Potato-2nos
Carrot-2nos
Drumstick-5nos
Chilies - 5nos
Lemon -1/2






Method of Preparation :
Cut the vegetables into small pieces. Grind the coconut in the mixer. Take the coconut milk. Then once again grind it in the mixer. Take the coconut milk 3 times.
Place the 1st coconut milk in a separate vessel. 2nd and 3rd in the same vessel.
Place the pan in the heat. Pour 2nd and 3rd coconut milk. Put the vegetables into the pan. Leave for 10 minutes. Make sure that the vegetables are boiled. Then pour the first coconut milk. Put some chili powder and salt to taste.
Take the pan from heat. Finally pour 2 drops of lemon before you serve.
It's very tasty and also good for health.
Avial
This is a semi-dry preparation which is a mixture of all sorts of vegetables.
Serves 10
Ingredients :
1. • Yam sliced thinly into 11/2" length pieces - 1cup
• Cucumber sliced lengthy into 11/2" thick pieces - 1cup
• Snake gourd sliced into 11/2" length pieces - 1cup
• Carrot sliced into into 11/2" length pieces - 1/4cup
• Long runner-beans sliced into 11/2" length pieces - 1/2cup
• Drumstick cut into 2" length pieces - 2nos
2. • Raw bananas sliced into 11/2" length pieces - 1no
• Mango pieces - for sour
3. • Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
• Salt - to taste
4. • Grated coconut - 1/2quantity
• Green chillies - 5nos
• Cumin seeds - 1/2tsp

5. • Curry leaves - 2sprigs
• Coconut oil - 3tbs
Method of Preparation :
Coarsely grind the coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds. Keep it aside.
Clean the vegetables. Heat 2tbs coconut oil in a thick bottom vessel. Add the vegetables and cook in a low flame. Do not add water. When it is done, add turmeric powder, salt and mix it well. Remove the vegetables from the middle and put sliced bananas and mango pieces and cover it with the other vegetables. When steam comes out, add the coconut paste and stir well. Remove from fire. Mix the remaining coconut oil and curry leaves in the avial.
Peas Potato Burger


Ingredients:
Red Potatoes 5 - 7
Dry Green Peas 1 cup
Green Chiles 2
Ginger 1 inch piece
Cilantro 1 cup packed
Cumin Seeds 1 tbsp
Asafoetida a pinch
Fine Sooji 2 tbsps
Salt to taste
Oil as required
Method of preparation:
Soak green peas in water for 6 - 8 hrs and pressure cook them in 2 cups of water for 3 whistles.
Alternatively, use fresh or frozen green peas.
Wash, halve and boil potatoes until just cooked.
Once cooled, peel and mash the cooked potatoes.
Remove stems, wash and finely chop green chiles.
Peel and mince ginger.
Clean, wash and finely chop cilantro.
Heat a tbsp oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, hing, green chiles and ginger.
When cumin seeds start to brown, add mashed potatoes, peas, cilantro and salt.
Mix thoroughly and remove from heat.
Cool the mixture and form lemon sized balls out of the mixture.
Roll the balls in sooji and flatten them on palm.
Repeat the same with remaining potato peas mixture.
Heat a tsp of oil on a flat pan, place the flattened potato patties on hot pan.
Fry on both sides until golden brown and remove from heat.
Repeat the same with remaining patties.
Alternatively, roast the potato patties in oven at 350F for 10 - 15 minutes.
Serve peas potato patties sandwiched in any bread or french rolls with sliced onions and tomato ketchup.
Oats Pongal

Ingredients
Rolled Oats - 2 cups. Moong dal - 1 cup. Cumin -2 tsp. Pepper - 1 tsp. Ginger finely chopped - 1 tsp. Cashew nuts - 2 tsp. Curry leaves - 1 sprig. Oil/Ghee - 3 tsps


Method
In a pressure cooker add the oil/ghee and let it heat for a minute then add cumin, pepper and cashew nut and when it is slightly browns add oats, rinsed and drained moongdal, chopped ginger, curry leaves, salt and 6 cups water. Close the cooker lid and cook it until one whistle in a medium heat. You can serve it with sambhar and/or coconut chutney.
OAT AND SPRING ONION PARATHAS



These paratha are made with a combination of oats and wheat flour to initiate you to the taste of fibre filled oats. I have used the spring onion filling as it helps to disguise the raw taste of oats. This serves best when served hot with Paneer Lababdar.

Preparation Time : 15 mins.
Cooking Time : 20 mins.

Makes 4 parathas.
For the dough
¾ cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup quick cooking rolled oats

2 tablespoons low fat curds

salt to taste


For the spring onion filling
½ cup spring onion whites, chopped

1 cup spring onion greens, chopped

1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

1 teaspoon ginger-green chilli paste

1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped

½ teaspoon oil

salt to taste


Other ingredients
1 teaspoon oil for cooking


For the dough

1. Combine all the ingredients and knead into a soft dough, using enough water.

2. Divide into 4 equal portions and keep aside.

For the spring onion filling

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the cumin seeds and allow them to crackle.

2. Add the spring onion whites, ginger-green chilli paste, garlic and cook till the onions turn translucent.

3. Add the spring onion greens and salt and cook over a high flame till the mixture dries out completely. Remove and let it cool.

How to proceed

1. Roll out the one portion of the dough into a circle of 75 mm. (3") diameter.

2. Place one portion of the filling in the centre of the dough circle.

3. Bring together all the sides in the centre and seal tightly.

4. Roll out again into a circle of 125 mm. (5") diameter with the help of a little plain flour.

5. Cook the paratha on a non-stick pan, using a little oil, until both sides are golden brown.

6. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make 3 more paratha.

7. Serve hot.