Showing posts with label Vegetables/ poriyal/ dry curry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vegetables/ poriyal/ dry curry. Show all posts

Beans Masala Curry

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Beans Masala

Ingredients:

1 lb beans finely cut
3 tbsp shredded coconut
1 tbsp broken cashews
1 tsp Jeera (cumin)
4-5 dried red chillies
Salt to taste
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal
2 tsp oil

Grind together cumin, cashews, coconut, red chillies to a fine paste and keep aside.
Pre-cook chopped beans in boiling water with salt till well cooked.
Add oil in a kadai, splutter mustard seeds and then add urad dal
When the urad turns golden brown, add the paste and saute well till oil separates or the paste just gets dry.
Add the cooked beans and mix uniformly
Simmer for 2 more minutes.
Beans is now ready to be served.






7 comments

Stuffed Brinjal Curry / Yenna Kathrikai Curry

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Recipe and Photo courtesy: Padmini, Srinivasan (my parents)

At one point of time, this was the vegetable I hated most. I would wonder how my sister and mom simply relished this veggie. Just looking at them enjoying this vegetable, I slowly developed a liking towards it. This post is dedicated to both of them and goes to Sanghi's FIL Brinjal event.





Ingredients:
1/2 kg small purple round brinjals (tiny Indian eggplants)
oil - 3-4 tbsp
salt to taste
mustard seeds -1 tsp
urad dal -1 tsp
masala for stuffing

To make the masala:
5 tsp dhaniya (coriander seeds)
3 tsp channa dal
2 tsp toor dal
1/4 tsp methi seeds
3 peppercorns
1/8 tsp jeera (cumin)
1 tsp urad dal
1 gooseberry sized tamarind
2 tsp oil
salt
hing-3 dashes
red chillies -4

Roast all the masala ingredients in oil till golden brown. Grind together to make a thick paste with little water.
Pick small dark purple brinjals and slit them across in quarters till the edge of the veggie. Don't cut them completely.
Take a spoonful of the stuffing and stuff each brinjal with generous masala
Transfer the stuffed brinjals to a microwave safe glass bowl.
Drizzle some oil on top and sprinkle little salt over it.
Microwave on high for 5-6 min till tender.
Once it is done, add some more oil in a kadai.
Splutter mustard and urad dal
When dals turns golden, transfer the precooked veggies to the hot oil
Close and roast till done
Serve with a lovely South Indian meal.

31 comments

Tater Tots Curry (poriyal)

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Tater Tots curry

Recipe Courtesy: Ramya (my sis-in-law)

Good news for all potato lovers... (like me)
Have you tried the tater tots in the potato aisle of the freezer section in your grocery shop?? Tots are shredded potatoes held together with bread crumbs and seasoning in the shape of small cylindrical balls. They are packaged just like french fries and fit for deep frying. It is available in the US.

My sister-in-law, Ramya suggested that I make potato curry with them and know what, it turned out super tasty! Especially when you are in a hurry and don't have time to boil baby potatoes, peel and saute them, tots is an awesome, super crispy alternative!

Remember to check the ingredients on the package. They are available in different flavours. You can choose the one your family likes. It is mostly available in onion flavour.

Ingredients:
1/2 pkt tater tots (the flavour you prefer)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
Salt to taste
(the potatoes are already seasoned, so add little salt to suit your taste), oil -3 tsp (or more)

Microwave the desired amount of potatoes for a minute.
Add oil in a kadai, splutter mustard seeds. Add urad dal and roast till golden.
Add the potatoes. add salt, turmeric, chilli powder.
Roast till crisp and golden on medium flame.
It is ok if a couple of them break while stirring/sauteing.
Enjoy with a lovely South Indian meal!!!

28 comments

Kovakai/ Thondaka/ Tindora Poriyal

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Kovakai/ Thondaka/ Tindora Poriyal

Recipe and Photo Courtesy: Priya (my friend)

Ingredients:

Kovakai/ Tindora – 300 g
Oil- 3 Tbsp
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Urad dal-1 tsp
Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
Chilly powder- ½ tsp
S Indian Curry Powder 1 tbsp (optional)
Salt ( to taste)

Cooking Directions:

-Wash kovakai well. Pat dry and cut each kovakai into 4 pieces vertically.
-In a pan, add oil. When hot, add mustard seeds and urad dal.
-When it begins to splutter and dal slightly brown, add chopped tindora.
-Add a little salt and cover till almost cooked, opening and stirring occasionally. (If using frozen thawed tindora, you can skip this step.)
-Add turmeric powder and chilly powder. Mix well and sauté for 5-6 min. Check for salt.
-When the poriyal turns slightly brown, it is ready.
-Serve with white rice and sambar/ kozhambu.

Tips:

-If the kovaka is not very tender and the skin is too thick, you can pressure cook the cut vegetable prior to sautéing.
-You can even thinly slice kovakai in circles instead of cutting it long. A tsp of curry powder gives the vegetable a lot of flavor. Add curry powder just a few minutes before the vegetable is completely cooked.

15 comments

Ladies finger/ okra curry (vendakkai vadhakkal)

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Okra/ Ladies Finger curry


Photo Courtesy: Srinivasan, Padmini (my parents)

This recipe is for starters who are experimenting with their cooking skills...Most of us love this vegetable. This is a very simple recipe made in most South Indian homes. We make this simple curry atleast once in 10 days.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 lb okra/ vendakka
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal
2 tsp oil
salt to taste
chilli powder 1/2 -3/4 tsp
turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
S Indian curry powder 1 tsp - optional

Chop ladiesfinger/ okra like shown in the picture. Cut off the edges and discard.
Add oil in a kadai/ wok.
When the oil is hot, splutter mustard seeds. Add the urad dal and roast till golden.
Add the chopped okra. Mix well.
Add salt, chilli powder and turmeric powder.
Continue to cook in medium flame, stirring once in a few minutes till completely cooked.
Add the karamathu Podi (curry powder) . Mix well. Leave it for 2 minutes and take off from flame.
Serve with rice and sambhar/kozhambu/ rasam / curds

Tips: If the okra is too hard or dry, sprinkle some water after it is cooked. Close and continue to cook for another 5 minutes till the okra absorbs water and gets really soft.
Calorie count: 30 calories per serving. Courtesy: http://www.thecaloriecounter.com/

17 comments

Brinjal/ Eggplant Masala curry (kathrikkai Podi Thoovi Vadhakkal)

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Brinjal Curry

Brinjal Curry.. Everyone knows to make brinjal curry! Add oil, splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, add the chopped brinjal. Add salt, turmeric, chilli powder...Simmer till done! Who does not know to make this! Want a twist in this? Well, we call it kathrikkai podi thoovi, means brinjal with curry powder. Just a tiny addition- increases the flavour tremendously!

Kathrikkai Podi thoovi
Photo courtesy: Padmini, Srinivasan (my parents)
Ingredients:
4 cups chopped brinjal
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal
2 tsp oil
1/4 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp chilli powder
salt to taste
Add oil in a kadai, splutter mustard seeds. Add urad dal, roast till golden. Add the chopped brinjal. Saute well in open kadai for a few minutes.
Now add salt, turmeric, chilli powder. Continue to saute till soft.
When just about fully cooked, add the curry powder and simmer for 5 more minutes.
Check for salt.
Serve with a good South Indian meal.

6 comments

Shenaikezhangu Curry (Elephant leg Yam Curry)

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Shenai kizhangu
Photo Courtesy: Padmini and Srinivasan



I like all kezhangus (tubers). How I miss this fresh yam curry... Here in the US, we get frozen shenai (Suran). In most Iyengar homes, tubers are cooked atleast thrice a week :) Shenaikezhangu is one of my favourite. Here is how we make Shenaikezhangu karamethu (curry).

Ingredients:
Chopped shenai (4 cups)
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
1/2 tsp Sambar/ kozhambu podi
chilli powder 2 tsp
1 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp urad dal
oil 4 tsp

For fresh Shenai:

First check if you are allergic to this vegetable. If you are not, go ahead.
Clean well. Cut off the hard skin. Chop into small cubes. Transfer to a pot with boiling water. Add salt, turmeric and sambar powder. Allow the shenai to boil well till tender.
Drain the water completely.
Add oil in a kadai, splutter mustard seeds, urad dal.
Transfer the shenai. Mix well.
Add red chilli powder and saute closed in low flame till nice golden and crispy.
I personally like shenai kezhangu karamathu with vatha kozhambu rice :) and mor kozhambu rice :)

For frozen Shenai:

I initially had lot of problems cooking frozen shenai. Thanks to my uncle Sriram and sister Aarthi, I have mastered the art of cooking this veggie.

Transfer the frozen pieces to a bowl containing water. Allow it to rest atleast for an hour. This is the best method to defrost this vegetable. Drain and cut the big chunks into smaller cubes.
Now add oil in a kadai, splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, add the chopped shenai.
Add salt, turmeric, sambar powder and chilli powder at this stage. Mix well.
Saute in low flame only. Keep closed and cook till crisp. Add more oil if necessary.
If you cook it in high flame, it gets unevenly cooked.
After all, this is a kezhangu, so be liberal with oil and cook slowly for a long time for best results.

4 comments

Potato curry / Urulai roast / uruali curry

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Baby Potato curry
Photo Courtesy: Padmini & Srinivasan (parents)

There are n number of ways to make potato curry.

Ingredients:

1 kg potatoes ( Use firm waxy potatoes like baby red/white potatoes, new potatoes or any Indian variety potato. Please don't use starchy potatoes like yellow potatoes ...they are not fit for pan frying)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
turmeric 1/4 tsp
oil 5-6 tsp
chilli powder 1 tsp (vary according to taste)
salt

Variation 1:

Potato Curry
Photo courtesy: Priya (my friend)

This is the most common method of making potato curry in the South Indian way

Boil potatoes in hot water (or microwave with some water). . Can be steamed in a cooker too. When soft, drain off the excess water and peel off the skin. Cut into chunks and keep aside. Add oil in a kadai, splutter mustard seeds, urad dal. Add turmeric in the oil itself. Stir in the potatoes. After 2 min, add salt and chilli powder. Cook open for about 10 min. Then simmer closed and cook till crispy! Potato is such a universal veggie, it goes well with any dish. I always love it with bisi bela bath

Variation 2:

Chop potatoes into tiny cubes. Soak it in water for a few minutes. Drain out excess water. Add lots of oil in a kadai, splutter mustard seeds, urad dal. Add turmeric in the oil itself. Stir in the potatoes and cook. Add salt and chilli powder. Cook open for a few minutes and then simmer closed till really crisp.

Variation 3:

Add 1 chopped onion to the recipe in variation 1. Add onions and roast well, then add the cooked potatoes

Variation 4:

You can make the Indian mashed potatoes - podimas. Refer link below for recipe.

http://authentic-food-treasures.blogspot.com/2009/02/podimas-urulai-and-vazhakka-potato-and.html

0 comments

Yenna Vazhakkai / Puli vazhakka/ Kalyana vazhakka/ Raw banana curry/ roasted plantain

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Yennai Vazhakkai
Photo Courtesy: Padmini (my mom)


There are three ways of cooking vazhakkai in the South Indian style. It can either be made as podimas (refer podimas link), regular curry with mustard, urad dal, salt, turmeric and chilly powder or you can make yennai vazhakkai. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

4 vazhakkais
1 goosebery sized tamarind
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
chilli powder 1 tsp (can be substituted with 5- whole red chillies for kalyana vazhakkai)
3 tsp coconut gratings (only for kalyana vazhakkai)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal
oil -5 tsp


Slice vazhakkai in the shape of half moon ( Thtz why I call this as moon moon vazhakkai :)) I mean, cut vazhakkai lengthwise and then cut horizontally into slices / pieces.
Add some water in a pan, introduce the tamarind, salt and turmeric, bring to a boil. Slip in the chopped vazhakkais. Allow them to cook till just soft. Drain water completely and keep aside. Add lots of oil in a kadai, splutter mustard seeds, urad dal. Add cooked vazhakkai. Stir in some chilli powder and cook closed till it absorbs the oil and starts to get a little crisp. This is called puli vazhakkai or yennai vazhakkai.

I love it! Check out the pictutre...


To make kalyana vazhakkai, add whole red chillies along with the seasoning. Do not use chilli powder. Garnish with coconut gratings.

5 comments

Sepankezhangu/ Arvi / Arbi

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

My favourite vegetable. The best part is that I like both sepankazhangu roast and fry. We call this dish as our family symbol/trademark. Every Sunday, all our relatives make sepankezhangu compulsorily (preferably fry and roast). It is almost like a strict tradition!!

I remember the days in my uncle/aunt's house at Bangalore. I lived with them for about 2 1/2 years when I was in my Engineering college. The aroma of Sepankezhangu fry would be my wake up call (at about 10 am only). As soon as I have my coffee, my uncle would come running to my room to give me fresh sepankezhangu fry! My aunt and her mom (Moiamma) would meanwhile make mouth watering karuvepalai molagu kozhambu, avial and parupu rasam to go with it. Every Sunday was a big feast with the entire family on the dining table with my aunt, uncle and my aunt's parents :) :)


Sepankezhangu Roast:

Sepankezhangu Roast
Photo courtesy: My Parents

Ingredients

1 kg Sepankezhangu
salt, chilli powder to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
8 tbsp oil ( I mix both regular oil and gingely oil)
1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp concentrated tamarind extract ( dilute with 2 tbsp water).......my mom's speciality-makes the sepankezhangu taste a million times better
3 sprigs curry leaves finely chopped .....my uncle's speciality, enhances flavour to a great extent.

Boil whole sepankezhangus in a pressure cooker. Peel the skin off with hands and cut into pieces and keep aside. Add oil in a big kadai, splutter mustard seeds. Add urad dal, when it becomes golden brown, add chopped curry leaves and tamarind extract. Add the cut sepankezhangus and mix well. Leave it for 2 min. Then add salt, turmeric and chilli powder. Mix again. Leave it unclosed and allow it to cook for the first 10 min. Later, reduce the flame and continue to cook closed till golden and crispy. Yummm!! I already feel like eating it...

The sad part is that, in the US, the sepankezhangu called as taro root tastes bad (until it is really fresh). Infact all the veggies are so tasteless..Ofcourse carrots and beans are an exception, but they are so boring... The Indian variety is so much better. Maybe you can use the frozen arvi from Indian store... However you must be careful to cook it in low flame for a long time.. Kinda boring.. I buy both :)

Sepankezhangu Fry:

Sepankezhangu Fry

Ingredients:

1/2 kg sepankezhangu
salt to taste
3 tsp chilli powder
6 tbsp besan
3 tbsp rice flour
1 tbsp corn flour (optional)
oil for deep fry

Boil whole sepankezhangus in a pressure cooker. Peel off the skin and cut into small pieces. Transfer them to a bowl and add besan, rice flour. Mix evenly such that all the pieces are well coated. Deep fry in small batches in med-high flame. The end point is when the kezhangus feel light and the oil bubbling reduces. The sepankezhangus will be golden brown. Drain out excess oil in a stainless steel colander. Add enough salt and chilli powder on the entire batch and mix well. Sepankezhangus absorb a lot of salt. So a little excess salt and chilli powder makes the arvi / sepankezhangu taste better.. Believe me, it is so addictive, you cannot stop with just one!

0 comments

Keerai curry (sundal)/ keerai kosambri

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Keerai Curry
Recipe Courtesy: Parents (Padmini, Srinivasan)


The is the simplest method of making keerai.

Ingredients:

3 cups keerai/Greens (molkeerai, spinach etc)
2 sp moong dal/ payathamparupu
1 sp oil
1 sp mustard seeds, 1 sp urad dal
1 dried red chilli
salt, hing 2 dashes
3 sp grated coconut

Cook your choice of keerai with 2 tsp of moong dal and sufficient salt and hing. Make sure that you cook the keerai and parupu in an 'open pan'. Don't pressure cook it. In a kadai, fry mustard seeds, urad dal, red chilli. Add cooked keerai with prupu. Garnish with grated coconut.

0 comments

Podimas (urulai and Vazhakka/ Potato and raw banana)

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Podimasss...Oh, the Indian 'mashed potatoes'...So boring... I prefer frying potatoes and raw bananas with lots of oil and chilli powder..Here is the recipe anyway...

To make the Podi:

(Also called as vazhakkai/ urulai podi)

2 sp urad dal
1 sp channa dal
1/2 sp toor dal
oil 1sp, 1/2 piece red chilli
salt, hing

Saute with oil, grind dry and coarse with salt and hing.

To make podimas:

Potato/ Raw banana 2
salt
1 sp mustard. 1 sp urad dal
oil 1 sp
green chilli 1

Boil potato/raw banana. Mash well. Fry mustard and urad dal, green chilli . Add mashed potatoes/ raw banana. Add salt. Mix with podi.

2 comments

Parupusli

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Long beans parupu usli
Photo Courtesy: Aarthi (My sister)

This is a simple side dish made with fresh veggies and lentils/dals. I have not heard of a single person who does not like parupu usli! There are different ways of making this dish. Some peope like to add all the lentils, pressure cook them and then make usli. However the method we use at home is very simple.

Beans parupu usli is the most popular type. You can make parupusli with beans, avaraka (flat broad beans), kothoranga(cluster beans), cabbage, vazhapoo (banana flower), paithanga (long beans), podalangai (snake gourd), vendaka (ladies finger/ okra).

Ingredients:

1/2 -3/4 cup toor dal
4 red dried chillies
2 cups finely chopped veggies (use any veggie mentioned above)
salt
turmeric 1/8 sp
hing 2-3 dashes
oil 4-5 tbsp
mustard seeds 1 tsp


Procedure:

Soak toor dal overnight (or for 1-2 hrs till soft) with sufficient water. Cook the vegetable separately with salt. Grind the soaked dal with red chillies, turmeric and hing. Make sure that the paste is not watery. It should be like a thick paste. Don't make it very smooth. Let it be partly coarse (something like a thogayal).
Add oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds. Add the dal mixture. Saute well. slowly, you will notice that the mixture gets dry. Continue mixing with a flat spatula. Add more oil if necessary. The usli will automatically start forming. Don't overcook and make it too powdery. Add the cooked vegetable. Mix evenly and simmer for 2 minutes.

Note: Most veggies can be boiled before adding. However saute well ladiesfinger/okra and podalanga(snake gourd) before adding...

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