VENDAKKA PULI (palakkad style) ...

Vendakkai(okhra,bhindi) is slippery and I as a child did not love eating this vegetable. But when it is made in this form of dish it tastes good and I love to eat it. It is a tangy dish and I learnt this recipe from my mom who is an awesome cook.

This recipe is kerala style vendakka puli. In kerala coconut is added to almost all the dishes. Vendakka (ladies finger/okhra/bhindi) is fried in oil and cooked in ground masala. To give a tangy taste tamarind is added to it.It is served with hot rice.

INGREDIENTS 

Vendakkai/okra/bhindi                 250 gm
Onion                                                      1/2 medium
Small onion/ shallot                        10 no.s
Tamarind                                              lemon size
Tomatoes                                             2
Refined oil                                            2-3 tsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric

FOR GRINDING

Red dry chillies                                  3
Coconut                                                 1/2 tea cup
Shallots                                                  5
Coriander                                            2 tsp
Refined oil                                           2 tsp (as required)
Salt to taste

FOR SEASONING

Mustard seed                   1 tsp
Shallot                                2
Curry leaves                    2 sprig
Coriander leaves           1 tbsp  finely chopped
Refined oil                         2 tsp

METHOD

Heat oil in a kadai/skillet and on medium heat  add cut shallots, red chillies and half choppedonion .Fry till it becomes slightly brown. Add coriander powder and stir  on low flame till raw smell disappears(2 minutes) , add coconut and stir till it becomes brown. Keep it aside, after it cools down add 1/2 tea cup water and blend in a blender.

Chop the vendakkai/okra diagonally in three pieces. Chop the onions and tomatoes.Take a Kadai/skillet and put some oil, add onions and vendakkai and fry for 5 minutes. Add the turmeric saute for a second then add the tomatoes. Cover and cook stirring occasionally till the vegetables are cooked on low flame. Season with salt.

Soak tamarind in two tea cup hot water. Add to the above mentioned and cook for 5 minutes.

Now add the ground mixture and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. If required add some water( consistency of the gravy depends on how you want, can be increased or decreased). Switch off the heat.

In a small kadai put 2 tsp oil add the mustard when it splutters add the cut shallots .When it is slightly brown add the curry leaves.

Pour the seasoning into the vendakka and add corriander leaves.

Serve hot with steaming rice with a dash of ghee.

Note
Adjust the consistency of the dish by reducing or increasing water

MUSHROOM PULAO

Basmati is a long grain variety of rice and it has a distinct flavor and gives out a special aroma due to the presence of a 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline. Mushroom is a source of powerful nutrients.

I usually make pulav when i am in a hurry as this is a very simple dish. This makes a great lunch box recipe too.

INGREDIENTS

Mushroom 200 g
Peas 1 tbsp
Green chili 2
Carrot cut into cubes 1 no,
Onion 1 medium
Tomato 1 big
Garlic  and ginger paste 2 tsp
Turmeric 1 tsp
Garam masala powder 2 tsp
Ghee/oil/butter 1 tbsp
Bay leaves 2 no.s
Basmati rice 1 cup
Water 1 and 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves

METHOD

Take a deep pan heat oil/ghee/ butter (better to use ghee as it will give a distinct flavor to the rice.

Add the onions,chili and bay leaves and saute till onion becomes brown, add the garlic and ginger paste and stir till the raw smell goes away. Add the carrots and mushrooms(cut 1 mushroom into four) and saute for 2 minutes.

Add the basmati rice(this has to be washed twice and drain all the water) and stir continuously for 5 minutes on low heat.  Add the garam masala powder and saute for a minute and switch off the gas. Let it cool.

Add 1   1/2 cup water to the rice  and transfer it into a vessel. Take a pressure cooker add water in the base put the vessel and pressure cook for 4 whistles.

Take out the pressure cooker lid only after the pressure is slowly released . Serve the mushroom rice pulao hot. Garnish with corriander leaves.

POHA \ AVAL UPMA

ahaaafood

Poha/aval/flattened rice is a very simple dish and has amazing flavours too. In south India it is called Aval and Poha in Maharashtra.  Aval upma can be eaten as breakfast or for brunch. It is a very light breakfast and easy to prepare and belongs to the class of instant upma. My mom used to prepare either for breakfast or in the evenings .

Aval/poha comes in two categories - thick and thin. Here I am using paper thin variety. My mom used to put onion, ginger, green chilies, tomato and corriander leaves. I am adding grated carrot and peas. Garnishing with coconut gives it a distinct flavour.

INGREDIENTS

Poha/Aval paper thin variety 2 cups
Carrot grated 1 tbsp
Peas 1 tbsp
Ginger grated 1 tbsp
Onion 1 medium finely diced
Coconut 1/2 cup grated
Mustard 1 tsp
Green chili 2 cut in slits
Tomato 1 medium deseeded

Coriander leaves finely diced 1/2 cup
Curd 1/4 cup
Water 1/4 cup
lemon juice 1 tbsp
Refined oil 1/2 tbsp
salt to taste
METHOD

Add water and curd to the aval/poha with salt in a bowl and. The aval will become soft after sometime. Keep it aside

Heat the oil and add the mustard when it splutters add the onion and ginger and stir till onion becomes brown.Add turmeric saute for few seconds and then add all the vegetables and cook them for 5 minutes. Add some salt. ( salt has already been added to aval)

Add the aval/poha and saute till aval becomes hot. Add the grated coconut and lemon juice and turn off the stove. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Tasty Yummy breakfast is ready, serve hot.

AWESOME VEGETABLE KURMA

There are different types of preparing vegetable kurma\korma.Vegetable Kurma goes well with chappathi, roti, paratha,poori etc.This is a very simple dish and it varies from region to region all over India.

INGREDIENTS

FOR DRY GRIND

For dry masala

Jeera                       1tsp
Cloves                     2
Cardamom            2
Cinnamon             1"piece
Corriander          2tsp
Star anise            1\2
Poppy seeds       1tsp

For Wet grind

Coconut             1\2 cup
Fennel                2 tsp
Green chillie s 3
Cashew              10

OTHER INGREDIENTS

Tomatoes                   1/2 cup
Beans                            1/2 cup
Carrot                           1/2 cup
Peas                               1/2 cup
Potatoes                     1/2 cup
Cauliflower                1/2 cup
Onion                            1/2 cup
Ginger                           1'piece
Garlic cloves               4
Bay leaves                   2
Corriander leaves    small bunch
Salt to taste
Oil 1 tbsp or ghee     2 tsp

METHOD

For dry roast

1. Take a pan dry roast all the masala in a slow flame for 5 minutes stirring continuously.Keep it aside to cool. After it cools down grind it.

2.Take a wok/kadai put oil/ghee and then fry the onions and green chilies till they r brown, add the garlic and ginger paste and stir till the raw smell disappears, add turmeric. Add  tomatoes till they are done and water is reduced, add all the vegetables. Add enough water to cover the vegetables.Close and cook till the vegetables are 3/4 cooked.

3. Add the dry ground masala and after 5 minutes add the coconut cashew paste.Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes. Add salt and check whether all the vegetables are cooked.Add the coriander leaves(finely diced and switch off the flame.

4. Serve with any Indian bread.