Stuffed brinjals

Ingredients :

• Small sized violet brinjals - 1 / 2 k. g.
• Sambhar powder - 1 to 2 spoon
• Grated fresh coconut - 1 1 / 2 sp
• Salt - as required
• Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
• Sugar or jaggery - 1 tsp [ optional ]
• Finely cut white onion - 1 / 2 cup
• Oil - as required

For seasoning :
Mustard seeds - 1 sp
Urad dhal - 1 / 2 sp
Bengalgram dhal -  1/ 2 sp

Method :

Slit brinjals into four, half way through keeping the brinjals whole. [ cut opposite side of the stem ] Then mix sambar powder, salt, grated coconut, onions,sugar together with tamarind paste. Take one kadai, heat oil and season mustard seeds, urad dhal and bengal gram dhal and add this to the onion mixture. Stuff this into the slit side of the brinjals. Heat rest of the oil in same kadai, arrange brinjals on the kadai. Close the lid and cook until done, turning over gently in between. When brinjal gets fried evenly, [ all sides ] remove from kadai and serve hot with plain hot rice. Mix cooked thuar dhal with white rice and eat brinjal along with it.

Adai paruppu usili

     Ingredients :

•      Finely cut french beans - 1 / 4 k. g. [ boiled ]
•      Previous day adai - 3 to 4
•      Mustard seeds - 1 / 2 sp
•      Urad dahl - 1 / 2 sp
•      Coconut oil - 2 tsp
•      Curry leaves - little [ for garnishing ]
•      Grated fresh coconut - 2 tbl. sp
•      Salt - as required

    Method :

    Pressure cook beans  adding required salt. Drain the water and keep aside. Make small pieces from adai, grind in mixer and form coarse powder. Then keep one kadai on the gas, heat coconut oil and add  seasoning to that, when the dahl change into brown colour, add the boiled beans to that and  fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Mix fresh coconut and fry for some more time. Finely add the adai powder to that, and mix well. Garnish with curry leaves. Serve with sambhar rice, and rasam rice.

Dry cauliflower curry

Ingredients :

• Finely cut onions - 1 / 2 cup
• Finely cut cauliflower - 2 1 / 2 cups
• Oil - for frying
• Salt - as required
• Coriander leaves - little

Grind to paste :

• Onion - 1
• [ or madras onions ]- 7 to 8
• Ginger - 1 / 2 inch piece
• Garlic flakes - 2
• Red tomatoes - 2 [ cut into pieces ]
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Sugar - 1 / 2 sp
• Vinegar or lemon juice - 1 tbl. sp.

Method :

Heat 2 tbl. sp. of oil and fry onions for 2 minutes. Then add washed cauliflower, along with salt. Mix gently close with lid and cook till vegetable becomes soft. Stir in between once or twice. When cauliflower is soft add ground masala paste,and fry until moisture is absorbed. Change to serving dish and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with roti and parathas.

Variation :
Use spring onions instead of big onions for frying. You can also use mushrooms along with cauliflower. Add little water to make it like gravy, which can be served with pulkas.

Methi bajji

 Ingredients :

• Bengal gram dhal- 1 cup
• Finely chopped fresh methi leaves - 1 / 2 cup
• Finely chopped onion - 1 / 2 cup
• Green chillies 2 [ finely cut ]
• Ginger - 1 / 2 inch piece [ finely cut ]
• Cooking soda - a pinch
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Oil - to deep fry

Method :

Soak dhal for 2 hours in water. Drain water completely. Grind very  coarsely with salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, cooking soda, methi leaves, green chilli, ginger, chopped onion, little oil and mix well. Make into medium sized balls and deep fry in hot oil till crisp and golden in colour. Serve with green chutney and tomato ketchup.

Yeri kolli [ kerala recipe ]

 Ingredients :

• Sour thick curds - 3 cups
• [ one day old is ideal ]
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - to garnish

Vegetables suggested :
Any one of the following:

• Drumsticks, potato, chow -chow, colocaesia, white pumpkin etc.

Grind together :

•  Red chillies - 10
• Fenugreek - 1 / 2 tsp
• Urad dhal - 1 tbl. sps.

[ dehusked black gram ]
[ fry the above spices to golden brown using coconut oil, add 1 / 2 cup grated fresh coconut at the end, fry till golden and grind to smooth paste with  water. ]

Method :
First whip curds without water. Chop and cook the vegetables adding salt, and turmeric. Then add ground paste to curds and cooked vegetables. Cook in medium flame for few minutes. [ do not boil for long time ] Finely fry curry leaves in coconut oil along with mustard seeds and add to gravy just before removing from fire. Serve with hot steamed rice and roasted curry.







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Raw banana peanut masala curry

Ingredients :

• Raw banana - 2 [ scrape outer skin and dice into medium cubes. ]
• Onion - 2 [ finely cut into lenth wise ]
• Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
• Fried peanuts - 1 hand full [ pound to coarse powder. ]
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Oil - as required
• Curry leaves - little

Fry and powder :

• Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
• Red chillies - 3 to 4
• Black gram dal - 1 tsp
• Bengal gram dal - 1 tsp
• Peanuts - 1 / 4 tsp
• Black pepper - 3 to 4

{ fry all these ingredients in little oil till it turns golden  and pound to coarse powder. ]

Method :

Keep cut banana cubes in water. Then boil in water along with salt, tamarind paste, and turmeric till it become soft. Drain the water. Then heat oil in a pan,add mustard, curry leaves, and little peanuts. When the peanuts change into brown, add the boiled banana. Fry for 3 minutes and then add powder masala, penut powder and mix well. Allow to fry in low flame for 5 minutes till all masala is  well  coated  and subji becomes dry. Remove from the gas and serve with roti, sambhar rice,and rasam rice. 

Thrunelvali type morekulumbu

Ingredients :

• Ladies finger [ bhindi ] - 7 to 8 [ cut into 2 inch long piece ]  fry in oil till light brown in colour .
• Sour thick curd - 3 cups
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Salt - as required

Grind together :

• Grated fresh coconut - 1 / 2 cup
• Green chillies - 10 to 12
• Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 / 4 tsp
• Thuar dal - 1 tbl. sp. [ level ]
• [ soak in water for an hour ]
 

For seasoning :

• Coconut oil - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 / 2 tsp
• Fenugreek - 1 / 4 tsp
• Red chillies - 2
 

For garnishing :

• Curry leaves, coriander leaves

Method :

First fry ladies finger in hot oil till it change brown in colour and keep  aside. Whip curd and mix with ground paste, salt, and turmeric powder. Add fried ladies finger and boil for few minutes. Heat coconut oil, add seasonings and mix with kulambu. Garnish with coriander and curry leaves.

Variations :
Reduce green chillies and add few red chillies while grinding. Add little chutney dal also while grinding. Omit thuar dal and add chutney dal while grinding.