Tomato Pachadi

 

One more simple and easy recipe to ease your busy morning. This tomato pachadi is of south Indian style mostly use it as a side dish. It goes very well with onion paratha, plain roti, chapati and even you can mix it with plain rice it tastes amazing.

In Tamil language the word "Pachai" means green or raw and "adi" means pound. Broadly translated, it refers to food which has been pounded.


Ingredients:
Tomato (chopped)- 1 big no.
Green Chili (chopped) - 1 no.
Fresh Coriander Leaves chopped - 1/4 cup
Red Chili Powder - 2 tsp
Salt  to taste
Curd - 1 cup

> For Grinding:
Coconut grated - 2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

> For Seasoning:
Mustard Seeds - 1tsp
Whole Red chili - 1 no.
Asafoetida / Hing - 1 pinch
Curry leaves - 3 to 4
Coconut oil/ Vegetable oil - 2 tsp

Time Required: 15 mins.

Directions:

Step 01) Grind  the grated coconut and mustard seeds  in to fine paste

 

2. In a bowl add the above paste, chopped tomato, green chilies, fresh coriander leaves, red chili powder and salt mix it well. Then add the curd  and mix  it nicely

 

3. Heat oil in a pan in medium flame (use coconut oil to bring out the authentic taste of south India) add whole red chili, mustard seeds, Asafoetida /hing and curry leaves. Add this seasoning to tomato pachadi. 

Serve: Serve with chapati, onion paratha, roti, or even it goes very well with plain rice.

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Bitter Gourd Curry / Pavakkai Puli Kuzhambu

Because of the bitterness in bitter gourd/pavakkai /Karela many people (including me) used to avoid. It is an excellent source of nutrition many eat it out of force. This time I have tried in Chettinad style and used a trick to reduce bitterness. As this veggie is nicely fried and cooked in tamarind juice with touch of grinded masala you will enjoy this with the little feel of bitterness.

Ingredients:

• Karela/ Bitter Gourd/ Pavakkai - 3 nos.
• Imli Juice/ Tamarind juice - 1 cup
• Jaggery - small piece (Sweetener just like sugar)
• Water - 2 cups

> For Grinding:

• Saunf / Fennel Seeds- 1 tsp
• Garlic - 2 flakes
• Onion (chopped) - 1 no. (Big)
• Tomato(chopped) - 1 no.
• Curry leaves - few
• Coconut grated - 1/4 cup
• Oil - 1 tbsp

> Masala Powders:

• Sambar Powder - 2 tsp (Many grounded Indian spices- available in Indian Store)
• Red Chili Powder - 2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Dhaniya Powder / Coriander Seeds Powder - 1 tsp
• Salt to Taste

Method:

Step 01) Heat a pan and add saunf and garlic and fry for 2 mins. Then fry onion till transparent then add tomato, curry leaves

 

Step 02) When tomato turns mushy add grated coconut and mix well. Then add all masala powders and cook till raw masala smell disappears

 

Step 03) Let it cool and then grind it.

 

Step 04) Cut the bitter gourd in round shape and soak them in salt and turmeric water for a 10 mins then wash thoroughly 2 to 3 times in plain water. This helps to reduce bitterness. Take slightly big pan and fry the veggie nicely and then add tamarind juice and few jaggery pieces

 

Step 05) Add the blended paste and water mix them nicely and cook for 5 mins.

Yummy pavakkai puli kuzhambu is ready. This time we tried with chapati and it was awesome.

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Stuffed Brinjals/ Bharli Vangi

Ingredients:

• 5-6 medium sized Brinjals / Eggplant
• 2 medium sized Onions – finely chopped
• 1 tbsp powdered Jaggery (Indian Sweetener just like sugar - Available in Indian store)
• Fresh Coriander Leaves – finely chopped
• ½ cup Water
• Oil
• Salt to taste

>For Grinding:

• ½ cup dry shredded Coconut 
• ¼ cup roasted Sesame seeds /Til seeds 

>For Masala Powders:

• ½ cup Peanut powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric/Haldi Powder
• 2 tsp Red Chili powder
• 1 tsp Coriander seed powder/Dhania powder
• 1 tsp Cumin powder/Jeera powder
• 2 tbsp Garam Masala powder (many grounded Indian spices- available in Indian Store)

>For Seasoning:

• 1 tsp Mustard seeds

Time Required: 30 mins

Method:

Step01. Wash the eggplant/ brinjals, remove the stem and slit vertically keeping the base intact. Brinjals begin to oxidize just minutes after slicing, so keep them in water.

Step 02. Now prepare the stuffing masala. Grind together shredded coconut and roasted sesame/til seeds. Mix together with finely chopped onions, (coconut + sesame paste) and all powders (peanut, coriander seeds powder, cumin seed powder,  red chili and garam masala powder). Also put finely chopped  fresh coriander leaves. Mix well. Now stuff the brinjals with this masala.

Step 03. Heat oil in a pan (the pan should be large and broad and this recipe requires oil in large quantity. Add mustard seeds, allow to splutter and then add haldi/turmeric. Now place the brinjals carefully in the oil. If any masala is left you can add that as well.

Step04. After some time, when the brinjals are fried add water, powdered jaggery and salt.

Step05. Now cover the pan with a plate with water in it. This makes the brinjals soft and the gravy doesn't stick to the pan. Cook for about 20-25 mins. Keep stirring in between to check if the brainjals are cooked completely.

Serving: Serve hot with Rotis.

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Mor kuzhambu

Feeling lazy to cook for the day? Try this simple kuzhambu recipe then. Kuzhambu is Tamil cuisine. It is a side dish to steam rice and popular in southern part of India. Mostly Kuzhambu is prepared using different type of lentils/dals , selection of vegetables and tamarind juice and spices.  This one done using base ingredient as curd /mor and suitable vegetables for this recipe are white pumpkin, Lady Finger/Bendi, Arbi/Sepankizhangu/ Taro Root, chow chow /chayote or tomato. It is very quick to prepare compromising taste. It could ease your busy morning routine.

If I try to translate the recipe name in English Mor Kuzhambu = Curd Stew

Ingredients:

• Sour Curd - 3 cups
• Besan/ Kadalai Mav / Chickpea Flour- 1 tbsp
• Tomato - 1 no.
• Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

>For Grinding

• Grated Cocounut - 1/4 cup
• Green Chilies - 3 to 4 nos. (as per taste)
• Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp
• Ginger - 1" piece

>For Seasoning

• Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Time Required: 20 mins.

Method:

Step 01. Whisk the  curd nicely (use sour curd for better taste)

Step 02. Add besan and mix well without lumps

 

Step 03. Blend the green chilies, cumin seeds, grated coconut and ginger piece into fine paste using little water

 

Step 04. Add diced tomato, turmeric powder, salt and grounded paste into curd and mix well

 

Step 05. Heat a pan in a low flame cook them for 3 mins. or like when it starts to raise. Switch off the flame when it is about to boil.

 

Step 06. Temper with mustard seeds and garnish with curry leaves. Simple yet yummy tasty  most satisfying comfort mor kuzhambu  is ready for lunch box.

Serving: Serve with any curry and papad. The perfect combination will be Eggplant/ Brinjal Curry, Beans Usili and Potato curry but this time  I tried with sundal it was nice too :)

Tips:
01. Vegetables other than tomato boil them first and then add it to curd mixture and for  bendi/lady finger fry them nicely then add
02. Always cook in low flame do not boil the curd

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Beetroot Kootu

As you all know, beetroot has many health benefits and usually i prepare  beetroot curry/ palya, in salad, beetroot juice and even beetroot laddo. This time thought to prepare something different or new. Here is my version of Healthy Kootu/gravy.

Ingredients:

• Beetroot - chopped 2 cups
• Moong dal /Pasi Paruppu/  Split Mung Bean - 1/2 cup
• Turmeric powder
• Salt

>for Masala Ingredients:

• Tuvar dal / pigeon peas- 1 tsp
• Dhaniya / Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
• urud dal / White Lentils- 1 tsp
• Black pepper - 3 seeds
• cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Whole Red chili - 2 to 3 nos.
• Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

>for Seasoning:

• Mustard Seeds - 2 tsps.
• Curry Leaves - few
• Pinch of Hing/ asafoetida
• Oil   - 1 tbsp

Time Required: 20 mins

Method:

1. Set the moong dal and beetroot in a separate vessel cook them in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles.
2. Chop the boiled beetroots into small pieces
3. Fry the above masala ingredients in little clarified butter/ghee/oil, cool them for 5 mins. then grind and keep it aside. (You can store this powder for next time usage also.)
4. Heat the pan with 2 tsp of oil add the mustard seeds allow them to splatter
5. Add curry leaves and hing and fry for 1 min. add the moong dal and 1 cup of water, turmeric powder, salt and mix  nicely to bring them in liquid consistency
6. Add the boiled beetroot and the ground masala mixture and cook for a little while to mix uniformly.

Serving: Serve hot with rice/ roti / chapatis.

Variation:  Instead of beetroot you can use vegetables like cabbage and snake gourd.

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