Aviyal

Ingredients:

• All types of Vegetables like (Beans, Carrot, Potato, suran, White pumpkin, kacha kela/raw banana, Drumstick. (Drumstick and suran/Elephant foot yam is the must it adds more flavor to this recipe).
• 2 cups sour curd
• Curry leaves Few
• Salt to Taste

~ For Grinding:

• 1/2 cup grated Coconut
• Green Chili ( 5 to 6) (According to taste)
• Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Kaju (Cashew Nut) – 4 to 5 pieces (optional)

~For Seasoning:

• Coconut Oil
• Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Note: Don’t use mushy vegetables, like, tomato, ladies fingers, cabbage, beetroot  , radish & onion (it stains the dish)

Time required: 30 mins

Method:

1) Wash and cut all the vegetables lengthwise into 2" pieces (stick shape). Boil the vegetables, take a note not to overcook the vegetables. They should remain crisp. 

2) Grind the coconut, cashew, cumin seeds, green chili and salt without using much water.  coconut should be seen in the gravy so don't grind very nicely. This is also one reason which adds more taste to the aviyal. 

3) Add the gravy & curry leaves to the whisked curd  in a thick heavy bottom pan and bring them to boil. 

4) Now add the boiled vegetables and mix gently & make sure not to mash the vegetables. Cook for about 5 to 7 mins. Remove from heat, Add the seasoning using  coconut oil. Coconut oil gives aviyal the aroma and taste. 

Serving: Can be served with rice, dosa, kara dosa, Adai, chapati and even you can relish this recipe in a bowl just like that. 

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Spinach/ Palak Rice

Ingredients:

• 1/2 bunch Palak / Spinach
• 1/2 cup Moong Dal / Pasi Paruppu / Green Gram Split
• 1 cup Cooked Rice
• 2 tsp Haldi/ Turmeric owder
• Salt to Taste

~ For Grinding:

• 4 to 5 Green Chilies
• 1/2 cup Grated Coconut
• 3 tsp Cumin Seeds/ Jeera 

~ For Seasoning:

• Oil 1 tbsp
• 2 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 4 -5 Garlic flakes -chopped

Time Required: 30 mins

Method:

1) Boil palak and moong dal in a pressure cooker    
    
                                   

2) Grind together grated coconut, green chilies and cumin seeds

3) Put a reasonable size heavy bottom pan on the range and heat oil. add seeds, allow to splutter then add garlic chopped and fry them for minute or so

4) Then add the cooked palak and moong dal, salt and turmeric 

5) Lastly add the blended mixture and mix it well and cook it for 3 to 4 minutes

6) Mix the above gravy with cooked Rice and serve hot with papad/tortilla and raw onion.

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Coconut Rice

Instead of slogging in the kitchen for long time to prepare a dish, sometime you should know the quickest recipe too so that you can enjoy the time with your family. This recipe works great with left over rice and if grated coconut is in handy this can be prepared in 10 minutes. Coconut aroma and spicy chili seasoning simply make this dish special :) If you are using frozen coconut then keep the coconut at least for 15 minutes from the fridge before using.


Ingredients:

• Cooked Rice - 1 Cup
• Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Dried marinated chili/ Mor Molaga - 4 to 5nos.
• Few Curry Leaves
• Few Cashew Nuts (Optional)
• Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp
• Urud Dal / White Lentils- 2 tsp
• Hing/Asafoetida - a Pinch
• Salt as per taste
• Oil - 2 tbsp

Time Required: 10 Minutes ( Excluding the Rice cooking time)


Method:

1) Cook the rice in the pressure cooker as the same way you do. Cool it in a plate so that grains can be separated nicely.  It works great with left over rice

2) Put a reasonable size heavy bottom pan on the range and heat oil.

3) Fry the mor molaga/dried chili, once they are done remove it from the oil and keep it aside

4) In the same oil, temper the seeds. Once they start popping add cashew nuts, curry leaves, salt, Hing, coconut grated and stir for 5-10 min or until the coconut gets toasted and turns slightly reddish brown. Switch off the flame.

5) Add the rice and mix well. Crush some mor molaga and mix it nicely. 

6) Serve extra mor molaga for more spicyness

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Moong Dal Khichdi / Moogachya Dalichi Khichdi

Ingredients

• 2 cups Rice
• ½ cup Moong Dal / Green Gram Split
• 5 cups Water (apprx. twice the quantity of rice and dal)
• 1 tsp Jeera / Cumin Seeds
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric/Haldi powder
• ½ tsp Red Chili powder(optional)
• ¼ tsp Asafoetida/Hing
• Salt to taste

Time Required: 30 mins

Method:

1) Wash rice and moong dal, drain and keep aside.
2) Heat oil in pressure cooker pan, add pepper powder and jeera, allow to splutter, then add haldi, and asafoetida.
3) If you want you can also add vegetables of your choice like green peas, potatoes, onions etc. Stir fry the vegetables till soft. Add red chili powder(optional).
4) Now add rice + dal and water (apprx. twice the quantity of rice and dal). And then add salt.
5) Cover and pressure cook the khichadi. 3 whistles is enough. Smear some ghee.
6) Serve hot with Kadi and roasted papad.

*Papad means- It is one type of Indian fryums in a shape of thin, disc shaped often made from black gram/white lentils & rice.

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Sambar

Sambar is a popular dish in south India. It goes very well with Idli, Dosa, Rice, Rava Idli, Upuma, Pongal etc., Sambar is made of toor dal/Yellow Pigeon Peas and vegetables. You can use any of your choice  vegetables. May be mixed vegetables are just one or two vegetables will also be fine.  Just make sure, if you are using the lady finger/Vendegai/Bendi/Bende kai/okra fry them nicely before adding this vegetable into tamarind juice. 

You can use ready made sambar powder or can make the fresh sambar masala mixture. Here I am using the fresh one. It gives a special taste to it.

Ingredients:

• Toor Dal /Yellow Pigeon Peas - 1 cup
• Vegetables of your choice 
• (eg. potatoes, peas, beans, carrot, cauliflower , Lady Finger/Okra, Pumkins, Drumsticks, radish, Avarai or Board Beans, etc,) 
• Onion - 1 no.
• Tomato - 1 no.
• Tamarind Juice - 2 cups
• Haldi/Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
• Salt as per taste
• Jaggary  tiny ball (Indian Sweetener made from sugar cane juice - available in India)
• Curry Leaves few

For grinding

• Chana Dal / Split Black Chickpeas  - 3 tsp
• Dhaniya / Coriander Seeds - 2 tsp
• Red Chili- 8 to 10 
• Fenugreek/Methi  seeds- 1/4 tsp
• Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup

For Seasoning

• Vegetable Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Urud Dal / White Lentils - 1/2 tsp
• Whole dry Red Chili - 1
• Asafoetida /Hing powder - 1/4 tsp

 

 

Time Required: 30 mins

Method:

1) Cook the Toor dal in a pressure cooker  with 2 cups of water 
2) Soak tamarind in one cup of  water for ten minutes, then squeeze well and strain out juice.
3) In a thick pan add a teaspoon of oil, and add all above mentioned ingredients of grinding and fry them nicely (keep a eye-do not to burn it)
4) Once the fried ingredients cooled down grind it smoothly adding water and keep it aside
5) In a thick bottom pan add oil, onion and tomato and fry them for 2 minutes, then add vegetables, tamarind juice, one cup of water,  salt, turmeric powder, Hing and curry leaves cook until vegetables well done
6) Add blended fine paste and 1 cup of water, bring to boil for 3 to 4 minutes or till they turn aromatic
7) Mash cooked dal with a spoon and add dal to the above mixture and cook it for 2 to 3 minutes
8) Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add the mustard, urud dal seeds, red chili and hing wait to splutter and slide this seasoning in the sambar slowly.

Enjoy the sambar with Rice, Idli, Dosa, Upuma, Pongal, Rava Idli or  anything  of your South Indian dish choice.

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