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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Semolina Pancake/ Rava Rotti

You can prepare this dish instantly. There is no need of prior  preparations. This Rava Rotti will be better alternative to Rava Upma! To make it more healthy & colorful breakfast you can even add what ever the green vegetables existing in your fridge . It tastes great and filled with fiber and proteins. To jazz up more you can even add dry grated coconut and fried peanuts too.

Ingredients:

• Rava / Semolina - 2 cups
• Rice Flour - 1 cup
• Onion chopped - 1/2 cup
• Green chili- 3 to 4 nos
• Carrot small (chopped) - 1/4 cup
• Fresh Coriander Leaves/Cilatro (chopped) - 1/4 cup
• Curry Leaves Few
• Hing a pinch / Asafoetida
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

 

Time Required: 20 mins

Method:

1) Take a big bowl and all above ingredients and slowly adding water knead and make a smooth dough . Let it sit for 10 minutes

2 )   Heat a tawa/griddle, drizzle teaspoon of oil. Once the griddle is hot enough, take small size dough ball place it in a center of frying flat pan and pat the rotti as thin as possible using your fingers. Take care of your fingers while doing this, if you are a beginner to the cooking, pat the rotti on plate or on plastic sheet and then transfer it to tawa.

3 )   Apply oil on top side and cook. Turn over the rotti and apply oil on other side also. Cook till rotti is crisp and little brown.

4 )   Serve hot with coconut chutney or onion tomato chutney. 

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Aloo Methi

Ingredients:

• Bunch of Methi/ Fenugreek leaves 
• 2 medium sized potatoes – peeled and cut into tiny cubes
• 2-3 garlic flakes– peeled and finely chopped (optional)
• 1-2 green chilies 
• 1tsp jeera/cumin seeds
• 1tsp haldi/turmeric powder
• Oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt to taste

Time Required: 20 mins

Method:

1) Wash methi leaves and then drain the water. Chop the leaves, don’t chop it too fine.

2) Peel the potatoes and chop them into thin cubes.

3) Heat oil in a pan, add jeera and allow to splutter. Add haldi powder and green chilies.

4) Now add the thin slices of potatoes and cook until tender. Close the pan with its lid or a plate. The potatoes cook by steam.

5)To check whether the potatoes are done, try to cut few pieces by a knife. If you can cut the potato easily, that means it is cooked properly.

6) Now add the Methi leaves, cook for 2 mins. Then sprinkle some sugar and add salt as per taste.

7) Cover for 7-8 minutes and its ready to be served.

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Moong Sprout Sabzi

Ingredients:

• Moong sprouts/Mung bean sprout- 2 Cups 
• Onion 1/2 Cup finely chopped 
• Garlic 4-5 flakes
• Finely chopped ginger 1/4 Tsp 
• Green Chilies 2 or 3 Nos.
• Tomato - 2 Nos.
• Curry leaves Few
• Garam masala - 2 tsp (Mixture of many Indian spices - Available in Indian store)
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Hing/Asafoetida - A Pinch
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Oil 
• Mustard seeds 1 Tsp 
• Jeera/Cumin seeds 1 Tsp 
• Salt to taste 
• Chopped coriander Leaves / Cilantro - 3 Tbsp 

Time Required: 30 mins

Directions:

1) Pressure cook or steam cook the sprouted moong.

2) Heat oil in a frying pan. When the oil is hot add mustard seeds. Once mustard seeds are splutter, add jeera.

3) Then add green chilies, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and onion, fry till onion becomes translucent.

4) Then add chopped tomato.

5) Fry for another 5 mins and then add garam masala, hing &  turmeric powder. Add water and cook for 2 mins.

6) Now add cooked moong sprouts, salt, a pinch of sugar. Mix well and cook for another 10 mins.

Serving: Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice/chapati.

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kathirikai Puli Kuzhambhu / Eggplant Curry

There are different versions of brinjal curry recipe. This one is very easy to prepare yet amazing taste of tangy and spiciness in the curry.  Here I have used the bigger brinjal so cuted in to 4 pieces. If you are using  small brinjals then, slit it in between making 2 cuts diagonally and vertically like plus sign keeping the whole brinjal intact. Shared both recipes here simple and fresh gravy method. 

Ingredients:

• Kathrikkai/Brinjal/Eggplant (Medium) - 2 to 3 nos.
• Tamarind /Imli Juice - 1 cup
• Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves - Few
• Hing/Asafoetida- 1/4 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Water - to cook
• Jaggary - Small piece (Indian Sweetener made from sugar cane juice - available in Indian store)
• Salt as per taste

For Grinding

• Coriander Seeds/ Dhaniya - 2 tbsp
• Fenugreek Seeds/Methi seeds - 1 tsp
• Garlic flakes - 3 nos.
• Red Chili (Whole) - 2 nos.
• Onion - 1 no.
• Tomato - 1 no.
• Coconut grated - 1/4 cup

Time Required: 20 minutes

Method:

Step 01)  Heat a pan in range with few drops of oil and add coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, chopped garlic add  red chilies and fry them for 2 to 3 mins. then add the chopped onion and tomato saute it till onion turns to pink and then add grated coconut and fry for 2 more minutes. Transfer it to plate and cool them and grind into fine paste.

Step 02) In the same pan add some oil, chopped brinjal and fry them slightly then add tamarind juice, salt, turmeric powder, jaggary, hing, curry leaves and cook them till brinjal becomes tender then add the grind masala paste and cook again for 3 to 4 minutes.

Yummy tangy, spicy Kathrikai Puli Kuzhambhu/ Puli Kolambu, brinjal/eggplant curry is ready to serve with steam rice.

Note: 
01)  Soak the tamarind (big gooseberry size) in warm water for 15 minutes. Add then squeeze the tamarind nicely to get the juice
2 )  Slice the eggplant in to 4 pieces and drop it in cool water this helps to maintain the original color of the eggplant

Easy Method: Instead of preparing fresh masala you can use the readily available sambar powder and grind with grated coconut without using the water to get rough texture of curry. If you need smooth texture add water while grinding. To make it more simpler, skip the onion and tomato yet, it tastes good too:)

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