It’s not always you find green tomatoes ,so when the other day saw some in the vegetable shop brought it and made kootu with it. Not much of difference than any other kootu except for the fact that this has a little tangy taste.

Ingredients

Pacha tomato — 1/2 kg

Moong dal— 1/2 cup

Coconut — 1/2 cup

Channa dal — 1 tablespoon

Whole pepper. — 1/2 teaspoon

Cummin seeds — 1/2 teaspoon

Dry red chili — 1

Mustard seed — 1/2 teaspoon

Urad dal — 1/2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder. — 1/2 teaspoon

Salt — 1 teaspoon

Sesame oil — 2-3 teaspoons

Few curry leaves.

Method

Wash and pressure cook the moong dal. Cut the tomatoes into small pieces and cook it along with salt and turmeric . Heat one spoon of oil and fry the channa dal, pepper, cumin seeds and red chili till the dal changes color. Now grind the fried ingredients with coconut adding water to get a smooth paste. Once the tomatoes are cooked ( the tomatoes shouldn’t become mushy) add the cooked moong dal mix well,cook for an minute . Now add the grounded paste stir and further cook for two minutes. Now for the tempering heat the remaining oil add the mustard seeds when they crackle add the urad dal when the dal changes color add the curry leaves. Add this tempering to the kootu. Enjoy Pacha tomatoes kootu with a simple rasam rice or its a good side dish for chapati.

Being Durgaashtmi, I wanted to make something different for naivedyam. Two days back I overheard my mother chatting with her long time friend- Manni , as she is fondly called by everyone in our family. Manni was telling my mother that she prepared kadalai mavu payasam for naivedyam. So here’s my take on kadalai mavu payasam. Dedicating it to the everlasting friendship of my mother and Manni.

Ingredients

Besan / Kadalai mavu — 3 tablespoons

Milk — half liter

Ghee — 2 tablespoons

Sugar — 6-7 tablespoons

Badam, pistachio — 2 tablespoons

Cardamom powder — 1/4 teaspoon

Method

Heat ghee in a pan add the chopped badam and pistachio, fry till they change color, remove and keep aside. Now lower the heat,add the kadalai mavu and fry for two minutes and put of the heat. Slowly add in the milk, stirring it at the same time. When kadalai mavu gets mixed well with the milk but on the heat and when the milk starts boiling add the sugar, mix well lower the heat and let the payasam boil for 5 mints, stirring it in between. Now add the cardamom powder and fried badam and pistachio and further boil for 2-3 minutes. Put of the heat. Your kadalai mavu paysam / besan ka kheer is ready.

Today is the first day of Navaratri 2020. Navaratri literally means 9 nights celebrating Hindu goddess in different from. Sundal or sweet are made as naivedyam during the 9 days of navaratri. Today’s prasad is karamani sundal. Here is the recipe!

Ingredients

Karamani — 1 cup

Grated coconut 2-3 tablespoons

Salt — 1 teaspoon

Crushed cummin – pepper powder– 1/2 teaspoon

Fresh mango pieces — 2 teaspoon

Mustard seeds — 1/2 teaspoon

Dry red chili — 1

Sesame oil — 2 teaspoon

Few fresh coriander leaves and curry leaves.

Method

Wash and soak karamani for at least for an hour. Pressure cook karamani. Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds when they crack add the broken red chili and curry leaves, saute. Now add the cooked karamani, add the salt and cummin- pepper powder stir lower the heat close and cook for 2 minutes. Put of the heat. Now add the coconut, mango pieces and chopped coriander leaves, mix well. Karamani sundal for naivedyam is ready.

To make baingan bharta you would require a large variety of baingan / brinjal / eggplant. It’s a dish which has a smoked flavor since you roast the baingan and cook it with masalas. Enjoy baingan bharata with pooris or phulka.

Ingredients

Baingan / Eggplant / Brinjal — 1 big

Onions — 2

Tomatoes — 2

Ginger, garlic, green chili paste —1 tablespoon

Cumin seeds — 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder — 1 teaspoon

Gram masala powder — 1 teaspoon

Red chili powder — 1/2 teaspoon

Salt — 1 1/2 teaspoons

Oil — 2-3 tablespoons

Method

Wash and wipe the baingan, apply oil all over the baingan and place it on the stove and roast it on all the sides. Cool the baingan,peel the skin and mash the it. Heat oil in a pan ,add the cummin seeds and saute. Add the chopped onion and saute till the onions turn pink in color,add the ginger ,garlic ,green chili paste and saute .Add the chopped tomatoes give a stir cover and cook for two minutes . Now add the mashed baingan, coriander powder, red chili powder ,gram masala, salt, mix it all together and cook further for 3-4 minutes . Baingan bharta ready.

One of the favorite dish in most of our homes. A small twist, I haven’t used any onion or garlic but have used cashew for a rich gravy. Try it and let me know how you liked it.

Ingredients

Mutter / Peas — 2 cups

Paneer cubes — 2 cups

Tomatoes — 3

Cashews —3 tablespoons

Ginger — 1/2 inch piece

Kasturi methi — 1 tablespoon

Red chili powder — 1/2 teaspoon

Gram masala — 1/2 teaspoon

Salt — 1 1/4 teaspoon

Oil — 2 tablespoons .

Method

Soak cashews in a glass of water for half an hour and grind into a smooth paste. Grind the tomatoes separately into a purée . Heat oil in a deep pan ,add the grated ginger,saute. Add the tomato purée ,salt,red chili powder and gram masala. Stir and cook for two minutes. Now add the cashew paste,stir and further cook for two minutes . Add the peas cover and cook till you see the oil on the surface . Crush the Kasturi methi in-between your palms and add it to the gravy. Add the paneer cubes,stir cover and cook for further 3-4 minutes . Your Mutter Paneer is ready . Enjoy it with hot rotis or pooris.

Today was one of those days when you are in no mood of  spending too much time in the kitchen, but of course something had to be prepared for lunch. This kootan is a result of my boredom. Even though it’s simple, the taste is awesome.

Ingredients

Mixed vegetables — 1 cup ( 4 shallots , 2 brinjal, 1/2 carrot,1 drumstick

Coconut —- 3/4 cup

Tamarind — small marble size

Channa dal — 1 1/2 tablespoons

Urad dal — 1 teasoon

Methi seeds —- 1/2 teaspoon

Dry red chili — 3

Jaggery — 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder — 1/2 teaspoon

Salt — 1  teaspoon

Mustard seeds —1/2 teaspoon

Sesame oil — 3 teaspoon

Few curry leaves.

Method

Soak the tamarind in a glass of water. Peel the skin of shallots , cut the vegetables. Extract the tamarind pulp and cook the vegetables in tamarind water along with turmeric and salt. Heat 2 spoons oil,fry channa dal, urad dal,methi seeds and red chili till the dal changes color. Grind the fried ingredients along with coconut to get a smooth paste. Once the vegetables are cooked add the jaggery  stir,now add the grounded paste and allow to boil for 3-4 minutes. ( add extra water to get a correct consistency ). Heat the remaining oil ,add the mustard seeds, when the splutter add the curry leaves and add this tempering to the Thengai Arachuvitta  kootan. Drizzle some nei on warm rice add the Kootan and just enjoy it with vadam or karuvadam.

A simple, quick and healthy swer dish is the Carrot halwa. Today being teachers day, I dedicate this to not only our gurus but to all our Amma’s and Appa’s who are our first teachers.

Ingredients

Shredded carrot — 4 cups

Milk — 1 cup

Sugar — 1/2 cup

Ghee — 2-3 tablespoons

Dry fruits — 2 tablespoons.

Method

Heat one tablespoon of ghee in a pan and fry the dry fruits, keep aside. In the same pan add the carrots, milk and cook till the milk is absorbed completely. Now add the sugar. Keep stirring in low heat. Slowly you will see the sugar also getting absorbed and everything coming together, now add the remaining ghee add cardamom powder. Keep stirring for further 2 minutes. Put of the heat add the fried dry fruits. Enjoy hot carrot halwa or wait for it to cool down and then add a scoope of vanilla icecream to a cup of carrot halwa and enjjjoyyy. 😊😊

No onion, no garlic ,but a simple quick tasty pulao with all the goodness of Palak and vegetables.

Ingredients

Basmati rice — 2 cups

Palak — 1 bundle

Potato — 1 big

Tomato. — 1 medium

Capsicum — 1 medium

Cardamom. — 3

Cloves — 4

Bay leaf — 1

Masala powder —- 1 1/2 teaspoon

Salt — 1 1/2 teaspoon

Oil .

Method

Prepare the masala powder first . Dry roast 2 tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon channa dal, 1 tablespoon urad dal, 1/2 teaspoon whole pepper ,4-5 dry red chili,2 cloves, a small piece of cinnamon and 2 tablespoon of dry coconut. Cool and powder it.

Rinse basmati rice and keep it aside for half an hour. Wash the palak well and grind it to get Palak purée. Take a deep pan heat oil and add the whole spices and Bay leaves,saute. Add the cut tomatoes saute,now add the cut potatoes and capsicum and saute for a minute . Now add the masala powder and mix it well with the vegetables. Add the palak puree give a stir ,lower the heat and cover and cook for an minute. After an minute ,pour in two glass of water,add salt and rice, stir. When the water starts to boil,lower the heat cover and cook till the rice are done . Enjoy Palak pulav with raita and chips.

Beetroot used in a different way with curd. Very simple and healthy. One of the main dishes in a Onam sadya.

Ingredients

Beetroot — 1

Coconut — 3 tablespoon

Green chili — 1 small

Ginger — small piece

Mustard seeds. — 1/2 teaspoon

Salt — 3/4 teaspoon

Curd — 2 cups

Oil — 1 teaspoon.

Method

Peel the skin of the beetroot and shred it. Cook the shredded beetroot adding 1/4 glass of water and half the salt till they become soft. Grind together coconut, chili, ginger and 1/4 spoon of mustard seeds into a smooth paste. Whisk the curd. Cool the cooked beetroot. Add together beetroot ,grounded coconut paste , curd and the remaining salt, mix well. For the tempering heat the oil add the remaining mustard seeds ,when they crackle add this to the beetroot mixture. Your beetroot pachadi is ready.