KEERAI MOOLAGUTTAL

 KEERAI MOOLAGUTTAL

Roughly chopped keerai – 2 bunches
Tuvar dal - 1/2 cup
Cumin Seeds/Jeers - 1 tsp.
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
For roasting Urad dal - 1 tsp.

Red chili - 1 no

For Seasoning

Oil - 2 tsp.

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.

Method
Cook the spinach leaves in 1 cup of water in kalchatti till the leaves are withered. Mash it gently with blender. Leave it to cool. Pressure cook tuvar dal till soft. Mash the dal well. Roast urad dal and red chili in a tsp. of oil till dal turns light brown. Grind the coconut, roasted dal and chilly and jeera to a fine paste. Combine spinach, mashed dal and ground paste. Bring to boil. Season with mustard seeds.

Tips: Cooking in Kalchatti adds the taste of keerai moolaguttal. Instead of Keerai you can also try murigaella keerai.

PARUPPU THOGAYAL

 PARUPPU THOGAYAL

Ingredients

Tuvar dal - 1/2 cup

Grated coconut - less than 1/2 cup

Red chili - 1

salt as required.

METHOD OF PREPARATION

Dry roast tuvar dal till it turn light brown. Roast the red chili too.

Grind all the ingredients to a coarse paste using less water. Paruppu thogayal is ready.

VATHAL KUZHAMBU

 VATHAL KUZHAMBU

Ingredients

Vegetables like fresh ladies’ finger and brinjal cut into 2 inches long add little oil in a frying pan and cook the vegetables in low flame till the raw smell goes away. Keep aside.

For frying 

Tuvar dal – 2 spoons

Channa dal – 1 spoon

Red chili – 3-4 nos.

Curry leaves – 2 strings

Hing – a little

Fry all the above ingredients and make a coarse powder in mixer. Keep aside

Tamarind - lemon sized

Turmeric - 1/4 teaspoon

 Method of Preparation

Soak tamarind in a cup of warm water for 10 minutes. Extract the tamarind juice. Add 1/4 tsp. turmeric and salt. Add vegetables and

Let it simmer till the gravy thickens. Add coarsely grounded powder to it and bring it to a boil.

For Seasoning

In a pan, add a tablespoon of gingelly oil, add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds splatter and 2 spoons manathakkali vathal When manathakalli is fried, pour the seasonings over the cooked gravy and garnish with curry leaves. Serve with hot rice with a teaspoon of homemade ghee and roasted papad.

AVIYAL

 AVIYAL

Ingredients:

3 cups (approx.) mixed vegetables, like drumstick, raw banana, beans, carrot, brinjal, yellow pumpkin, (mathan) white pumpkin(elavan) yam (Chennai) long bean(payar) cut into 1 1/2" long pieces

2cups slightly sour thick yogurt

 3-4 pieces of raw mango

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 a small coconut, grated

1 tsp cumin seeds

4-6 green chilies (or according to taste)

 salt to taste

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 strigs curry leaves

 

Method of Preparation

Grind the coconut, cumin seeds and green chilies into a fine paste. Keep aside. Whisk the yogurt/curd till smooth and keep aside.

Cut the vegetables into pieces about 1 1/2 inches in length (like we cut potatoes for finger chips). Cook the vegetables with turmeric powder and half a cup of water till soft but firm. Then add tamarind juice and cook along with the vegetables for five more minutes. Add curry leaves, salt and turmeric powder. When this comes to a boil, add the coconut paste and mix well. Turn down the heat and add the yogurt. Mix well.

When the mixture just starts to bubble, take off the heat. The aviyal will have very little liquid in it and the coconut paste-yogurt mixture should be thickly coating the vegetables. Pour the coconut oil

 

Tips: Aviyal taste excellent with Roti and Rice.

 

CLUSTER BEANS THORAN

 KOTTAVARRAKAI/CLUSTER BEANS THORAN

Ingredients:

1/4 kg kottavarrakai
1 cup tuvar dal
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp asafetida powder
2 red chilies or according to taste
1 sprig curry leaves
salt to taste
1 tsp mustard seeds
1- 2 tsps. urad dal
2 -3 tbsps. oil

Method of Preparation

Soak the tuvar dal for about an hour and drain well. Grind the dal, turmeric and asafetida powders, red chilies, curry leaves and salt into a pate without adding water. Make small patties and steam cook (in an idly stand) for about 10 minutes. Or pat the paste flat onto a plate and steam cook. Cool slightly and crumble by hand. If the steam cooked batter is too hard to crumble easily (this happens sometimes if it cools down), use a grater.
String, chop the kottavarrakai into small pieces and cook with a little salt till well done but firm.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the urad dal. When this browns, add the cooked beans. Stir a couple of times and add the crumbled dal. Mix and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, till the dal starts becoming crisp. The Usili is ready to serve.

Tips: Select soft kottavarrakai and use this vegetable more often in your diet.

 

AVARAKKAI THORAN

 AVARAKKAI THORAN

Ingredients:

1/4 kg avarakkai (green hyacinth beans)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
2 tbsp fresh grated coconut
2 green chilies

For tempering:

1 1/2 tsp coconut oil (or sunflower oil)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 1/2 tsp broken urad dal)
1 sprig curry leaf

Method of Preparation

Wash the beans and string them. Trim off both ends of each bean and then finely chop the beans.

In a pan, heat the oil (coconut oil gives an authentic flavor and taste) and add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the broken urad gram and sauté till they brown. Now add the curry leaves, stir once and add the beans. Stir fry the beans for a couple of minutes. Add salt and turmeric powder. Turn down the heat and allow the beans to cook till they are done. Take the cooked beans off the heat.

Now run the grated coconut and the green chilies in the jar of your mixer grinder a couple of times, without adding any water. You will have crushed mixture of coconut and chilies, with flecks of the green chilies showing. Do not grind to a paste.These crushing releases the flavors/ juice in the coconut and the chilies. Add this to the beans and stir well to mix.

SWEET CORN SALAD

 SWEET CORN SALAD

Ingredients
1/2 cup frozen or fresh sweet corn
1 ripe avocado
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1/2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
2 tbsp olive oil

 half a lemon juice

Salt to taste

Pepper Powder – ½ tbsp

Method of Preparation

If using frozen sweet corn, thaw in boiling water.
Prepare the avocado and chop into bite size bits.
Wash the tomatoes and halve them.
Place them all in a bowl. Add the chopped coriander and mint, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss well.

Tips
Do toss your salad just when you're ready to serve.