THE CHEF and HER KITCHEN

During Summer season, preparation of "Pickles" and "Fryums" is a major activity in many house holds in the South. My mom used to make large batches of various varieties of fryums in the summers and we used to store them for the rest of the year.Apart from these fryums, my mom used to prepare few special varieties of papads, which she stopped making now. The fryums, which my mom used to prepare were rice and sago based. Today, I am posting a different variety of fryums that is prepared using urad dal.I was introduced to these fryums by my husband who is a big fan of these Minapa Vadiyalu which his mom sources for him every year.

These fryums can be prepared using whole white urad or black urad. We prefer black urad as it is not only tasty but it is also very healthy. If you use the whiter variety they will be in white color but as we used the black urad you can see the black skin of urad in the fryums.These fryums are extremely easy to make,all you need is good sunlight. If you are living in a tropical climate, you must try making them.

Minapa Vadiyalu | Urad dal Fryums Recipe:

(stores upto an year)

Ingredients:

1/2 kg whole black Urad or whole white Urad

1 tbsp Cumin seeds

10-12 Green chillies (optional)

Salt to taste

Method:

Soak whole urad for 6-7 hours or overnight.If you are using white urad you can soak it for just 3-4 hrs,the whole black urad takes longer to get soaked.
Drain the urad and grind it with cumin seeds,green chillies and salt to a thick smooth paste like the medu wada batter in the wet grinder.Add enough water to grind it,do not add more water which makes the fryums soak lot of oil when fried,So make the dough to a thick smooth paste.
In a open space under sun,spread a clean plastic sheet and place heavy weights in the four corners so that the sheet does not fly.
Take a spoonful of batter and drop them like how we do for fryums leaving some space in between.
Dry them under sun for 2-3 days until they are completely dried.
Store them in an air tight container.They stay good for an year.

Deep fry them in oil until brown when required and serve as an accompaniment with South Indian meal.

Notes:

You can use whole white urad or a mix of white urad with the skin of whole black urad to make these fryums.As the whole urad with skin is good I prefer using it.
Green chillies and cumin seeds can be avoided completely in the recipe.It adds flavor and spicyness to the fryums.

I have posted many mango pickle recipes last year in my blog which were sourced from my MIL. The lemon pickle recipe which I am posting today is also sourced from her during her recent visit.Apart from the lemon pickle she brought various other pickles and powders. We also prepared a few varieties of pickles together and you might have already seen a few of them on my blog. I intend to post a few more shortly.

Lemon pickle pairs really well with Curd rice.If you get fresh lemons you must try this lemon pickle as it is not only delicious to eat but also keeps your body cool in the summers.

Lemon Pickle Recipe:

shelf life: up to 1 year

Ingredients:

30-35 big sized Lemons

1 cup Salt

1 cup Red chili powder

2 tbsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Fenugreek powder

1 cup Sesame oil

1 tbsp Mustard seeds

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

Method:

Wash and wipe the lemons with a clean cloth.Cut them into 8 pieces lengthwise or quarter them into 8 pieces.
Mix the lemons with 3/4 cup of Salt and turmeric powder until they are mixed nicely.
Put this mixed lemons in a clean and sterilized glass bottle and close it with lid and leave it aside for 10 days.You can mix it once in a while in 3 days.By this time the lemons would leave water.
After 10 days add red chili powder,fenugreek powder and 1/4 cup salt to the lemon mixture.You should not remove any water which oozes from the lemons.
Heat sesame oil and crackle mustard seeds and asafoetida and cool the oil completely.
Add the oil(which is cooled down) to the lemon pickle and mix well.
Leave it for 10-15 days to get marinated.

Serve it with Curd rice or you can even serve it with any Upma variety,it tastes nice.

Notes:

After 10 days when lemon is mixed with salt and turmeric powder,check the salt and increase the salt amount accordingly from 1/4 cup if needed.
Few squeeze the lemons slightly and remove the seeds and mix the lemons with lemon juice and follow the same procedure.You can follow this method too if you want.Do not squeeze the lemons hardly as it will make the pickle bitter.
You can also store just the marinated lemons with salt and turmeric powder through out the year.When needed you can take out some portion and add red chili powder according and temper it with sesame oil,mustard seeds and asafoetida.You can even avoid the tempering with oil and add just the red chili powder to it.

Check out the recipes for various Andhra style Mango Pickles and North Indian Achar here.

Cauliflower is one of those veggies which features regularly in my kitchen and Ajwani Aloo Gobi with mustard flavor is one of my most favorite preparations with it. It serves as a nice combination with rotis. I usually prepare this Cauliflower curry or this simple aromatic Gobi stir fry which tastes well even with rice.

This recipe is quite simple to make and is very aromatic because of the addition of coriander and garlic while pounding the coconut masala.You can adapt this recipe to various vegetables like Potatoes, Ladies finger, Tindora, Clusterbeans, French beans, Long beans, Brinjal and Cabbage and follow the same process but adjust the cooking time accordingly. While a few vegetables like potatoes needs to be cooked first others such as cluster beans, french beans, long beans are to be steamed , the rest of the veggies listed above should be sauteed in oil until they are done.Now let's see how this simple and versatile recipe is prepared.

Cauliflower Stir Fry | Aromatic Gobi Curry Recipe:

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 small Cauliflower,cut into small florets

1 Onion,finely chopped

juice of 1/2 Lemon

a sprig of Curry leaves

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp Chana dal

1 tsp Urad dal

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

2 tbsp Oil

to grind:

1/4 cup grated fresh Coconut

3-4 Green chillies

3-4 Garlic cloves

2-3 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves

Salt to taste

Method:

Clean and check the cauliflower florets and add them to the boiling water with salt and turmeric powder and switch off the flame and leave them aside for 2-3 mins.Drain and keep them aside.
Heat oil in a kadai/pan and crackle mustard seeds and add chana dal and urad dal and fry until they become golden in color.
Add curry leaves and finely chopped onion and fry well until they turn pink in color.
Now add drained cauliflower florets and fry for 2 mins.
Add 2-3 tbsp of water and cover it and cook it on low flame for 7-8 mins until the cauliflower is cooked.Take care that it should not become mushy,it should be cooked and firm to touch.
Meanwhile grind grated coconut with green chillies,garlic cloves,coriander leaves and salt to a coarse paste.Do not add water while grinding it.
Add the ground masala to the cooked cauliflower and fry it for some time and cover it and cook for 2 mins.

Serve it hot with Roti/Rice/Chapati.

Notes:

You can skip onion and garlic in the recipe if you are preparing on festivals.
Soaking the cauliflower florets in salted water will remove if there are any insects in cauliflower.I always do this even after checking the florets to make sure for myself.

Also check out other cauliflower recipes in my blog:

What toprepare as aSide dish for Idli/Dosa is always a confusion and since I get bored eating the same side dish again, I usually change the flavor and color of the chutney which makes it taste different every time.I have posted a version of Coconut chutney earlier, which is the usual way I prepare.I make various variations of this such as Red Coconut chutney and Green coconut chutney The addition of raw onion and garlic adds a nice flavor to the chutney and the addition of red chillies and byadige red chillies adds a bright red color to the chutney.

You can check out other chutney varieties for Idli/Dosa here:

Red Coconut Chutney Recipe:

(serves 2-3)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup grated fresh Coconut

1 small Onion,chopped

2-3 dry Red Chillies

2-3 Byadige Red Chillies

2 small Garlic pods

2 tbsp Chana dal

1 1/2 tsp Tamarind pulp

Salt to taste

to temper:

2 tsp Ghee/Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Urad dal

a sprig of Curry leaves

a pinch of Asafoetida

Method:

Heat 1 tsp Oil and add chana dal and fry until they turn red in color and add red chillies and byadige red chillies until they are crisp and keep them aside.
Grind grated fresh coconut with onion, garlic pods, roasted chana dal and dry red chillies, tamarind pulp and salt to a paste.
Heat ghee/oil in a small tempering pan and crackle mustard seeds and add urad dal and fry until it turns red in color.Add curry leaves and asafoetida and fry it.
Add the tempering to the chutney and mix well.

Serve it with Idli/Dosa/Paniyaram.

Notes:

Instead of chana dal you can add 3-4 tbsp fried gram(roasted gram) in the recipe.
Adjust the red chillies according to your spice level.The addition of byadige red chillies gives a nice red color to the chutney,so do not miss adding them.

You can check the regular Coconut Chutney recipe here.

A few food combos such as 'Rajma-Chawal', 'Jolada Rotti-Ennegayi', 'Chapati-Usli', 'Jhunka-Bhakri', 'Avakay-Steamed Rice','Khichdi- Kadhi', 'Kadhi-Chawal' feature in my menu quite often as I love to indulge in them once in a while. A few of these combos are regularly made at my place , but some of them are prepared less often - more due to my laziness in preparing them. Jolada rotti - Ennegayi is infact one such combination.

I have already posted a version of stuffed eggplants - 'Bagara Baingan' in my blog which is a typical Hyderabadi style dish. Today, I am posting a Maharasthrian version of stuffed eggplants called "Bharli Vangi".Both the recipes are similar but they differ in their taste and texture. Bharli Vangi pairs well with Jowar bhakri or Rice flour Bhakrior Chapati.

This recipe needs a bit more oil which makes it delicious and am sure the pictures explain that.You can see a layer of oil floating on the top.Though I do not prefer using a lot of oil in cooking,it was an exception that day. I have also mentioned the preparation of a version with less quantity of oil, in my notes.

Bharli Vangi | Maharashtrian style Stuffed Eggplants Recipe:

(Serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

10-12 small Eggplants

1/2 cup Ground nuts,dry roasted and skinned

2 tbsp roasted Sesame seeds

2 tbsp Coriander powder

2 tsp Red chili powder

1 tsp Cumin powder

1 tsp Garam masala or Goda masala

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

a small gooseberry sized Tamarind,extract to pulp

1 tbsp grated Jaggery(optional)

Salt to taste

2-3 tbsp Oil

Method:

Remove the stems of eggplants and slit the eggplant into four by keeping the top portion intact.Drop them in salted water for 10 mins.
Grind roasted and skinned groundnuts and sesame seeds to a coarse powder.
In a wide bowl add groundnuts and sesame seeds powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, garam masala(goda masala), turmeric powder, salt and mix well.
Add tamarind pulp and grated jaggery to the above mix and mix well.Sprinkle some water to the mix so that the mixture becomes little wet and would be easy to stuff the eggplants.You should not mix it to a paste,you should add only enough water to bind the masalas together.
Stuff all the eggplants with this masala mixture and keep them aside.
Heat oil in a big thick bottomed kadai and arrange the stuffed eggplants side by side and let them fry for 2-3 mins.Add the remaining masala over them.
Cover it and reduce the flame and cook on low-medium flame for 20-25 mins.Flip the eggplants carefully a couple of times in between so that they would roast evenly on all sides.Check the top portion of eggplant is cooked or not by inserting the knife.
Pour half to one cup of water depending on the consistency you need and cover it and let them cook again for 7-8 mins until the oil floats on top.

Serve it hot with Chapati/Jowar Bhakri/Roti/Rice or any other Bhakri.

Notes:

You can add finely chopped sauteed onions to the masala mix before stuffing the eggplants.
Eggplants can be replaced by potatoes and follow the same recipe.
You can even mix both the eggplants and potatoes and prepare the same recipe.
This recipe needs a bit more quantity of oil than usual as the stuffed eggplants cook faster in oil.If we add water to them initially they would take longer time.
You can even cover the kadai with a deep bottomed plated filled with water while cooking.It ensures that the eggplants are cooked evenly and also you can use less oil.

Also check out another similar version of Stuffed Eggplants -" Bagara Baingan" recipe in my blog.

I am a big fan of accompaniments for any dish as they elevate the taste of the original dish and one such example of this is, "Challa Mirapakayalu".If it is paired with Andhra style Pappu (dal) or rasam or any simple curry or even with plain curd rice it tastes extremely delicious.

We usually pick light colored green chillies which are less spicy, to make these curd chillies.These green chillies are marinated in sour buttermilk for a couple of days and are dried in the sun.Though the process is very simple,it is time consuming.The whole process takes some 10-12 days as they are supposed to be marinated in the buttermilk mixture for half a day , dried and then marinated again and then dried . This process is to be continued for a couple of days. I have explained the process in detail,so please go through the recipe thoroughly before you attempt it.

Challa Mirapakayalu | Dahi Mirchi Recipe:

(stores up to an year)

Ingredients:

1/2 kg Green chillies (light or dark colored variety)

1 liter slightly sour Buttermilk (neither thin nor thick)

Salt to taste

Method:

Select the green chillies which are slightly plumpy.You can use the light colored or dark colored variety according to your wish.Light colored ones are less spicy where as the dark colored ones are very spicy.
Wash the green chillies and dry them on a kitchen napkin for 1-2 hrs or you can use them immediately.
Slit them vertically keeping the ends intact and also retain the stalks of green chillies.If you are using light colored green chillies you can keep the seeds and for dark colored ones you can remove the seeds slightly as they are spicy.
Add salt to buttermilk and beat nicely,the consistency of buttermilk should neither be very thin nor thick.
Add the green chillies to the buttermilk mixture and make sure they are well immersed in the buttermilk.
Cover it and soak it for 3 days and leave it aside.They will slightly change in color after 3 days.
After 3 days squeeze them(keep the buttermilk mixture) slightly with hands and arrange them in a single layer on a plastic sheet and dry them under sun until evening.In the evening again add them to the left over buttermilk mixture and let it sit in the buttermilk mixture overnight.
Next day morning squeeze them again and dry them until evening and follow the same process for the chillies until all the buttermilk mixture is finished.It might take few days 5-6 days.
After the buttermilk mixture is finished you can dry them in sun for another few days until they are completely dried.The whole process takes 10-12 days in total for marinating,drying and remarinating and complete drying process.So be patient while doing this.
Store them in an air tight container.It stays for more than a year.

Deep fry them in oil when required until they turn brown and become crisp.Serve them as an accompaniment with Dal/ Sambar/ Rasam/ Curd and Riceand also Curd rice.

Notes:

I suggest to use the light green colored green chillies for this as they are less spicy.
Few make a stuffing with cumin powder and some spices and stuff it in the chillies,I would post that version sometime later.

The morning time on a week day would be busy in packing breakfast, fruits and snack box for TH as he leaves quite early in the morning. I usually pack the breakfast for him and most of the times it would be Muesli,Cereals,Sandwich,Burger and sometimes south Indian breakfast items.As he works for long hours, apart from the breakfast, I also pack fruits and a few snacks.Both of us usually prefer to take small meals through the day rather than having a three meal day.

I am always on the look out for healthy and low fat snacks.While I do prepare various instant varieties like salads,sundal etc, I always look for snacks which could be prepared ahead and stored for a few days.This oven roasted chickpeas is one such recipe, which I prepare very frequently as both of us love chickpeas in all forms. This is definitely a protein packed and low fat snack which is perfect to munch with your evening cuppa.I am posting the chatpata Indian style roasted chickpeas. The flavors are very versatile and one can be creative in the use of flavors.

You can check out few low fat snack recipes in my blog.I would add few more snacks soon.

Spicy Oven Roasted Chickpeas Recipe:

shelf life: stays crisp for 2 days,but can be stored up to a week

Ingredients:

2 cups white Chickpeas / Kabuli Chana(or Kala chana)

1 Bay leaf

1/4 tsp strong home made Garam masala or 1/2 tsp ready made garam masala

to marinate:

1 tbsp Olive oil

1 tsp Red chili powder

1 tsp Chaat masala

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Amchur powder

1/4 tsp Pepper powder

1 tsp Salt(or to taste)

Method:

Wash and soak chickpeas for 7-8 hours or overnight.Pressure cook chickpeas with a bay leaf and garam masala for 2 whistles and reduce the flame and keep it for 5-6 mins.Switch it off. Once the pressure drops drain the chickpeas and spread them as a thin layer on a kitchen towel and let the moisture dries up.

In a bowl add olive oil, red chili powder, pepper powder, chaat masala, turmeric powder, amchur powder and salt and whisk well.

Add the drained and dried chickpeas to the mixture and mix it nicely and let it marinate for half an hour.

Line a baking tray with a silver foil and spread the marinated chickpeas in a single layer.

Bake it in the oven at 160 degrees for 30-35 mins until they turn crisp.Try to mix them in between once or twice.Keep an eye after half an hour,they might get burnt.Every oven differs in time and temperature,so judge them accordingly.When you touch them after they are done they would be slightly soft and they would become crisp once they are cooled down completely.

Store them in air tight container.They stay crisp for 2-3 days.

Notes:

I make it in small quantities and finish them in 2-3 days.I think you can keep the roasted chickpeas up to a week.
You can play with the flavors for chickpeas.You can experiment with garlic,pepper powder and salt or adjust the spices according to your wish.
Every oven differs in time and temperature,so judge them accordingly.
You can use kala chana(black chickpeas) instead of white chickpeas in the recipe.

'Paniyaram' which is also called as 'Paddu' or 'Gunta Ponganalu' is a very common breakfast variety at my place. I usually make it at least once when I prepare dosa batter. When the dosa batter turns sour, it is ideal to use it to make paniyaram.Today, I am posting a variation of Paniyaram which is an instant variety using Oats which makes it healthy too.Oats can be used in most south Indian varieties. I have already posted recipes such as Instant Oats Idli,Instant Oats Uthappam and Instant Oats Dosa.Try this healthy and instant Oats Paniyaram recipe. It is very delicious. Would highly recommend it.

Check out other versions of paniyaram here.

Instant Oats Paniyaram | Oats Paddu Recipe:

(Serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

1 cup Quick cooking Oats(Quaker/Saffola)

1 cup Sooji/Rava

1 cup sour Curd

3 tbsp Chana dal

1 big Onion,finely chopped

3 tbsp chopped Coriander

2-3 tbsp chopped Curry leaves

1 tbsp Green Chili paste

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Eno/Fruit salt

1/4 tsp Cooking Soda

Salt to taste

Method:

Soak chana dal in water for 1-2 hrs. Drain them.
Dry roast oats and sooji separately until they start changing their color.Do not roast much.Cool them and grind them together in a mixer to a coarse powder.
Beat curd well and add it to a big bowl add ground oats and sooji and mix well.Add enough water to it to get the consistency of dosa batter.
Add salt and cooking soda to the mixed batter and leave it aside for 1 hr.You should leave it at least for 20 mins aside.
Add finely chopped onions, coriander, curry leaves along with green chilli paste,cumin seeds, soaked chana dal and mix well.
Check the consistency of batter,it might become thick as the sooji absorbs water when it is soaked.Add extra required water to it to get the dosa batter consistency.
Just before making paniyaram add eno to the batter and mix well.
Heat the paniyaram/gunta panganalu pan/Aebliskever pan and add 1/2 tsp of oil in each impression.When it is piping hot keep the flame on LOW and pour the batter using a table spoon until it covers 3/4 th and pour some more oil over it and cover it with a lid.Let it roast on low-medium flame until golden brown in color.
When you see the edges turning golden in color use a sharp knife and run it around the edges of each paniyaram and turn them to the other side and roast until golden brown on both the sides.

Serve it hot with Coconut chutney or Mint-coriander chutney or peanut chutney.

Notes:

You can add grated carrots or blanched corn to the batter and make paniyaram.
Make sure that you use sour curd to make this.
You can refrigerate the batter and use it on next day as well.Add eno to the batter before using it.
If you do not have eno you can use only cooking soda in the recipe.

If you are interested check out other Oats recipes here:

Broccoli is one of those pretty vegetables which is not only colorful but is also a very healthy and tasty vegetable.I know many would not prefer broccoli but thankfully me and TH both love it absolutely and we usually prefer it having in all forms.I add the broccoli florets in salads, stir fries, pasta, soup, parathas and few snack varieties like these tikkis.The recipe for this tikki is similar to any other tikki recipe. I used potato and roasted chickpea flour for binding and spiced it up minimally. Ever since I tried peanuts in Bengali style Vegetable Chops I am hooked to the taste of a bite of crunchy peanuts in the tikkis I started adding it to even my regular vegetable cutlets.It tastes very good , so do give a try!!

You can check out other Cutlets/Tikkis recipes in my blog.

Broccoli Tikkis | Broccoli Cutlets Recipe:

makes around 12-14 cutlets

Ingredients:

1 small Broccoli head

1 large(or 2 medium) Potato,boiled

2 tbsp Besan/Chickpea flour (or 2 Bread slices)

2-3 tbsp roughly crushed roasted Peanuts or Cashew nuts

1 tbsp Raisins

1 small Onion,finely chopped

3-4 Green chillies,finely chopped

1 tsp finely chopped Ginger

1/2 tsp Amchur powder or juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt to taste

Chat masala,to sprinkle

Oil,to shallow fry

Method:

Cut broccoli into florets and wash them nicely and blanch them in hot water for 1-2 mins.Drain and pour cold water on them and keep them aside.
Grate the boiled and peeled potato and keep it ready.
Grate the broccoli florets or pulse them in food processor/mixer a couple of time to get the grated broccoli.Do not run in mixer for long as we need just the small bits of it.
Dry roast the besan until you get the nice aroma for a couple of minutes.Cool it.
Heat a tsp of oil and add finely chopped onions and fry until they turn translucent.Add raisins and fry until they bulge and then add chopped green chillies and ginger and give a stir quickly and switch off the flame.Cool the mixture.
In a bowl mix the grated potatoes,broccoli,onion mixture,crushed peanuts(or cashew nuts), roasted besan(or bread) and mix well.
Add enough salt and lemon juice(or amchur powder) to it and mix well.
Start making round tikkis of 2 " wide and 3/4 " thickness with the mixture.You will get around 12-14 tikkis with this mixture.Arrange them in a single layer on a plate and cover it with a cling film and refrigerate for half an hour.You can avoid refrigerating if pressed for time.
Apply few tbsp of oil on a thick hot tawa and arrange the cutlets in a single layer and roast them on both sides until golden and crisp.You can even shallow fry them in a flat pan with 1/2" depth oil until crisp.Drain the tiikis on a kitchen napkin.
Sprinkle chat masala on top of hot tikkis.

Serve them hot with Green Chutney and Meeta Chutney.

Notes:

If your cutlet is not holding its shape while making you can add another bread slice (run in the mixer to powder) to it and mix and start making cutlets.
You can even dip the tikkis in corn starch slurry and coating them with bread crumbs.This gives a thick and crispy crust to the cutlet,it is optional.
You can add few cooked and slightly mashed green peas to the mixture.
The addition of peanuts/cashew nuts adds a nice crunch to the tikkis,hence I recommend you to add them.If you keep the cutlets longer the peanuts will become soft,so its better you consume them immediately after you prepare them.

Also check out other Broccoli recipes in my blog here.

Roti with some vegetable sabzi and dal is a routine for my weekday dinners.I do not plan much for weekday cooking and usually decide based on the availability of vegetables in my refrigerator at that time.Sometimes we would be left with less quantity of various vegetables and the resultant curry would be usually a combination of such vegetables.Few vegetables pair up beautifully and aloo is one such versatile vegetable which pairs nicely with almost everything.Today, I am posting a very simple but classic recipe of Aloo Gobi Matar(Dry) sabzi which is a great combination with rice and rotis.

Aloo Gobi Matar Dry Sabzi Recipe:

(serves 3-4)

Ingredients:
2 large Potatoes,peeled and cut into 1" thin pieces
1 small Cauliflower,cut into thin florets
1/2 cup fresh/frozen Green peas
1 big Onion,roughly chopped
2 Tomatoes,finely chopped
2 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste

2 tsp fresh Coriander leaves ,chopped

1 tsp Red chilli powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp roasted Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Amchur powder or juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp Garam masala
1/2 tsp Kitchen king masala(optional)
1/4 tsp Kasuri methi,slightly crushed
a pinch of Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2-3 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

Method:

Blanch the cauliflower florets and green peas separately in salted hot water for few minutes until they are tender and remove them and keep them aside.Do not over cook them.
Heat oil in a thick kadai and crackle cumin seeds and add sliced onions and ginger garlic paste and fry for sometime until the onions turn pink in color.
Add the potatoes and fry them for 2-3 mins and add blanched gobi florets and green peas to it and fry them again for another 2-3 mins.
Add finely chopped tomatoes to it and mix well.
Cover it with lid and reduce the flame and cook for 8-10 mins until they are soft and tender.You should take care that they would not become mushy.You can sprinkle some water on top of the vegetables for faster cooking.
Add all the masala powders,turmeric powder and fry for some time.
Now add slightly crushed kasuri methi and mix well and cover it and cook for 2-3 mins until all the masalas are incorporated.
Add finely chopped coriander and remove it from stove.If you are using lemon juice add it now.

Serve it hot with Roti/Chapthi/Rice/Jeera rice.

Notes:

You can try various combinations like Aloo Gobi,Gobi Matar,Aloo Matar or plain Aloo,plain Gobi sabzi following the same process.Add the vegetable quantities accordingly.
You can skip kasuri methi and kitchen king masala if you do not have.But I prefer to add them as they adds a nice flavor to the curry.

Check out other Dry Vegetable curries with aloo and gobi here.

Mumbai - the city that never sleeps...!!

This city is filled with lot of energy and you can see large crowds even at odd times in the night.Many food joints and street hawkers open until late nights. While we are not one of those who love to venture late nights, there are a few times when we go for a party or a late night movie. Many hawkers open their Anda Bhurji stalls and make the sizzling Anda bhurji in their heavy bottomed hot tawas and is usually served with pav. I have not tasted this anytime, as I do not eat eggs (use them in cakes though). I usually prepare Egg Bhurji (Anda Bhurji) for TH sometimes and try to make something else for me.

Paneer Bhurji is a good alternative for those like me who do not eat eggs. We both love it very much and so several of my weekend breakfast or dinner would feature this simple Paneer bhurji paired with butter laden roasted pav.I would say that it is a simple yet delicious food which you can prepare as breakfast/lunch/dinner.

Paneer Bhurji Pav Recipe:

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 cup crumbled/grated fresh Paneer(Cottage Cheese)

1 medium Onion,finely chopped

2 Green chillies,finely chopped

1/2" Ginger,finely chopped

1 Tomato,finely chopped

1 small Capsicum,finely chopped

1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste

1/2 tsp Red chilli powder

1/4 tsp Garam masala

1 tsp Pav Bhaji masala

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp Lemon juice

2 tbsp Coriander,chopped

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Oil

2 tbsp Butter

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai/pan and add finely chopped onions and green chillies and fry until the onions turn pink.
Add ginger-garlic paste and fry well.
Now add finely chopped capsicum and fry for a minute and then add chopped tomatoes and saute until it becomes slightly mushy.
Now add garam masala,pav bhaji masala,red chilli powder and turmeric powder and fry for a minute.
Add crumbled paneer and salt and give a good mix and saute for a couple of minutes.The mixture should be moist and not dry,add a tbsp of water if required and cook for a minute.
Add the butter at the end and mix it properly.
Switch off the flame and add lemon juice,chopped coriander and chopped ginger and mix it.

Serve it hot with roasted butter ladened pav with some sliced onions and lemon wedges.

Notes:

It can be placed in a chapati and make it into a roll and serve for kids.
This can be used as a filling for parathas,Samosa,Bread rolls.
You can add colored bell peppers along with capsicum in the recipe.
Instead of Pav bhaji masala you can even add Kitchen king masala in the recipe.
Replace Paneer with 2-3 eggs in the recipe to make the famous 'Anda Bhurji'.Just break the eggs and add them instead of paneer and let them sit for a minute and then run your spatula to scramble them and follow the same process.You can avoid lemon juice for Anda bhurji.

When I am lazy to cook anything I usually prepare some quick Stir fry and Rasam for lunch and I would say it is my most comforting food.Usually it does not take more than half an hour to cook this meal with rice,stir-fry and rasam and hence it is apt for a quick meal.I like this particular combination of cabbage with peanuts,the addition of peanuts not only adds taste but also the crunch to the stir fry.You can serve this as a salad or a side dish for rotis and rice,it goes very well.

Red(Purple) Cabbage Stir fry with Peanuts:

(Serves 2-3)

Ingredients:

1 small Red or Purple cabbage,finely shredded

1/2 cup roasted Groundnuts,skinned and halved

4-5 Red chillies,broken

a sprig of Curry leaves

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Oil

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai and crackle mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
Add broken red chillies and curry leaves and saute again for a minute until they turn slightly crisp.
Add shredded cabbage and fry on medium-high flame for 2-3 minutes and cover it and reduce the flame and cook for another 3-4 mins.Now the cabbage would start slightly change the color and is 3/4th cooked,it should be crunchy and not become soggy.
Slightly crush half the peanuts in a mortar and pestle or do it using a rolling pin.
Add salt and crushed peanuts and halved peanuts and stir fry on high flame for 2 minutes.

Serve it hot immediately with Roti/Rice.You can have this as a salad as well,it tastes nice too.

Notes:

Always add peanuts at the end otherwise they will loose their crunch and it does not taste that good.
In case you are preparing this stir fry ahead of time do not add peanuts in it,add the peanuts jsut before serving and give a quick stir on high flame.
You can replace red chillies with green chillies in the recipe.
Regular cabbage can be used instead of red cabbage and follow the same recipe.
Grated carrots can also be added along with carrots in the recipe.

Chikoo milkshake and Mango Milkshake are my most favorite among all varieties of milkshakes and would love to have it anytime especially during summers.I prefer to make milkshake with chikoo rather than eating the whole fruit.Now off to this simple and refreshing milkshake recipe.

Check out various milkshake/smoothie recipes which I have blogged earlier.

Chikoo Milkshake Recipe:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:
2 big ripen Chikoo/Sapota

3-4 tbsp Sugar
2 cups cold Milk

2 scoops of Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Method:

Remove the skin and cut the chikoo into pieces.
In a mixer/blender add chikoo pieces, sugar and 1/2 cup of milk and blend into a smooth puree.Check the sweetness and if needed add extra sugar.
Add remaining 1 1/2 cups of milk and vanilla ice cream and run again to the desired consistency.Add more milk if you need a thin milkshake and also adjust the sugar accordingly.

Serve the chilled Chikoo milk shake immediately.

Notes:

Add more sugar if required while blending the mixture.
You can substitute chikoo with mango or banana or apple.
Milk also is to be adjusted according to your desired thickness.
Addition of ice cream is entirely optional,it adds a nice creamy touch to milkshake.

Its been a long time since I posted any variety of idli in my blog.When I prepare Idli batter, it usually lasts for 3-4 days and we usually have plain idli with Sambar or Chutney or prepare this Kanchi Idli,Stuffed Idli and if the batter turns sour, I usually make other varieties like Spicy Onion Idli, Dibba Rotti etc.

Kanchi Idli (it is also called as Kanjeevaram Idli or Kanchipuram Idli) is another version of Idli which is loaded with peppercorns and other spices like Ginger powder(or ginger),cumin seeds and curry leaves which makes the Idli taste unique and delicious. It originated from the town 'Kanchipuram' in Tamilnadu and hence the name. It is also served as the prashad in Varadaraja perumal temple in Kanchi. Definitely do give it a try in case you have not made it earlier.

Also check out other Idli varieties in my blog.

Kanchipuram Idli Recipe:
(makes around 7-8 big round 6" idlis)

Ingredients:

2 cupsRaw Rice/Idli Rice (or Idli Rava)

1 cup white whole Urad dal

2 tbsp Chana dal or chopped Cashew nuts

1/2 cup fresh thick Curd

a sprig of Curry leaves,roughly chopped

1 tsp dry Ginger powder or 1 tsp chopped fresh Ginger

2 tsp whole Black Pepper corns

2 tsp Cumin seeds

2 tbsp melted hot Ghee

2 tbsp Oil

1/4 tsp Cooking Soda(optional)

Salt to taste

Method:

Soak rice and urad dal separately for 3-4 hrs.If youare using Idli rava soak it for just 1 hr before grinding.
Wash the urad dal and grind to a fine batter in the wet grinder/mixie and remove it and keep it aside.
Now grind the idli rice to a slight coarse batter,the consistency of batter should be like slight rawa textured batter.If you are using idli rawa,squeeze the idli rava and add it to the ground urad dal and grind for 5 minutes.Keep the batter thick and do not add much water while grinding.
Add this to ground urad dal batter and mix well and add enough salt and let it ferment for 12-14 hrs.
Soak chana dal for 2 hrs and drain them and keep them ready.
Add beaten curds,cumin seeds,pepper corns,dry ginger powder(or chopped fresh ginger),torn curry leaves and chana dal(or cashew nuts) to the batter and mix well.
Add hot ghee,oil and cooking soda to the batter and mix well.
Grease a flat deep container or idli plates (I use thatte idli stand) with ghee or oil and pour batter up to 3/4th of its depth and steam it for 15-20 mins.You can even pour the batter into small cups or tumblers and steam them.This idli takes bit longer to steam compared to regular idlis.If you are using cooker to steam idlis,do not forget to remove the whistle.
Leave the plates in the steamer/cooker for 5 mins before you unmold the idli.Run a sharp knife around the edges and try to unmold the idli carefully and cut it it into wedges.

Serve the idli hot with Coconut Chutney and Milagai Podi.

Notes:

You can even use Raw rice(regular rice) instead of idli rice or 1 cup of each - 1 cup Idli rice and 1 cup Raw rice in the recipe.
Regular Idli batter(prepared with Idli rava) can also be used to make Kanchi Idlis.
You can add all the ingredients like cumin seeds,pepper corns,ginger powder,curry leaves and soaked chana dal(or cashewnuts) to the batter before fermenting and add the curds,oil and hot ghee on the following day(after fermentation) just before making idlis.

Pulao features at least once in a week at my place. My mom used to make this for breakfast and pack the same dish for lunch.Now many of you might be wondering - pulao for breakfast??. My kannadiga friends would however not find it unusual given that in Karnataka Bhat/Bath - a rice variety like Vangi bath, Batani bath, Bisi Bele Bath, Chitranna(Lemon rice), Tomato bath, Veg Pulao, Capsicum bath, Puliyogre etc are usually prepared for breakfast. These varieties are easily available for breakfast and lunch in Darshinis and other hotels in Bangalore.My mom used to make various bath varieties as it is a single pot meal which is quiet convenient to prepare for those busy morning hours and since we used to leave quite early in the day during our school and college days we also used to get the same, packed for our lunch.

At my MIL's place, the concept of eating rice variety for breakfast is something new and hence TH was never fond of it.After my marriage I rarely prepared these bath varieties for breakfast except on the festival days.Now all these kind of bath varieties and pulaos mostly appear on our weekend lunch as I do not like to slog in the kitchen on weekends and hence look for these kind of simple one pot meals which I can finish preparing in flat half an hour.

Today I am posting a simple Avarekalu Pulao which is again a delicacy from Bangalore.Though it is not a very traditional dish,it has been becoming popular these days in many wedding and function menus.If you are a avarekalu lover you should try this simple yet delicious pulao as avarekalu adds a nice flavor to it.

Also check out other Avarekalu recipes in my blog here.

Avarekalu Pulav Recipe:

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati Rice or Jeeraga Samba or regular Rice

1 3/4 cup water

1 cup tender Avarekalu(Hyacinth beans)

8-10 Cashew nuts,split into halves

1 big Onion,sliced

1 Bay leaf

1" Cinnamon

2 Cloves

2 Marathi Moggu

1 green Cardamom

Salt to taste

1 1/2 tbsp Ghee

1 1/2 tbsp Oil

to grind:

3/4" Ginger

4-5 Garlic pods

3-4 Green chillies

1/3 cup grated Fresh Coconut

1/4 cup Coriander leaves

1/2" Cinnamon

2 Marathi Moggu

1-2 Cloves

Method:

Wash and soak basmati rice(or other rice what you are using) for 10 mins.
Grind all the ingredients under the section 'to grind' to a fine paste by adding little water.
Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker and add Biriyani leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, marathi moggu and cloves and fry them for a minute.
Add sliced onions and fry until they turn translucent and then add the tender avarekalu and fry them nicely for 2 mins.
Add ground masala and fry the mixture until the raw smell disappears.
Add washed basmati rice and fry the rice for 2 minutes.Stir it gently.
Add the water (1 3/4 cups) and also salt and let it come to a boil.If you are using sona masuri or equivalent increase the water quantity to 2 cups.
Pressure cook for 1 whistle and reduce the flame and cook for 8-10 mins.
Heat ghee or oil in a small kadai and add cashew nuts and fry them and garnish the pulao with the fried cashew nuts.

Serve the pulao hot with Onion-tomato raita or Boondi raita.

Notes:

If you cannot find Marathi Moggu you can ignore using it but it lends a nice flavor to the pulao.
Use fresh and tender Avarekalu for the pulao.If you do not get hold of fresh ones,you can use frozen ones as well.
If using Basamati rice, for 1 cup rice you can use 1 3/4 -2 cups of water and if you are using any other rice use 2 - 2 1/4 cups of water for 1 cup of rice.

Check out various Bath and Rice varieties which are ideal for lunch box in my blog here:

I got introduced to Lal Bhaji or Lal Math which is red colored Amaranth leaves only after coming to Mumbai and is available here through out the year.I use lot of greens in my cooking and apart from Palak and methi I use green amaranth and red amaranth a lot in my cooking.While palak and methi are very versatile greens and can be used in various varieties,I am left out only few options with amaranth leaves.Most of the times I end up preparing either Stir fry or pair it with moong dal(Amaranth-moong dal stir fry) or in a dal or curry with the amaranth leaves.Today I am posting a very simple and healthy stir fry using Red Amaranth leaves but completely packed with garlic flavor and I just love to eat it with Rice or Bhakris.

Lal Bhaji Saag | Red Amaranth leaves Stir fry:

(Serves 2-3)

Ingredients:

1 big bunch Red Amaranth leaves/Lal Bhaji/Lal Math

1 big Onion,roughly chopped

4-5 Green chillies,finely chopped

5-6 Garlic pods

2 tbsp Oil

Salt to taste

Method:

Clean the amaranth leaves and wash them properly and soak it in salted water for 8-10 mins.Chop the leaves finely along with tender stalks.
Crush the garlic pods slightly and add this garlic pods to the chopped amaranth leaves and mix it well for 1-2 mins by pressing the garlic pods with your fingers/palm to infuse the flavor of garlic in the greens.This process adds a nice flavor to the stir fry,so do not miss doing this process.
Heat oil in a kadai and add chopped onions and green chillies and fry for few mins until onions turn pink.
Now add the amaranth leaves mixed with garlic and fry for 10-12 mins until the amaranth is cooked.Take care that you would not over cook the greens,they taste best when they are cooked right.

Serve it hot with Roti/Rice/Jowar Bhakri/Bajra Bhakri.

Notes:

You can use green amaranth leaves and follow the same process.
I usually do not add any seasonings in the oil as I like the garlic flavor to dominate in the recipe.You can reduce the garlic if you are not a big fan of it.
I like to keep this recipe simple as it tastes best as it is and I love to eat this with Jowar or Bajra Bhakris.
Use only tender stems of the greens for this recipe.Chop them roughly.

I have already posted a version of Sambar powder which is my MIL's version and is typical Andhra style and today I am posting my mom's version.My mom prepares the sambar powder in a huge quantity and she gets it powdered in a mill and this easily lasts for an year and she even gives me from her supply.This sambar powder is very flavorful and we use the same for sambar as well as few rasam varieties like Bele Saaru , Holige Saaru,Tomato Rasam etc.This version of Sambar powder is quite different from my earlier recipe Andhra style Sambar powder and this is a typical Karnataka style preparation.You need to follow the exact measurements and hence I suggest you to buy the ingredients fresh with the exact measurements.It is laborious process but its worth the effort and makes it convenient for you for a long time.

Sambar Powder Recipe:

shelf life : 1 year

Ingredients:

1 kg Coriander seeds

1/2 kg Byadige Red chillies(for color)

1/2 kg Guntur Red chillies(spicier variety)

150 gms Cumin seeds

150 gms Peppercorns

100 gms Fenugreek seeds

50 gms Mustard seeds

50 gms Turmeric sticks

1 packet(50 gms) Asafoetida(good quality rock variety,LG or similar)

1 cup Curry leaves

1 tsp Oil,to roast

Method:

In a kadai/pan dry roast each variety - cumin seeds,pepper corns,fenugreek seeds,mustard seeds separately until they pop up and get roasted and keep them separately.
Dry curry leaves nicely and dry roast until they are crisp and no moisture is seen.
Dry the turmeric sticks in sun nicely and keep them ready.
Heat 1/2 tsp oil in the pan and add coriander seeds and fry them until they turn slight brown in color and remove them and keep aside.
Heat 1/2 tsp oil in the same pan and add both the varieties of red chillies and fry them until they turn red and remove them and keep aside.
Break the asafoetida into small pieces and keep them aside.
Let all the ingredients come to room temperature.
Mix all the ingredients and get them ground in a flour mill or grind the ingredients in a mixer in small batches to a fine powder.
Sieve the powder if necessary.Spread it on a wide deep bottomed vessel and dry it in shade for a day.
Store the sambar powder in an air tight container or in small pouches in refrigerator.

Use it in the recipe as required.

Notes:

Because of the humidity in Mumbai I usually keep the big pack of Sambar powder in a ziplock bag in fridge and take out small portion in to an air tight container and use it on daily basis.This way it stays fresh and also not get spoilt.

Use the measurements correctly to get aromatic Sambar powder.

The addition of Byadige chillies gives the nice red color to the sambar,so do not miss using them.

You can grind 1/3 cup of grated coconut with a large tomato and 2 tbsp of sambar powder and add to any vegetable sambar,it tastes delicious and gives the typical Karnataka style sambar.

You can use this sambar powder in various vegetable curries/stir fries and also to make spicy chapatis like theplas,onion chapati etc.
If you do not get turmeric sticks use same quantity of turmeric powder in the recipe.
You can easily make half quantity by reducing the ingredients to half.
Use good quality rock form of strong Asafoetida for an aromatic sambar powder.

Check out few Sambar varieties in my blog:

'Uthappam' or 'Oothappam' or 'Utappa' is a thick dosa and is usually prepared with various toppings of vegetables like tomatoes,onions,carrots etc.If I go to any joint for breakfast,my typical order constitutes Masala Dosa or Set dosa unless something else impresses me in their menu. I don't usually order Uthappam when I go out as I prefer eating it at home-don't know why!!

Onion Uthappam is the most famous among all other Uthappam varieties and is also my personal favorite.I usually love to add generous amounts of finely chopped onions,green chillies and coriander and sprinkle lots of Milagai podi over it and roast with a double dose of ghee-it tastes really delicious. Today I am posting various toppings options for Uthappam which might be colorful and a perfect way to feed those fussy kids.
The batter for uthappam is bit different from the regular batter and it makes a soft and fluffy uthappam.You can be creative with the toppings and use the same batter for any kind of uthappam.
Check out another interesting version of Uthappam - Masala Uthappam, a version from Khao gallis of Mumbai.

Five Taste Uthappam Recipe:

Ingredients:

for Uthappam Batter:

2 cups Raw rice(sona masuri or similar)

2 cups Idli Rice or Par boiled rice

1 cup whole white Urad dal

1/4 cup Toor dal

1/4 cup Chana dal

1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
a pinch of cooking soda

Salt to taste

Oil/Ghee, to roast utappams

for toppings:
1 small Tomato,seeded and chopped fine
1 Onion, finely chopped or Shallots,sliced
1 small Carrot,grated
1 green Chili,finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped mixed bell peppers
2-3 tbsp chopped fresh Coriander
2 tbsp Idli Milagai podi,to sprinkle

Method:

to make dosa batter:

Wash and soak raw rice,idli rice(or par boiled rice), urad dal, toor dal, chana dal, fenugreek seeds together in water for 4-5 hrs.
Grind all the ingredients in the wet grinder to a fine batter by adding water at regular intervals.The batter should be like regular dosa batter consistency.
Add required amount of salt at the end of grinding and mix well.
Allow the batter to ferment for 12-14 hrs.

to make Uthappam:

The dosa batter should be at room temperature.Mix in a pinch of cooking soda and mix well.
Pour a small ladle of batter(do not spread) of 2-3" inch size on a hot tawa,you can prepare 2-3 at a time based on your tawa size
You can sprinkle various toppings like grated carrots on the first one,chopped tomatoes on the second,finely chopped onions(or shallots) + finely chopped green chillies on the third one, chopped coriander leaves + Idli Podi on the fourth one, chopped bell peppers on the fifth one.Pour a tsp of oil/ghee generously over the mixture and also pour the oil from the sides and cover with a lid and cook it on medium flame for a minute or two and remove the lid..
Increase the flame to high and cook until you can see the golden brown crust formation.
Now turn the dosa to the other side and fry for a minute.

Serve it hot right out from the pan with coconut chutney and Sambar.If you want you can sprinkle milagai podi or kaarapodi over the hot uthappams before serving.Check out other side dishes for Idli/dosa here.

The options for Uthappam toppings are endless.I am sharing you many more options here:

a mix of chopped onions + grated carrots + chopped coriander + chopped green chillies
Potato Masala .check the link for a detailed post.
slices of tomatoes instead of chopped tomatoes
grated Cheese + chopped coriander + chopped green chillies - do not turn this utappam,roast it only on one side.
finely chopped onions + generous sprinkle of Idli Milagai podi
finely chopped onion + chopped tomatoes + chopped green chili + grated cheese - it is called Pizza Utappam.Do not turn this utappam,roast it only on one side.
thinly sliced Mushrooms sauteed in oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.

I am celebrating the 500th post on my 4+ years old site - The Chef and Her Kitchen througha sweet recipe - Beets & Carrot Halwa.
Halwa is a popular Indian dessert which gets featured in any Indian wedding or occasion.There are various varieties of halwas and the most popular among them is Carrot Halwa aka Gajar ka Halwa.Though I do not prepare halwa varieties often but during winters, I do not miss preparing Carrot halwa with the red Delhi carrots which are available only in that particular season. The extra sweetness of the red carrots adds a nice taste and makes the halwa more delicious.This winter season, I paired the red carrots with fresh beetroot and prepared this delicious Beets & Carrot Halwa. Well yes - its been a while since the winter season - its been over 4 months since I prepared it - as I was preserving this post for the occasion.

Halwa is usually prepared using Khoya/Mawa but I use Condensed milk to prepare it, as it is difficult to fetch mawa sometimes.The addition of condensed milk does not alter the traditional taste of halwa and also makes the preparation process a bit easy.I prefer to use my small Hawkins pressure cooker to prepare halwa instead of kadai as the process is quite quick.One can follow the same process for preparing various halwa varieties like Carrot halwa, Beetroot Halwa and Lauki(bottle gourd) halwa.Check out my Lauki ka Halwa recipe which I prepared in a similar way.

Beets - Carrot Halwa | Gajar aur Beetroot ka Halwa Recipe:

(Serves 5-6 generously)

Ingredients:

2 medium Beetroots, peeled and grated

4 large Red or Orange Carrots, peeled and grated
2 cups Full cream Milk
1/2 tin Condensed milk(200ml approx)

1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder
4 tbsp Sugar(add it accordingly)
2 tbsp chopped Cashew nuts
2 tbsp flaked Almonds
2 tbsp flaked Pistachios
2 tbsp Raisins
4 tbsp Ghee

Method:

Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a small pressure cooker and add grated carrots and beetroot to the remaining ghee and fry for 3-4 mins and add milk to it and close the lid and bring it to full pressure on high heat and remove cooker immediately from heat.
Release the pressure immediately and open it(or you can cook the grated carrots and beetroots in milk on a stove top which is bit time consuming).
Place the cooker on high heat,add sugar and condensed milk and cook until the liquid dries up(approx for 15-20 mins) stirring occasionally.
Add 2 tbsp ghee and cardamom powder and cook until the ghee separates from the mixture(this takes approx 10 mins),stirring constantly.
Heat ghee in a small pan and fry cashews and raisins and add this to the halwa,add flaked almonds and pistachios and mix everything.

Serve the halwa hot/cold garnished with flaked almonds and pistachios.You can even serve it warm with vanilla ice cream.

Notes:

You can make just beetroot or carrot halwa using the same recipe.You can even prepare bottle gourd(lauki) halwa following the same process.
You can replace condensed milk with 1/3 cup mawa(khoya) and also increase the sugar quantity to 1/2 cup approximately.
I use pressure cooker as it is easy and faster to prepare,you can do the whole process in a thick kadai.You need to be patient as it takes more time to prepare halwa.
I used less ghee in preparing this halwa,you can add little more if you want it really rich.
I used Red carrots(Delhi variety) to prepare this halwa,you can use either red or orange variety of carrots to prepare the same.

This spoonful of halwa is for you all for your constant support which helped me to reach this far milsetone.I must thank all my readers,blogger friends and family for your support.

Drumstick is a common vegetable used in Andhra for preparing various varieties like sambar, rasam, dal, curries and even pickle.It has a typical flavor which makes the dish quite tasty and I never miss buying it when I go for veggie shopping.Today, I am posting a very simple drumstick-tomato curry which serves as a good combination with rice.

Check out other Drumstick varieties in my blog:

Drumstick Tomato Curry | Mulakkada Kura:

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 Drumsticks,cut into 2" pieces

1 Onion,chopped

1 big Tomato,finely chopped

3-4 Garlic pods,roughly chopped

1 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves

a sprig of Curry leaves

3/4 tsp Red chili powder

a pinch of Turmeric powder

1 Red chili

2 tsp Chana dal

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

Salt to taste

1-2 tbsp Oil

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai/pan and crackle mustard and cumin seeds.
Add chana dal and fry until they turn slight red in color.
Add red chili,curry leaves,garlic pods and fry for some time and then add chopped onions and fry well until they turn translucent.
Add the chopped drumsticks and fry well for 4-5 mins.
Now add chopped tomatoes and fry for another 2-3 mins until the tomatoes become mushy.
Add turmeric powder and some water(1/2 cup) to it and cook it covered for 5-6 mins until the drumstick pieces are cooked.You can add more water to it to make it thin and also adjust the seasonings accordingly.
Add salt and red chili powder and cook for 2 mins.Garnish with Coriander at the end.

Serve it hot with hot steamed Rice and papad/fryums.

Notes:

You can increase the amount of onions and tomatoes in the recipe according to your wish.
Adjust the amount of red chili powder in the recipe.

Minapa Vadiyalu | Urad dal Fryums | Sun-dried Fryums

Lemon Pickle | Nimboo ka Achar Recipe

Cauliflower Stir fry | Aromatic Gobi Curry Recipe

Red Coconut Chutney | Side dish for Idli/Dosa

Bharli Vangi | Maharastrian style Stuffed Brinjals

Challa Mirapakayalu | Curd Chillies | Dahi Mirchi | Sundried Items

Spicy Oven Roasted Chickpeas Recipe | Low Calorie Snacks

Instant Oats Paniyaram | Indian Oats Recipes

Broccoli Tikkis(Cutlets) | Broccoli Recipes

Aloo Gobi Matar Recipe | Easy Side Dishes for Roti

BHURJI PAV RECIPE | PANEER BHURJI PAO

Red Cabbage Stir fry with Peanuts | Red Cabbage Recipes

Chikoo Milkshake | Sapota Milkshake

Kanchipuram Idli | Kanchi Idli Recipe | Idli Varieties

Avarekalu Pulao | Hyacinth Beans Pulav | Avarekalu Recipes

Lal Bhaji (Lal Math) Saag | Red Amaranth Stir fry

Sambar Powder Recipe - Karnataka style

Five Taste Uthappam | Uthappam Toppings ideas

Carrot Beetroot Halwa | Gajar aur Beetroot Halwa

Drumstick Tomato Curry Recipe | Mulakkada Kura - Andhra style