Pumpkin Sambar

Here's the traditional recipe for the age old home made sambar. This might be known to lots of people but still unknown to many of them, so just thought of sharing it.

I have used pumpkin for the vegetable here but you can substitute it with any vegetable of your choice or even make a mixed veg sambar.


Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 7


Ingredients:

1. Pumpkin 1 kg
2. Dhania seeds 8 tablespoons
3. Cinnamon stick 2 inches
4. Chana Dal 1 tablespoon
5. Dry red chilies 15nos
6. Clove pods 3
7. Water
8. Oil
9. Mustard seeds
10. Curry leaves
11. Fresh grated coconut 1 cup
12. Tamarind about a lemon's size
13. Salt


Method:

1. Cut the pumpkin into cubes (longer ones) and cook them till tender.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil and roast dhania seeds, chana dal, cinnamon sticks, clove pods and dry red chillies.
3. Grind them to a fine paste along with coconut.
4. Add the grind paste and salt to the cooked vegetables and let it boil.
5. Now add the tamarind extract and let it boil for about 2 minutes.
6. Finally make a seasoning of mustard seeds and curry leaves.



Tastes best with rice and could also be had with chapathi's.

Yummy and wholesome avial

After my brother in law's cooking the last weekend was my co-sisters chance to cook us something delicious and yummy from their traditional food. She being an iyer decided to make avial, yummy and wholesome. After shopping for almost all the vegetables available at the vegetable vendor she did buy some edible coconut oil which is one of the main ingredient for this delicacy. There are many versions of this dish but i present her version..

Preparation time (the most time consuming one): 45 minutes
Cooking time ( equally time consuming): 45 minutes
Serves: 7

Make sure you have all the patience in you before you start cutting the vegetables as the list goes on.

Ingredients:

1. Beans 1/4 kg
2. Carrots 1/4 kg
3. Sweet pumpkin 1/4 kg
4. Drumsticks 3
5. Potato 5 nos
6. Yam 1/4 kg
7. Pumpkin 1/4 kg
8. Chayote squash (seemebadanekai) 3 nos.
9. Salt
10. edible coconut oil 7-8 tablespoons
11. Sour curd 1/4 lts
12. Fresh grated coconut 4 cups
13. Green chillies 15-16 (depending upon the hotness)
14. Water
15. Mustard seeds
16. Curry leaves


Method:

1. Cut beans into medium size strips, and carrots and potatoes like how its cut for finger chips
2. Cut the pumpkin and sweet pumpkin into cubes, follow the same for the seemebadanekai.
3. Cut the yam in the same cube size. Break drumsticks into strips of about 5cms.
4. Now cook all the vegetables in water and make sure you dont make it too watery. In case you've added more water you can strain the water and use it later.
5. Grind the fresh coconut and green chillies to a paste and add it once the vegetables are tender.
6. Add salt and also the sour curds. The curd should be really sour since that's the only thing which provides sourness to the dish as we dont use tamarind.
7. Add water depending on the required consistency.
8. Now add the coconut oil and make seasoning with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Serve hot. Tastes best with dosa, chapathi and could be relished with rice as well.

Sweet pumpkin and capsicum curry (oorvatlu)

A very traditional Sankethi recipe, known as oorvatlu, this one's made on all festive days especially during sankranthi when avrekai (flat beans) season is in full swing.. Though in bangalore avrekai is available at all times of the year now i prefer to make it without them at this time of the year since the ones available now has no such taste compared to the ones available during the season. It can be relished with idli, dosa, chapathi but tastes best with rice.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 7

Ingredients:

1. Sweet pumpkin 500 gms
2. Capsicum 2
3. Dhania seeds 3 teaspoons
4. Mustard seeds 2 teaspoons
5. Jaggery 1/4 cup
6. Salt
7. Water
8. Coriander leaves
9. Fresh coconut 2 cups
10. Curry leaves
11. Dry red chillies 18-20

Method:

1. Cut sweet pumpkins into cubes and cook them till tender. Follow the same for capsicums as well.
2. In a mixer grind fresh coconut, coriander leaves, dhania seeds, 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds to a fine paste.
3. Once vegetables are cooked add the grind paste, salt and let it boil.
4. Add jaggery and let it boil.
5. Now make a seasoning of mustard seeds and curry leaves. Serve hot.

Variation: This curry can also be made with beetroot and lady's finger. 

Spicy Urad dal rice

Urad dal and spicy.. yes this recipe is a traditional one.. simply yum and easy to make as well.. Try this out for breakfast, lunch or even dinner..

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 7


Ingredients:

1. Urad dal 7 teaspoons
2. Black pepper corns 3 teaspoons
3. Ghee
4. Oil
5. Curry leaves
6. Chana dal 1 teaspoon
7. Dry red chillies 3-4
8. Green chillies 5-6
9. Cashews 10-12
10. Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon
11. Rice 2 cups
12. Dry coconut 1 cup
13. Water
14. Salt

Method:

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of ghee in a tawa and add the pepper corns and roast them till they splutter.
2. Now add the urad dal and roast till they turn light brown.
3. Add the dry red chillies and dry coconut as well.
4. Grind this into a coarse mixture without adding water.
5. Cook rice and make sure each grain is seperate. Let it cool slightly.
6. Again heat 2 teaspoons of ghee and 2 teaspoons of oil. Add seasoning of chana dal, urad dal, green chillies and curry leaves.
7. To this add peanuts and cashews as well.
8. Add this seasoning to the rice along with salt and mix well.

Serve hot.

Variation: You can fry urad dal appalam and break into pieces and add to the rice before you serve. Makes a yummy combination.

Pa Pa Pa... Pazzztaaaa

I just love saucy pasta.. who doesn't. This Italian delicacy is one yummy affair, but to make it at home could be one difficult affair.. but not anymore suggested my brother in law. You know the men at my house share equal interest in cooking. So he said he'll cook pasta for all of us this Saturday. He loved the one they served at Domino's and i loved the one they serve at Sweet Chariot Cafe.. It was his job to match both the tastes and cook for all of us.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 7


Ingredients:

1. Store bought pasta shells 1 packet (costs about 99 rupees)
2. Olives  about 2-3 tablespoons (also available at stores, you can use it only if u like it)
3. Vinegar 4-5 tablespoons
4. Onions 3-4 finely chopped
5. Tomatoes 8-9 chopped (more tomatoes means more sauce)
6. Red chilli sauce 5-6 tablespoons
7. Tomato sauce 5-6 tablesppons
8. Water
9. Cheese (optional, you can also use butter)
10. Salt

Method:

1. Half cook the pasta as per instruction on the packet. Make sure it doesn't turn soggy in earlier stage only. Half cook it now and the rest in the sauce.
2. Heat cheese/butter in a saucepan and add onions. Saute till golden brown.
3. Add the vinegar and mix well.
4. Now add the tomatoes and a little bit of salt. Wait till tomatoes turn really tender and mash them. Add a little water and let it boil.
5. Mix in the half cooked pasta shells and add the red chilli sauce, tomato sauce.
6. Add in the remaining salt and cover it up and let it cook for a while.
7. If you feel its too bland you can add in red chilli powder (it becomes more Indianised, but who can eat a bland pasta).

Vary the additions of sauces to meet ur saucy requirements. Serve hot. Garnish with cheese if you love it.

5. 

Corn capsicum kamaal

This one was a total my own recipe... with the taste buds tickling for something new and different and with capsicums at home i had to cook something delicious out of it.. Went out shopping for some groceries and ended up buying some sweet corn and on the way back this brilliant recipe struck my head so here it comes..

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 5

Ingredients: 

1.Capsicums 3-4
2. Tomatoes 4-5
3. Green chillies 5-6
4. Salt
5. Oil
6. Sweet corn 100 gms
7. Garam masala
8. Red chilli powder
9. Water
10. Jeera seeds
11. Coriander leaves
12. Dhania powder


Method:

1. Cut the capsicums and tomatoes and keep aside. Boil the sweet corn till tender.
2. Heat oil in a kadhai and make seasoning of jeera seeds and green chillies. To this add capsicum and let it cook.
3. Now add garam masala powder, red chilli powder, dhania powder and saute.
4. Once done, add the tomatoes and a little salt so the tomatoes get tender soon. Let them cook.
5. Add the sweet corn, remaining salt and cover and let the corn cook a little more and also blend well.
6. Check consistency and add water if you need.
7. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.


Suggestion: This one goes well with the missi roti or even plain chapathi.

Missi roti

Missi roti is a perrfect punjabi dish.. Made them for dinner and it was a change in taste from the routine chapathi..


Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2 (3 rotis each)

Ingredients:

1. Wheat flour 2 cups
2. Maida 1 cup
3. Besan 1 cup
4. Green chillies finely chopped 6-7
5. Coriander leaves
6. Salt
7. Oil
8. Water
9. Jeera seeds
10. red chilli powder 1 tsp
11. Garam masala 1 tsp


Method:

1. In a bowl take wheat flour, maida and besan.
2. Add salt, oil, green chillies, coriander leaves, jeera seeds, red chilli powder and garam masala powder and add water and mix it to chapathi dough consistency.

3. Make small balls out of the dough and roll them over and bake on a heated tawa.
4. Serve hot.

Raasta chaat special 2

Cucumber chaat

Another one of the raasta chaat, this one gets its inspiration from a local cucumber vendor.. this one was a young lad may be around 12-13 years of age.. Saw him making this the other day when i stopped by to buy some fresh cucumber (nati sauthekai) from him. Well my hubby totally loves such stuff so what on earth should stop me from trying it at home as well. (It absolutely has no cooking of any manner).

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 0 minutes
Serves: 7

Ingredients:

1. Fresh cucumber (nati sauthekai preferably, If not the usual ones will also do) 2 big ones
2. Green chillies 8-9 (vary them to your needs)
3. Fresh coriander leaves
4. Fresh pudina leaves 1/4 bunch
5. Salt


Method:

1. Peel the cucumber skin and dessed them after they're cut.
2. Cut them into cubes.
3. Make a paste of green chillies, coriander and pudina leaves
4. In a bowl add the cucumber, green chilli paste and sprinkle some salt, mix them well and serve.

Make sure you serve this immediately since water gets released from cucumbers once salt is mixed to them.

Raasta chaat special - Kodbale masala

When i list what all  are the advantages of raasta chaat in the evening, the 1st and foremost thing wud be the entire family enjoying it especially on rainy evenings. I hate waiting only for the weekends to expreiment such recipes, may be the more complicated ones can wait but such easy and yummy ones cannot wait getting into family's tummy's and day of the week. So last Tuesday i just decided i will have to make it 2day. I went out and brought some kodbales and got into the kitchen and the end result is this.. 

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes (if you choose to make the sweet chutney at home)

Serves: 7

Ingredients:

1. Kodbales (homemade or storebought - I used 2 and half packets of store bought kodbales)

2. Onions 5-6 finely chopped

3. Tomatoes 5 finely chopped

4. Sev 1/2 cup (optional)

5. Green chillies 10-12 (vary according to your taste)

6. coriander leaves

7. Salt

8. Chaat masala

9. Amchur powder

10. Red chilli powder

11. Dates syrup

12. Lemon juice

Method:

1. For the sweet chutney i used readymade Dates syrup, tastes very much similar to the sweet chutney

2. Make a paste of green chillies and a little bit of coriander leaves and keep aside

3. Break to kodbales into small pieces. 

4. In a bowl add the kodbales, green chilli paste, red chilli powder, amchur powder, salt, onions, tomatoes, Chaat masala and the dates syrup and mix well. Add lemon juice as well. 

5. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. 

Sauthekai Rotti - Cucumber Rotti

This recipe i borrowed from my hubby's grandma... a very popular one at home, this is a perfect Sunday breakfast recipe when everyone's at home together at the breakfast table.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Serves: 7

Ingredients:

1. Cucumbers 3-4
2. Carrots 2
3. Onions 5-6
4. Salt
5. Water
6. Jeera seeds 2 tsp
7. Coriander leaves
8. Green chillies  12-14
9. Rice flour 2 cups
10. Semolina (chiroti rawa) 1/4 cup

Method:

1. Grate the cucumber after peeling their skin. Follow the same for carrots.
2. Chop the onions finely and mix them along with the grated carrots and cucumber.
3. To this add salt, jeera seeds, coriander leaves, finely chopped green chillies (you should add a lot of them coz the cucumber takes away all the chillies hotness)
4. Add rice flour and semolina nad make it into a dough. Make sure you dont add a lot of water as the cucumber, onions release a lot of water once salt is added.
5. On a greased paper or plaintain leaf greased with a little oil flatten it out with your hand and roast it on tawa.
6. Serve with spicy coconut chutney..

Methi thepla

A gujju dish... can be made for breakfast, lunch or even dinner.. Like i mentioned before my hubby and I have chapathi's for dinner so thought of trying this out as well.. you know just for a change..


Ingredients:

1. Wheat flour 2 cups
2. Methi leaves 1 bunch
3. Coriander leaves
4. Garam masala
5. White til (sesame seeds) 1 tsp
6. Jeera seeds 1 tsp
7. Salt
8. Oil
9. Red chilli powder 11/2 tsp
10 Green chillies very finely chopped (vary the chillies according to ur taste)


Method:

1. In a large bowl add the wheat flour, salt, jeera seeds, coriander leaves, cut methi leaves, white til, red chilli powder  and the green chillies. Make a dough like the one for chapathi.

2. Rest is the same like chapathi. Roll it over a fine surface with a rolling pin and roast it over on a tawa..


Serve with thick curd and pickle..

Pudinaaahhh pulao

Here's one refreshing recipe.. ideal for breakfast or even lunch...

Cooking time: 40 minutes
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Serves: 7 people

Ingredients:

1. Fresh Pudina leaves 1 bunch
2. Frozen Green peas 100 gms
3. Green chillies 10-12
4. Onions 5-6
5. Coconut 1 cup
6. Mustard seeds 1 tsp
7. Jeera seeds 1 tsp
8. Oil
9. Rice 2 cups
10. Water
11. Salt
12. Cinnamon sticks 1 inch
13. Bay leaf 1 leaf
14. Cloves 3-4 pods
15. Lemon juice
16. Coriander leaves

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and make seasoning of mustard seeds and jeera seeds. Add cinnamon stick, cloves and the bay leaf.
2. Now add sliced onions and saute them till they turn golden brown.
3. Next add the cut pudina leaves and saute them.
4. Grind green chillies and coconut along with coriander leaves into a paste
5. Add this mix to the cooker and fry till raw smell disappears
6. Now add rice, water and salt and mix well. Make sure you don't add don't much water.
7. Let the rice cook for 2 whistles. Once its cooled add the boiled green peas and mix well.
8. Add the lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves

(Remove the bay leaf before you serve.. leaving it for a bad time in the dish makes it bitter)

crunchy bread bhel

Friday evening, rain outside, tummy calling for a spicy snack... what shall i cook, mind boggling with thought... went into the kitchen and found bread so i thought i'll make bread bhel...

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 7 people

Ingredients:

1. Bread 1 loaf
2. Onions 6-7 finely chopped
3. Tomatoes 5-6 finely chopped
4. Oil
5. Finely chopped green chillies
6. Chat masala
7. Red chilli powder
8. Salt
9. Coriander leaves

Method:

1. Take bread and cut out the sides and cut into small cubes like bread crumbs.
2. Now shallow fry them in oil till they turn crisp.
3. In a bowl put onions, green chillies and mix well.
4. For serving add bread pieces followed by the onions and green chilli mix, tomatoes, sprinkle some garam masala and salt.
5. You can also sprinkle red chilli powder if u want it to be more spicy.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Frooty gadbad

Who doesn't love to eat deserts.. well i just love them and so does my family... with so many fruits accumulated after the gowri ganesha festival and with all of them bored of eating the same old fruit salad with or without custard made me wonder what else could be made... puddings are to some extent a messy affair if they include baking in oven or using eggs for that matter... so i was watching this cookery show on T.V where this girl made falooda, lo, the recipe looked easy to make and interesting as well... i did some internet research and came to know that the main ingredient for falooda is sev (shavige).. well desert with sev... i put my own twist to it and made a fruity gudbud out of it, the end result, appreciation from all of them.. a pat on my back... lets get back to the recipe... 


This makes 7 servings.. 


Ingredients:
1. Fruits (i took apple, mosambi, pomegranate.. U can add banana, grapes pineapple as well)


Apple 2 chopped into medium size
Mosambi 2
Pomegranate 1


2. Jelly 3 packets (u can make them on your own or buy them at a store) 
3. Rose syrup (i used roohafzha as a substitute)
4. Ice cream 1/2 litre (i used only vanilla ice cream, variations can include 2 more flavours of your choice)
5. Chopped dry fruits like cashews, raisins, badam
6. Tooti fruity (the ones used in breads and cakes)

To include more variety you can also use chocolate syrup.. will certainly add more flavour to the desert.


Method:

1. In a tall glass first add a layer of fruits followed by some jelly.
2. On top of this add a teaspoon of rose syrup
3. Next add a scoop of ice cream followed by another teaspoon of rose/chocolate syrup.
4. Top it up with the dry fruits and tooty fruity.

You can add more levels if you have more flavours of ice cream..


Ah... what a relishing and wholesome desert... My son loved eating the ice cream alone...