Bhindi (ladies finger) sambar

Bhindi (ladies finger) is a very popular veggie in India. very healthy as well. Its really good for everyone, kids, elders and especially diabetics.

My 3 year old has a vegetable rhymes dvd, in which this rhymes on ladies finger mentions "ladies finger, ladies finger slim and slender, soft and tender; ladies finger, ladies finger good for brain and memory power" very true i would say.. my little one loves ladies finger to the core..


This is a traditional sankethi style sambar, very tasty and will definitely tickle ur taste buds for sure..


Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1. Ladies finger (fresh) 1/2kg
2. Toor dal 1/2 cup
3. Oil
4. Dhania seeds 1.5tbsp
5. Grated fresh coconut 1/2 cup
6. Coriander leaves a little
7.Curry leaves a few
8. Salt
9. Water
10. Dry red chillies 8-10
11. Rice 1tbsp
12. Mustard seeds 1tsp
13. Tamarind about a lemon's size


Method: 

1. Cook toor dal and keep aside.
2. Wash the ladies finger, wipe them clean and cut them.
3. Heat oil in a kadhai and make seasoning of mustard seeds. Add the cut bhindi.
4. Fry/roast them well, stirring in between until the stickiness is gone.
5. Squeeze tamarind extract and the bhindi cook till tender. Add a little water.
6. Now grind coconut, dry red chillies, dhania seeds, rice and coriander leaves to a fine paste.
7. Add this to the cooked bhindi. Add toor dal, salt and boil for about 5 minutes.
8. Add water to required consistency.
9. Serve hot with rice/chapathi.

Shavige (vermicelli) upma

Shavige upma is a breakfast recipe when you've made everything else for breakfast all throughout the week. It can also be made as snack in the evening. You can vary the taste by adding veggies, or just onions. A lot of variations can be made with shavige, lemon masala shavige, puliogare masala shavige and shavige pulao as well.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

1. MTR roasted vermicelli 200gms
2. Onions 2nos
3. Green chillies 5-6
4. Tomatoes 2nos
5. Capsicum 2 nos
6. Oil
7. Mustard seeds 1tsp
8. Jeera seeds 1tsp
9. Curry leaves a few
10. Coriander leaves a little
11. Grated fresh coconut 1/4 cup
12. Turmeric powder 1tsp

Method: 

1. Chop the onions, capsicum and tomatoes. (you can use beans, carrots and peas as well, omit onions then)
2. Keep about 250ml of water for boiling.
3. If you're using the roasted vermicelli, you can start with the dish right away, but if you're using the regular one, you need to roast it till it turns light brown in 1tbsp og gheee/oil.
4. Heat oil in a kadhai and make seasoning of mustard seeds, jeera seeds, green chillies and curry leaves.
5. Add onions, turmeric and saute well till they turn golden brown.
6. Now add the capsicum and saute till they turn tender.
7. Add in the tomatoes, salt and mix well.
8. Next ass grated coconut and mix well. Simmer for about 2-3 minutes.
9. Slowly add the boiled water observing the need. You can add some more water later if required.
10. Cover the kadhai and cook for about 4-5 minutes on low flame.
11. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Pudina matar rice

Pudina (mint leaves), they smell heavenly and it does have a lot of medicinal values as well. They say raw pudina leaves when chewed early in the morning in an empty stomach helps in bringing the cholesterol level to a control.

I visit the local farmers market (raitara santhe) once in a fortnight to buy vegetables. I use it for about 15 days and they remain fresh even after that.. that's the advantage of straight from the farm i guess and on one such visit i got about 2 big bunches of pudina leaves.. so my menu was planned, pulao, pudina matar rice and pudina parantha. Once back home i removed all the leaves from the stem and stored them in newspaper and put them into the fridge.

Lunch box time and my hubby loves green peas, so does my son. So with menu planned in advance i had to make pudina matar rice. Very easy and hassle free..

Preparation time: 15 minutes.
Cooking time: 35-40 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1. Rice 2 cups
2. Pudina leaves 1 bunch
3. Oil
4. Jeera seeds 1tsp
5. Onions 2nos
6. Garlic cloves 9-10
7. Tomatoes 1nos
8. Green chillies 9-10 (vary according to your taste)
9. Grated coconut 1/4 cup
10. Ginger paste 1tsp
11. Cinnamon stick 1 inch
12. Water
13. Salt to taste
14. Mustard seeds 1tsp


Method: 

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add mustard seeds, jeera seeds, cinnamon stick, ginger paste and saute.
2. Grind the pudina leaves along with onion, tomato, garlic cloves, coconut and green chillies to a fine paste.
3. Add this fine paste to the pressure cooker and saute well and let it boil for about 2-3 minutes till raw smell disappears.
4. Add green peas, rice, water and salt. Mix gently and well so that the rice doesnt break.
5. Cover the cooker and cook for about 2 whistles.
6. Serve hot.

Heerekayi (ridge gourd) keepuli

This one's a superhit with our family, my hubby's granny who happens to be devarayasamudram iyer makes this dish to soo much perfection and sooo yummy that when made at home we store in the fridge for about 2-3 days and relish it along with rice, chapathi and dosa.

This is the recipe for the one made with heerekayi (ridge gourd), it can be made with greens as well (but make sure you dont use methi leaves).


Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Serves: 7

Ingredients:

1. Heerekayi (ridge gourd) 1 big
2. Grated fresh coconut 1/2 cup
3. Dry red chillies (byadagi and guntur) 5 each
4. Tamarind about a lemons size
5. Jaggery 2.5tbsp
6. Salt
7. Oil
8. Mustard seeds 1tsp
9. Jeera seeds 1tbsp

Method:

1. Wash the heerekayi and scrape its skin a little.
2. In a pressure cooker add the heerekayi, coconut, jeera seeds, tamarind and dry red chillies and cook it for upto 3 whistles.
3. Once the cooker is cooled, transfer the ingredients to a plate and let them cool.

4. Later grind them in a mixer to a fine paste.
5. Transfer to a cooking vessel and keep it on the stove on low flame.
6. let it boil for about 2-3 minutes. Add salt and jaggery at this stage, mix well and let it simmer.
7. Finally heat oil in a kadhai and make seasoning of mustard seeds and dry red chillies.
8. Serve hot with rice, chapathi or dosa.

Tooti fruity pineapple cake

My 3 year old loves cakes, whenever we pass through a bakery he says amma we'll buy cake.. So one fine afternoon when we were returning home from his school he again said the same words so i told him amma will make it at home and he instantly says i want tooti fruity cake (he had eaten it once in the same bakery that we crossed) and i answered ok..

Once back home i put him to sleep and started with baking the cake. I used pineapple essence rather than the usual vanilla essence this time.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25-30 minutes (depending on the oven)
Serves: 9-10 pieces

Ingredients: 

1. Maida/all purpose flour 1.5cups
2. Powdered sugar 2 cups
3. Eggs 3nos
4. Baking soda 1.5tbsp
5. Butter (melted) 3/4cup
6. Tooti fruity a little
7. Pineapple essence 1tsp


Method:

1. Preheat oven at 200 degrees.
2. Sieve maida and baking powder and keep aside.
3. Beat eggs (both white and yolk), add the pineapple essence and beat well till fluffy.
4. Now fold in butter and sugar and beat really well.
5. Slowly add the maida and tooti fruity and mix really well. More you beat, more fluffy the cake.
6. Grease the baking tray, pour the mixture and bake at 200 degrees for about 25-30 minutes, depending on the oven you use (you can check in between).
7. Once baked, remove from the oven, let it cool and turn around and cut as desired.