Til wale Aloo Palak Sabzi

Tillwale Aloo palak , kinda sounds liek dilwale dulhaniya le jayenge ? I know ;)  Till is Hindi for sesame seeds which adds a distinct flavour to this recipe. I got this recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor's site. Very easy and very Healthy accompaniment for Roti. :D

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 20 mins in medium heat
Makes 3 servings

Ingredients:


Baby potatoes - 3 or 1 medium Potato
Spinach - 2 cups, chopped
Garlic - 3-4 pods, sliced into two
Onion - 1/2 cup, chopped
Green Chillies - 2-3, slit
Sesame seeds - 1.5 tsp, roasted
Cumin Seeds - 1.5 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Yogurt - 2 tbsp

Procedure :

1. Wash the baby potatoes and chop them into medium size chunks with the skin on it. Do NOT peel the skin. 
2. Dry roast the sesame seeds and keep it aside.
3. Heat oil in a kadai and fry jeera in it.
4. Add the sliced garlic, green chillies and onion. 
5. Add a pinch of asafoetida and a pinch of salt.
6. Saute them well till onion turns light brown in color. 
7. Now add the diced potatoes.
8. Give it a good mix, adding turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder one by one in that order. 
9. Cover and cook the potatoes for about 5 minutes.
10. Now add the chopped spinach to the kadai. 
11. Adjust salt. 
12. Saute the spinach well till it shrinks . 
13. Cover and cook for another 4-5 minutes. 
14. Add 2 tbsp of yogurt and mix well. 
15. Let this cook for 2 minutes. 
16. Garnish it with the roasted sesame seeds. Mix well.

Serve hot :) 

Notes :

• Do not add any water to the curry. Spinach has enough water to cook potatoes too. :) 
• Optionally you may boil the potatoes in prior and add it (or) microwave the chopped potatoes for about 4-5 mins and add to the kadai. 
• When yogurt is added, sabzi becomes little watery. Cook for 2 mins for the curry to come to a dry consistency. 

Potato Poriyal - II

Lemon Rice

Pavakkai Fry / Bitter-gourd Fry

Bitter-Gourd . Just by the name of it most of us would run away. No matter how we cook , this is one vegetable that refuses to lose its originality :P

But i love bitter-gourd if its cooked in Puli Kozhambu or the following fry recipe which my mom makes.

Preparation time: 20 mins Makes 3 Servings Cooking time: 20 mins Ingredients:
Bitter-Gourd / Pavakkai - 1 big, sliced thinly Corn Flour - 1 tbs Besan/ Gram flour/ Kadalai Maavu - 1 tbs To Grind :
Vendayam / Fennel seeds - 1 tsp Jeeragam / Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Garlic - 3-4 pods Ginger - 2" pieces Asafoetida - a pinch Turmeric - 1/2 tsp Chilli powder - 1 tsp Coriander powder - 1 tsp Salt Oil to Deep Fry
Procedure:

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in kadai & fry the following - fennel seeds, cumin, ginger, garlic, asafoetida, turmeric, chilli podwer, coriander powder.
2. Once the raw smell is gone, cool down the mixture and grind it into smooth paste adding very little water.
3. Slice the bitter-gourd into thin rounds, remove the seeds. Marinate it with the ground paste and let rest for about 15 minutes.
4. After 15 mins add the corn flour & besan to this and mix well. Water need not be added as bitter-gourd itself wud have given out some water and also the water from the paste itself is enough. Mix everything to form thick paste.
5. Heat oil in a kadai.
6. Fry the bitter-gourd slices in smal quantities. Its okay if its broken.
7. Let it cook in medium flame to golden brown.
8. Remove from oil and let it rest for a while in tissue paper.

This makes a different side dish for rice than the usual poriyal.

Vazhakkai Poriyal

Preparation time: 5 mins Makes 3 servings Cooking time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
Raw Plantain ( Vazhakkai ) - 2 nos , chopped Onion/shallots - 1/2 cup, chopped Garlic - 3-4 pods , crushed Red Chillies - 2-3 Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp Chana Dal - 1/2 tsp Mustard - 1/2 tsp Asafoetida - a pinch Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp Turmeric - 1 tsp Curry Leaves - 1 sprig Grated coconut - 2 tsp Salt Oil  

Procedure :

1. Chop the peeled vazhakkai into 1" cubes and put in water till u start cooking.
2. Heat oil in a pan; add mustard, urad dal, chana dal, dry red chillies & curry leaves.
3. Saute Onion to pink and add crushed garlic & asafoetida. Then add tumeric & chilli powder.
4. To this, add the chopped vazhakkai , salt and saute for a while.
5. Do not add water.
6. Cover this & Let cook for about 10-12 mins. Saute in between so that it doesn't get burnt.
7. Switch off the stove, add the grated coconut n mix well.

Serve hot with Rice and curry.

Beans Thoran / Beans Stir Fry

Beans Thoran is a tasty side dish for rice, usually served in Kerala sadyas. Its prepared the same way as Cheera Thoran with a little changes.

Preparation time: 5 mins Makes 2 servings Cooking time: 15 mins Ingredients: Beans - 1 cup, chopped Onion - 1 small, chopped Garlic - 3-4 pods , crushed Red Chillies - 1-2 Urad Dal - 1.5 tsp Chana Dal - 1.5 tsp Mustard - 1.5 tsp Asafoetida - a pinch Curry Leaves - 1 sprig Coconut oil - 1 tsp Salt Oil To grind : Grated coconut - 2-3 tbs Shallots - 3-4 nos. Green Chillies - 2 nos Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp Turmeric - 1/2 tsp Procedure :

1. Grind coarsely the coconut, shallots, g.chillies, cumin seeds and turmeric. Meanwhile microwave the beans with a little water for 4 mins.
2. Heat oil in a pan; add mustard, urad dal, chana dal, dry red chillies & curry leaves.
3. Saute Onion to pink and add crushed garlic & asafoetida.
4. To this, add the chopped beans , salt and saute for a while.
5. After the beans cooks for 3-4 mins, add the ground coconut paste.Mix well.
6. Let this cook till the the mixture is dry.
7. Switch off the stove, add 1 tsp of coconut oil n mix well.

Serve hot with Steamed Rice and curry.

Cheera Thoran / Spinach Stir-fry ( Keerai )

Thoran, a popular and common Kerala cuisine dish is usually prepared to be eaten along with steamed rice. It is usually served as part of the Sadhya along with other dishes. This dry dish is traditionally made of a finely chopped vegetables such as yardlong bean, unripe jackfruit, bittergourd, red/green spinach etc. It is very easy to make n delicious.

Preparation time: 5 mins Makes 2 servings Cooking time: 20 mins Ingredients:


Spinach - 2 cups, chopped Onion/shallots - 1/2 cup, chopped Garlic - 3-4 pods , minced Red Chillies - 2-3 Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp Chana Dal - 1/2 tsp Mustard - 1/2 tsp Asafoetida - a pinch Curry Leaves - 1 sprig Coconut oil - 1 tsp Salt Oil

To grind : Grated coconut - 2-3 tbs Green Chillies - 2-3 Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Procedure:

1. Grind coarsely the coconut, g.chillies, cumin seeds and turmeric.
2. Heat oil in a pan; add mustard, urad dal, chana dal, dry red chillies & curry leaves.
3. Saute Onion to pink and add minced garlic & asafoetida.
4. To this, add the chopped spinach , salt and saute for a while.
5. The spinach would have shrunk completely by now, add the ground coconut paste.Mix well
6. Let this cook till the the mixture is dry.
7. Switch off the stove, add 1 tsp of coconut oil n mix well. This gives a nice aroma and taste to the thoran.

Serve hot with Rice and curry.

Mushroom Pepper Fry

Preparation time:10 mins
Makes 2 servings
Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredient:

Onion - 1 big (finely chopped)
Mushroom- 1 cup (finely chopped)
Tomato - 1 (finely chopped)
Green chilly- 3 (finely chopped)
Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves
Curry leaves
salt
Oil

Procedure:

1.Heat oil in a pan, add jeera, onion, chillies, curry leaves
and tomato.
2.Saute until tomato is mashed completey ,add mushroom now. 
3.Saute for some time and add salt , chilly powder and pepper powder.Saute until raw smell goes off.
3.Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot.

Cabbage Channa dal

Preparation time:15 mins
Makes 3 servings
Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredient:

Onion - 1 big (finely chopped)
Cabbage- 1 cup (finely chopped)
Channa dal- 1/4 cup (soaked and boiled)
Chilly powder- 1 tsp
Cumin seeds -1/4 tsp
Garlic - 3 pods (crushed)
Coriander powder- 3/4 tsp
Garam masala- 3/4 tsp
Coriander leaves
Curry leaves
salt
Oil

Procedure:

1.Heat oil in a pan, add  cumin seeds, onion, garlic, curry leaves and cabbage.
2.Saute until cabbage is half cooked, add salt , chilly
powder,Coriander powder and garam masala.Saute for 4 minutes.
3.Add the boiled dal and mix well.
4.Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot.

Beetroot poriyal

Preparation time:10 mins

Makes 4 servings
Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredient:

Beetroot - 2 big (finely chopped)
Onion - 1 big
Red chilly - 6
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Grated cocunut - 5 tsp
Curry leaves
Salt
Oil

Procedure:

1.Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, red chilly,curry leaves and onions.Fry until onions are translucent.
2.Add beetroot and salt.
3.Close with a lid and cook until beetroot is done.
4.Garnish with grated cocunut.

Serve hot.

Pudalangai poriyal

Preparation time: 5 mins
Makes 2 servings
Cooking time:15 mins

Ingredients:

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Onion - 1 medium sized
Snake gourd - 3 cups (chopped)
Green chilly- 5
Cocunut - 1/2 cup grated (optional)
Salt
Oil

Procedure:

1.Heat oil in a pan.
2.Add cumin seeds, onion and green chilly.
3.Fry till translucent, add snake gourd and salt.
4.Close with a lid and cook for 10 to 15 mins.
5. Open the lid, stir and let it cook for 2 mins.
6.Garnish with grated cocunut.
Serve hot.

Cabbage poriyal

 Preparation time: 15 mins
Makes 3 servings
Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients:
Cabbage - 1 small (finely chopped)
Onions - 1 medium sized (finely chopped)
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds -1/4 tsp
Urad dal- 1/4 tsp
Green chilly- 5 (slit)
Curry leaves
Oil - 3 tsp
Salt

Procedure:

1.Heat oil in a pan.
2.Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and urad dal.
3.When mustard seeds splutters, add curry leaves, green chilly and onions.
4.When onions are translucent, add cabbage and salt.Mix it well.
5.Close the pan with a lid and wait till the cabbage is cooked.
6.Open the lid, mix it again and simmer for a minute.
Serve hot

Potato Fry



 Preparation time: 10 mins
Makes  3 servings
Cooking time: 15 to 25 mins

Ingredients:

Potato- 3 medim size(cut into small cubes)
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder-  2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Oil -3 tsp
Salt
Curry leaves

Procedure:

1.Heat oil in a pan.
2.Add cumin seeds, curry leaves,chilly powder,coriander powder and salt.Fry for one minute.
3.Now add potatoes cubes and mix well.
4.Close the pan with a lid and allow the potatoes to cook.
5.When potatoes are cooked,mix it again and simmer it for 60 seconds.
Serve hot.