Kathrika Pitla (Eggplant Coconut Curry)

This is another recipe I have tried from The Budding Cook within the same week. It came out so good.I made it for the breakfast club my husband belongs to (yeah yeah his club and I cook) and I got fantastic feedback from everyone.Thanks again Budding Cook.This is her recipe.

Ingredients:
6-7 brinjals, cubed and placed in a bowl of salted water to prevent discoloration.
A big ball of tamarind soaked in hot water
1-2 tsp brown sugar or jaggery (optional)(I did not add it)
½ cup cooked toor dal/split pigeon peas

For roasting and grinding:
1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp urad dal/white lentils
1 Tbsp chana dal/split chickpeas
1 ½ Tbsp coriander seeds
5-8 red chillies
2-3 Tbsp coconut

For seasoning:
I Tbsp Oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp urad dal/white lentils
4-5 curry leaves
A pinch of asafoetida

Method:
Cook the eggplant cubes with some salt in the tamarind extract. Add the jaggery. Cook till eggplants are soft.

Add the roasted and ground spice mixture to the cooked eggplants and cook on medium heat for 2-4 minutes.

Add the cooked dal to the above mixture. Add desired amounts of water depending on the consistency required. Cook for 5 minutes or so. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat.

In a small pan, heat the oil and add all the ingredients for seasoning. Pour the seasoned oil over the pitla.

This went very well with the Ven Pongal I had made for the club.

Egg Curry

I had bookmarked this recipe for Egg Curry by The Budding Cook a long time ago and always meant to try it. Tonight I did try the recipe and it worked for me. I like the flavour of the curry and enjoyed it with rice.

I used the exact recipe as Budding Cook .The only thing I did different was I added the tomato paste with the sauteed onions and tomatoes and boiled it well before pureeing it and then gave the puree a boil with the spices and the eggs.

Ingredients:

6 hard-boiled eggs
3 onions chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
5-6 green chillies, chopped finely
1 ½ tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Salt to taste

Seasoning :
1 Tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds

Method:
Heat oil in a pan & add the cumin seeds.
Add the ginger-garlic paste ,green chillies and chopped onions. Saute till the onions are tender.

Add the chopped tomatoes
Add the tomato paste and 1/2 cup water.
Boil and grind in mixer.

Add the ground paste into a pan.
Add the coriander powder, garam masala and salt.
Add the boiled eggs and cook for 15 mins on medium.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Enjoy hot with rice.

Dosa

Ingredients:
3 cups raw parboiled rice
1 cup urad daal (whole black gram lentil)
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
salt

Method:
Soak rice in double the quantity of water.
Soak the urad daal and fenugreek seeds in 2 cups water.

Soak the above for 6 hours
Grind the rice first until coarse.
Then grind the urad.
Mix the rice with the urad and add about 1 1/2 tsp salt.
Keep it in a warm place overnight (atleast 8 hours).
The dough will rise to double its original consistency.


Heat oil on a pan
Add the dosa batter and spread on pan.
Flip the dosa over after a minute.
Serve with chutney powder.

Garlic Rasam

This recipe has been given to us by our good friend Ani.His aunt visited him a couple of years ago and we got to eat her deliciously cooked south indian fare.This is her recipe.

Ingredients:

4 cups water
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
1 sprig (about 7) curry leaf
6 pods garlic crushed
1 tomato chopped
1 1/2 tsp cumin-pepper powder (Grind equal quantity black pepper and cumin seeds)



1 tsp asafoetida powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red chilli powder (I use 1 tsp rasam powder instead)

Seasoning:

1 tsp ghee
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad daal (black gram lentil)
1 red chilli

Method :

In a pan, take 4 cups water.
Add the tamarind paste, cumin-pepper powder,coriander leaves , curry leaves and crushed garlic.
Add the asafoetida, tomato ,salt and chilli powder
Heat on medium flame till the aroma of tamarind is gone .(about 10 mins)

Add a cup of water and give a boil.
Add the seasonings and serve hot with rice.

Quick Bhel

Ingredients:

2 cups instant bhel mix from Indian store (I used Bombay Bhel)
1/2 onion chopped
1/4 cups coriander leaves chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 tsp green mango chopped (optional)
1/4 cup mint chutney
1/2 tsp chaat masala (optional)

Method:
Combine the onion, tomato and coriander leaves



Add in the instant bhel and mint chutney



Add the chaat masala and green mango
Enjoy

Peas Pulav

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup Basmati rice
2 tsp Ghee
salt to taste
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies split lengthwise
1/2 cup green peas
1 sprig mint
1/4 cup coriander leaves

Method:

Heat ghee.
Add the cumin seeds and green chillies.
Add the basmati rice and saute for a few mins.
Add peas and salt .


Transfer the above to your electric cooker.
Add 3 cups water and turn your cooker on.

Chop the mint and coriander leaves finely.




Add to rice once done and serve hot.
You will love the aroma as well as the taste of the pulav.

Delicious Arhar Daal

Ingredients:

1 cup Pigeon pea(tuar daal) pressure cooked for 3 whistles
salt to taste
2 green chillies
1 inch piece of ginger
1 pod garlic
1 tsp juice of lemon
1/2 tsp turmeric

Seasoning:
2 tsp oil
1 sp cumin seeds

coriander leaves chopped for garnish

Method:
Pressure cook the daal
In a pan, add oil and cumin seeds

To that, crush the ginger ,garlic and green chillies and add.
Add turmeric powder
Add the pressure cooked daal and salt.
Give it a boil.
Add the lemon juice, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or rotis.Very delicious daal in a few steps.