My last post was roti. So I thought of posting the all time favourite side dish “GOBI MANCHURIAN”

Ingredients

Gobi (cauliflower )  – 1 medium size

Maida (all purpose flour) – 3/4 cup

Corn flour – 1 tbl spoon

Chilli powder – 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Vinegar 1/2 tsp

Chopped green chillies – 1tsp

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbl spoon

finely chopped onion and bell pepper – 1 cup

Ajinomoto – 1/4 tsp

Soya sauce – 2 tbl spoon

Tomato sauce – 2-3 tbl spoon

Oil- for deep frying gobi

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Procedure

-Cut Gobi into small petals .  soak it in salt water for 10 minutes.  Drain the water and half cook the gobi by adding a small amount of water and salt.

-Make a thick paste using maida, corn flour, salt, 1/2 tbl spoon ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp chilli powder.  Toss the gobi in the paste and deep fry.  Drain the oil and set aside.

- Now in a pan   apply 2 tbl spoon of oil.  Saute chopped onion, capsicum, ginger garlic paste for few minutes.  Once the onion becomes tender add 2-3 tbl spoon tomato sauce, 2 tbl spoon soya sauce and ajinomoto.

-Now add the fried gobi and saute it for few minutes till it becomes dry.  Garnish it with coriander  and spring onions.

If you are going to make it in large quantities,  keep the fried gobi  separate and the gravy portion separate.  Just saute it before serving.  This the preparation I do at home which gives the typical taste as that of hotel.

I am sure roti is a all time favourite breakfast,  especially  with a perfect side dish.  It is very simple to make soft and delicious rotis.

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour – 2 cups

Water ( luke warm) – 3/4 cup

Salt – 1/4 tsp (to taste)

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Procedure

Preparation of the dough

-Mix the wheat flour and salt together in fairly a large and broad bowl.  Make a well in the middle and add the water little by little and keep mixing it until the dough is moist enough to be gathered into a rough mass.

-Continue mixing the flour until  it becomes a  non sticky kneadable  dough. Keep kneading the dough until it becomes  smooth, silky and elastic in nature ( if you press the dough lightly in the finger tip it will bounce back).

-Allow the dough to rest for atleast 1/2 an hour.  Cover it with a wet cloth to avoid drying of the upper layer.

Preparation of Roti

-Divide the dough into small balls of lemon size.  Using rolling pins flatten the dough evenly in round shape.

-Preheat a cast-iron tawa over medium heat.  Place the rolled dough on the palm of one hand and flip it over on the tawa.  When the colour changes on the top and bubbles appear,  turn it over.  When both sides are done,  use kitchen tongs to remove the chapati from the skillet.

-Hold the chapathi over the medium flame and it will puff up immediately.  Turn quickly to flame- bake the other side.  Do this several times,  till the edges are well cooked.

-Remove the roti from the flames.  Also remove the steam from the roti using both the hands to prevent hardening of roti.  To keep the rotis warm as they are cooked,  place them in a towel-lined bowl and and fold over the sides of the bowl.  Serve hot,  either completely dry or topped with a small amount of ghee or butter

Mysore Rasam

Ingredients

Tamarind – small lemon size
Tomato – 1 big in size
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Cooked Thoor Dhal – 1 tsp along with water

To fry and grind

Coriander seeds – 2 tsp, Thoordhal – 1 tsp, ChennaDhal – 1 tsp, Red Chilies – 4 (or 6, if u need a spicy rasam)Nos, Black pepper – 1/2 tsp, Methi seeds- 1/4 tsp, Asafoetida -1/4 tsp. Roast the above in a spoon of ghee or oil. Add 1/2 tsp of jeera and Coconut – 1 Tbl spoon, grind it to a smoot powder.

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For Seasoning

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Ghee – 1 tsp
Fresh Curry leaves – 10-15 nos

Procedure

-Strain the tamarind with 1 1/2 cups of water. Instead of putting the tomato as pieces you grind the tomato and add the puree. This will enhance the color of the rasam.

-Add turmeric powder and salt and allow it to boil for about 5 to seven minutes till the raw smell of tamarind vanishes. Now add the powder you prepared.

-Smash the cooked thoor dhal and add it along with its water & allow the rasam to boil just for a minute.

-Add coriander leaves, saute mustard seeds in ghee along with fresh curry leaves and add it to rasam.

Lime Mysore Rasam

Instead of adding the tamarind in the beginning add the lime juice at last, as you did for the lime rasam.

Brinjal Mysore Rasam

Slit the small brinjals into four without fully cutting them.

Cook the brinjal in tamarind water and repeat the same procedure.

This is a very simple variety of kootu made out of cucumber and  chenna dhal.

INGREDIENTS

Cucumber – 2 cups ( chopped into small pieces in the form of cubes)

Chenna Dhal – 2 tbl spoons

Grated coconut – 2 tbl spoons

Cumin(jeera) seeds – 1 tsp

Red chillies – 2 nos (to taste)

Salt – 1/2 tsp ( to taste)

Raw rice – 1/2 tsp

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PROCEDURE

-Pressure cook the chenna dhal and cucumber by adding 1/2 cup of water, salt and one pinch of turmeric powder.  Just allow three whistles and lower the flame for 2 minutes.

-Grind the coconut, jeera , raw rice and red chillies into a fine paste,  by adding little water.

- Add this paste to the cooked cucumber and allow it to boil for 2 minutes.

-Season it with 1/2 tsp mustard, 1/4 spoon asafoetida and fresh curry leaves.

This a very tasty kootu.  Because of its mild nature kids will like it.  It also serves as a side dish to chapathi.

( We all know that cucumber is a watery vegetable. When cooked by adding water it becomes all the more watery.  Don’t drain the excess water.  Instead use it for grinding the coconut paste.  Its nutritious value will be preserved. As far as possible never drain the water used for cooking the vegetables.  All the nutrients will be lost)

Serves 6 Hands-On Time: 20m Total Time: 1hr 00m

Lentils, kale (borecole), sweet potatoes and canned tomatoes blend to make a hearty soup that’s full of fiber and antioxidant vitamins A and C. Kale adds Vitamin K and, surprisingly, calcium to the mix.

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 4 leeks (white and light green parts), cut into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons
* 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained
* 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
* 1 bunch kale, thick stems removed and leaves cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
* 1/2 cup brown lentils
* 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (ajwain or omam)
* Kosher salt (rock salt) and black pepper
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (cheese) (1 ounce; optional)

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Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, breaking them up with a spoon, for 5 minutes.

2. Add 6 cups water and bring to a boil. Stir in the sweet potatoes, kale, lentils, thyme, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Simmer until the lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

3. Spoon into bowls and top with the Parmesan, if using.

* This recipe is the courtesy of Mrs Hema Sridhar, my cousin residing at US.

It is a famous kanidika preparation. I tasted this gojju in one of my friends house Mrs. Swarna who hails from Bangalore , but settled at Delhi. The taste was so good. I got the method of preparation from her which I am going to present it to you now. This brinjal – capsicum gojju.

Ingredients

Required Vegetables

Tender Brinjal – 100 gms

Capsicum -100 gms

Tomato – 100 gms

Chop all the vegetables into small square pieces.

To prepare the Gravy

Tamarind – small lemon size

Chutney Dhal (pottukadalai) – 1 teaspoon

Mustard – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Grated coconut – 1 handful

Red chillies – 2-3 nos ( accoring to taste)

For seasoning

Oil -1 table spoon

Mustard -1 tsp

Methi – 1/2 tsp ( you can season it with whole  methi or if you use methi powder then make it to 1/4 spoon )

Red Chillies – 1 nos

Curry leaves – 10-15 nos

Asafoetida(Hing or perumkayam)  – 1/2 tsp

Procedure

– Strain the tamarind with 1 1/2 cup of water and add the chopped vegetables, one pinch of turmeric powder , salt  and cook them.

-In a dry pan allow the mustard to splutter.  Set asside.  Add one tsp of oil to the pan fry the chutney dhal ,red chillies  and coconut just for 2 minutes.  Allow it to cool and grind it along with mustard and turmeric powder into a fine paste.

- Add this paste to the tamarind – veg gravy and just allow it froth. If you prefer add one small bit  of jagarrey to enhance the taste.

- Season it with mustars , methi, red chillies, curry leaves and hing.

Mouth watering gojju is ready.  It can be served along with raw rice, venpongal, idli , dosa and chapathi.

It is a mixture of vegetables and a variety of legumes  like chenna(konda kadalai) , whole mung dhal( pachai payaru) and  lobia (karamani).

INGREDIENTS

Chopped  Vegetables – 1 cup

Soaked legumes – 1 cup

Small lemon size tamarind

Vegetables used for this preparation are ash gourd (pooshanikai), red pumpkin (parangikari) carrot,  bringal, plantain, mochai parrupu.   Cut all these vegetables into small square pieces.

Soak the legumes overnight.

TO FRY AND GRIND

Chenna dhal – 1 tsp

Urud dhal – 1 tsp

Pepper – 1/4 tsp

Red Chillies – 6 nos

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Edible oil – 1 tsp

Grated coconut – 2 tbl spoon

FOR SEASONING

Mustard – 1/2 tsp

Broken urud dhal -1/2 tps

Fresh curry leaves – 10 – 15 nos

Grated coconut – 1 tsp

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PROCEDURE

-Strain the tamarind with a cup of water.  Cook the vegetables in the tamarind water.  Pressure cook the legumes by adding salt to it.

-Add 1 tsp of  of oil to the pan and fry all the ingredients to be ground except coconut, till they are golden brown. Allow it to cool and grind into  a smooth paste along with coconut.

-Add this paste to the tamarind – vegetable mixture and bring it to boil.  Let it boil for about 2 minutes.  Keep stirring  it continuously to avoid burning at the bottom.  Season it with mustard, urud dhal, curry leaves.  Dry fry the coconut and sprinkle over it.

Very tasty and spicy kadalai kootu  is ready.  It can be had with plain rice.  It is also an excellent side dish for chapathi and dosa.

Tomato is a vegetable which we use in our day to day food. Now let me tell you how to make a pickle  out of it.  This is also called thakali thokku.  It taste very good with plain rice.  It can also be used as a side dish for idli, dosa ,  chapathi etc.

INGREDIENTS

Ripe Tomatoes – 1 kg

Sesame oil – 100 ml (1/2 cup)  ( if you don’t prefer seasma oil then any cooking oil can be used)

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Chilli Powder – 2 Tbl spoon ( to  taste )

Salt – 2 tsp ( to taste)

Methi powder – 1/4  tsp

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

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PROCEDURE

-Wash the tomato and make it into a paste by grinding it in a food processor.

-Take a thick bottom pan and add the sesame oil. Keep it on a medium flame. Once the oil starts fuming add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter completely. Only when the mustard seeds splutters completely the shelf life of thokku  will last long.

-Add the tomato paste and bring it to boil. Once it starts boiling, add  salt, chilli powder  one pinch of  turmeric powder and a small piece of jaggery for added taste.

-When the pulp gets thick, oil will come up on the sides & the gravy will get deposited at the bottom. This indicates that thokku is done.  Add the prepared methi powder , stir it for 2 minutes, thin the asafoetida (hing powder), mix it well.  Cook for another minute and switch off the stove and and transfer it to another clean , sterile c0ntainer to avoid further thickening. Allow it to cool and only then close the container.

This thokku can be stored outside the fridge for 3 to 4 days.  If you are going to store it for  a longer period then refrigerate it.

While serving any pickle,  use dry spoon only.

To prepare methi powder

Dry fry methi in a pan till it is golden brown and make it into a fine  powder.  In fact this methi powder can be used while preparing sambar instead of using whole methi  during seasoning.

If Bangalore tomato is used which is less sour in taste,  we can add lime size tamarind (soak it in hot water and strain it into a thick pulp )  along with tomato paste.

Usually desi tomatoes ( nattu thakali) is preferable to make this pickle.

RAVA IDLI an ideal morning breakfast, very nutritious but easy  to make.

INGREDIENTS

Rava/ sooji – 1 cup (small once preferred)

Curd / Yogurt – 1 cup (If it is little sour in taste it will enhance the taste of the idli)

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Grated ginger -  1/2 tsp

Finely chopped chillies – 2 or 3 ( to taste )

Chopped coriander – 2 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 strand

Chenna dhal, Urud dhal, Jeera – 1/2 tsp each

finely grated carrot – 1/2  cup

Cashew – 10-15 (optional)

Ghee – 2 tsp

Oil – 2tbl spoon

baking salt – 1/4 tsp (Soda)

Salt – 1 tsp ( to taste)

Water – 1/4 cup

PROCEDURE

- Apply 2 tbl spoon of  oil in a pan . Add the mustard seeds , once it starts popping add Chenna dhal, Urud dhal, Jeera and fry till they are golden brown, then add the finely grated ginger, green chillies, and curry leaves and season them.

-Add the rava and fry it for about 5 minutes, so that the sooji is fried.  Now add fried things to the curd.  Also add  the baking salt,  a pinch of asafoetida, chopped carrot, coriander and mix well. The batter should be of idli consistency.  Set aside for 30 minutes.

-In the mean time add 2 tsp of ghee to the pan and fry the cashews till they are golden brown.  (Make the cashews into half and then fry).

-Greece the idli stand .  Fill the molds with the batter and then place the cashews on the top of the batter so that when idlis are cooked the cashews can be seen on the top. Pressure cook without placing weight, for about 12 to 15 minutes. Switch of the stove and give a standing time for about 2 minutes before removing the idlis form the plate.

Spicy and tasty rava idlis  are ready to be served. Serve it with chutney and sambar.

Apart from adding carrot , you can also add 2 tbl spoons of grated coconut, finely chopped beans , beetroot , fresh green peas, capsicum, cabbage and even cauliflower. If you are going to add many vegetables,  then let the cut vegetable amount to 3/ 4 cup.

I try to add as many vegetables as possible , so that the vegetable idli becomes quite nutritive.

If don’ t prefer to add baking salt,  then increase the oil to 3 tbl spoon while seasoning the sooji  and increase the quantity of curd to 1 1/4 cup.

BOMBAY CHUTNEY

Ingredients

Besan – 3 tsp
(Kadalai mavu)
Onion – 1 Nos
(finely chopped)
Tomato – 2 nos
Green chilies – 4 Nos (slit it length wise)
Oil – 2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

For seasoning
mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
curry leaves – 10 to 15 nos
oil – 2 tsp

Procedure

-Mix the besan with 1 tumbler of water. Make it into a dilute batter.

-Apply oil in the pan and allow mustard & cumin’s seeds to splutter . Add finely chopped onion, tomato, curry leaves and the green chilies.along with turmeric powder. if needed add 1 ladle of water to cook the onion.

- Cook till the onion is soft and now add the besan batter and cook it for 5 minutes.

- The gravy will start thickening and will not stick to the pan . This is the consistency. Garnish it with finely chopped coriander.

You can also add 1/2 tsp lemon juice to increase the flavour and taste. This chutney goes well with chapati & poori . It is very easy to prepare. It will hardly take 10 minutes to prepare.