Ridge Gourd Peel Chutney

I like to use the vegetable from the peel to the seed, if edible and make use of it in cooking.
My family loves the peel chutney of ridge gourd or chow chow or cucumber.
The best of all these peels are the aroma they really give in the chutney.
When you just taste them, it bursts out fresh flavours and rejuvenates your taste buds insantly in your mouth.
Very ideal and perfect for those lazy days and yet longing for comfort and healthy meal.
It is a perfect one dish meal to mix with rice and best as a combination with curd rice.

Ingredients:
Ridge Gourd Peel - 1cup(peeled washed and cut),
Chana Dhal - 1 fistful,
Red chillies - 8-10,
Asafoetida - a pinch,
Tamarind - 1 small marble size,
Coconut - 1 cup grated(fresh or frozen),
Salt,
Oil - 2 tspn.
Jaggery - 1 tspn,
Fresh Coriander  - 1 Tblspn.

For tempering:
Oil - 1 tspn,
Mustard seeds - 1 tspn.
Asafoetida - a pinch.

Method:
In a kadai heat oil, add chana dhal, red chillies and asafoeida and fry.
Once dhal is lightly browned, add the peels and fry until soft and raw smell of the peels are gone.
Add tamarind and coconut and fry. Add coriander and remove from heat.
Cool and grind with salt and jaggery to a course paste.
For tempering, heat oil in a pan, add mustard and hing.
When mustard crackles pour to the chutney and serve.
You can also serve with idlis dosas or chapathis.



 

Coconut Chutney

Its Coconut chutney today.
This Chutney is from my grandmother's humble kitchen. She was a fab cook and excellent human being. Her food still lingers in my mouth. Miss those wonderful days of her cooking.
Now coming to the chutney, this is a simple plain chutney which goes very well with idli, dosa or just even with plain rice and a  dash of ghee.

Ingredients:
Coconut - 11/2 cups,
Chana dhal - 1generous handful,
Urad dhal - 1 Tblspn,
Ginger - 2 inches,
Green chillies - 6-8,
Curry Leaves - 1 hand full,
Tamarind - Small marble size,
Coriander - 1/2 medium bunch,
Salt,
Oil - 2 tspn,
Jaggery - 1/2tspn.

For tempering:
Oil - 1tspn
Mustard - 1spn,
Asafoetida - a pinch.

Method:
In a pan heat oil, add chana dhal, urad dhal and ginger.
Fry uptill dhals are lighly browned, add green chillies and curry leaves.
Fry for few seconds and add tamarind and coconut.
Fry for a minute and add coriander and remove from flame.
Allow to cool, grind with salt and jaggery and grind.
Do not grind to fine paste. Let the chutney be a bit course paste.
It tastes very good that way.
Give the tempering to the chutney with the ingredients under tempering and serve with idlis, dosas or just anything you like.


 

Pongal or Khichidi

Pongal is yet another staple breakfast of south indians. It can be savoured with sambhar or chutney.
I like it with papad and methi sweet and tangy sauce.
There is a slight difference how tamalians make and kannadigas make.
Kannadigas add dry coconut and turmeric to the pongal but tamalians dont. It is again upto you whether to add dry coconut or not.
Now coming to the recipe. I will post methi sweet and tangy sauce.

Ingridients:
Raw Rice - 1cup(soaked for 15-20mins),
Moong Dhal - 1/4 cup,
Salt,
Ghee - 2-3 Tblspn,
Dry coconut - 1/4 cup(grated),
Ginger - 1tspn(grated or chopped),
Green chillies - 1tspn(chopped),
Whole pepper corns - 1tspn,
Cumin - 1tspn,
Asafoetida - a pinch,
Cashew - 2 tspn,
Turmeric a pinch (optional),
Curry leaves - 1 sprig.

Method:
Dry roast moong dhal until raw smell goes, and lightly browned.
Add boiled water and cook until dhal mashed.
Once dhal is cooked, add soaked rice, a little turmeric and cook until rice is cooked.
                                          or alternatively,
Cook dhal and rice together in a pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles.
Once cooled mix well and mash lightly with the back of the ladle.

Add salt. Add dry coconut.
In a pan heat ghee, add Asafoetida, jeera, pepper, cashew and fry.
Add grated ginger, green chillies, curry leaves.
Add to the cooked rice and dhal.
Mix well. Serve warm with chutney and sambhar.


 

Black Eyed Bean and Rajma Pulao

Pulaos are one of the favourite dish in my family.  I like to make different kinds of pulaos as they are packed with proteins and one pot dish for those days when you want something quick to be made and healthy and the whole family enjoys it. It is absolutely fantastic to pack for lunches. You can add some raita to compliment the dish. It makes a complete meal.
Now coming to the recipe,

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 1 cup (Wash and saok for 20 mins),
Black eyed beans - 2 Tblspn,
Rajma - 2Tblspn.
Soak both the beans.
Salt,
Ghee or Oil - 1Tblspn,
Jeera - 1 tspn,
Onion - 1 Large,(Thinly sliced)
Tomatoes - 2 Medium(Finely chopped),
Water - 2 cups.

To Grind:
Ginger - 1inch,
Garlic - 2-3 cloves,
Corinder - 1 medium bunch.
Cinamon - 1 inch,
Cloves - 3-4,
Green chillies - 3-4,
Shahi jeera or black cumin - 1tspn,
Haldi - 1/4 tspn.
Grind the above with water to fine paste.

Method:
In a pan heat oil or ghee add cumin seeds and let it crackle.
Add onion and fry until light brown.
Add tomatoes and cook until soft.
Add ground paste and fry until the raw smell goes and nice aroma spreads the house.
Add the rice,beans , salt and water(preferably boiled).
Cook until the rice and beans are cooked and rice is fluffly.
Finally if you had used oil for cooking the pulao, add a tspn of ghee once pulao is done as it gives nice flavour and taste.
Enjoy with any raita.

Note:
Water always depends on the rice. Mostly always it is one part of rice and two parts of water.


 

Jewellery

Apart from cooking, photography, travelling and gardening passions, I have few more of them, one of them is jewellery designing. I will be posting some of my jewellery designs here. More to follow guys.

 

Upma or Khara Bhath or Rawa Kichidi(semolina kichidi)

Upma is yet another staple breakfast among south indians, which can be made healthy with lots of veggies, less oil and with either no coconut or very little coconut.
The best thing about upma is you can do it on any lazy day without compromising your diet.
My hubby loves upma. He can have it any time of the day and everyday.
Rawa can also used either rice rawa or medium white rawa(otherwise called local rawa) or extra course semolina.
I always prefer extra course rawa(because my hubby loves extra course semolina upma).

Now coming to the recipe:

Indgredients:
Rawa - 1cup,
Water - 21/2 cups,
turmeric - 1/2 tspn.
Salt.
Onion - 1 medium(chopped),
Tomato - 2 large(choppd)
Beans - 1 tblspn(chopped),
Carrot - 1tblspn(either choppe or grated),
Potato - 1 large(chopped),
Capsicum - 1 medium(chopped),
Peas - 2 tblspn,(either fresh, frozen or dried. If dried saok overnight and cook before hand).
Green chillies - 4-5(finely chopped),
Curry leaves - 1-2 sprigs,
Corinader fresh - 1 tblspn(finely chopped)
Mustard seeds - 1 tspn,
Chana dal - 2 tspn,
Lemon Juice - 1 medium,
Asafoetida - Pinch.
Oil - 2 tblspn.

Method:

In a pan heat oil(approx 1 tblspn), add green chillies and curry leaves.
Then add onion and fry until transcluscent.
Add Beans and carrot and fry. (Alternatively you can steam cook veggies and reduce a tspn of oil).
Add potato and cook until soft. Add capsicum and peas and fry until cooked.
Add tomatoes and turmeric and cook until tomatoes are mushy.
Add water and salt. (you can boil water and add, to reduce cooking time).

In a another pan heat remaining oil(approx 1 tblspn), add asafoetida, mustard, allow to crackle.
Add chana dal and brown it.
Add rawa and roast it to light brown and it emits roasted aroma.
Add this rawa to the boiling water and veggies.
Lower the flame and cover and cook for 4-5 mins. (the mixture looks grainy and bubbled up).
Add chopped coriander, coconut(optional) and mix well.
Allow to cool for couple of mins and then add lemon and serve.



 

weekend

Have a nice weekend.  More recipes will be following