Keerai Masiyal| Postpartum Diet|BM #13

Ingredients
1 Bunch Spinach or 2 cups of chopped spinach
1 Green Chilli
1/2 Lemon
1 1/2 tea spoon Asafeotida
1 tea spoon Mustard seeds
1 tea spoon Urad dhal
1 tea spoon oil
salt to taste

Method
Chop spinach.
In a pressure cooker add the chopped spinach,green chilli, salt and very little water. Cook up to 1 whistle.
Once cooked, mash well with a masher.
In a small pan add a little oil, mustard seeds,asafeotida and urad dhal and allow it to splutter.
Mix well with the spinach and then finally squeeze the lemon and serve with rice or roti.

This is the most simplest recipe ever to make.


Note:
This is very high in fiber and contains no fat at all.
This is very good for postpartum women since it contains lot of fiber.This is good to have a cup everyday.
It can be cooked with any kind of greens. I used spinach.
Green chilly can be avoided if necessary.

This goes to Srivalli's Blogging Marathon 13

This goes to Tickling Pallets- Let's cook Green

This also goes to Healthy Morsels- Pregnancy

 

spinach

16

Peerkangai(Ridge Gourd)Thuvayal|5 Ingredients or less

Today, I had peerkangai at home which i bought from Indian store and thought of making Thuvayal with that. Also, it would ideally fit for the theme 5 Ingredients for BM#8.
Ingredients
1 long Ridge Gourd(Peerkangai)
1-2 table spoon Urad dhal
3-4 Red Chillies
1/2 tea spoon Tamarind paste
salt to taste and little oil

Method
In a pan add the oil,urad dhal and red chillies and fry for a minute.keep them aside.
In the same pan add the cut ridge gourd and saute until it shrinks a little bit or till the raw smell goes away.
Add the salt and tamarind paste and saute for a minute.
Grind everything to a smooth paste including the dhal and gourd to form a thick thuvayal.
Serve with Rice and ghee or any tiffin.

Check out other marathoners here

Thuvayal

15

Spring Onion Sabji|5 Ingredients or less

My post for the second of the Blogging Marathon here for the theme Ingredient or less.
Ingredients
2 bunches of Spring Onions or scallions
2 Tomatoes
1 tea spoon chilli powder and Garam masala
salt to taste
1 tea spoon oil
Method
Grind the Tomatoes and onions from the spring onions and keep aside.
chop the leaves of the scallions or spring onions.
In a pan add one tea spoon oil, ground onion and both the powders and stir for few minutes.
Then add the leaves and fry for a minute
Then add the tomatoes and salt and stir for few minutes until the raw smell goes away and becomes little thick. Add a little water if required to extend the consistency.
Serve hot with ice or Roti's.

Check out my other Marathoners here

spinach

16

Drumstick Leaves Thuvayal|BM#7

I had a lot of drumstick leaves at home and wanted to make something different other than sambar which i usually make.I found this recipe (Thuvayal) in Mallika Badrinath's book.
Also, I thought this will be apt for Blogging Marathon for the theme, "Cook with cook books".
Recipe Source: Mallika Badrinath's Classic Lunch Recipes
1 cup Drumstick leaves
1 tbl spoon Urad dhal
1 tbl spoon Channa dhal
5-6 Red chillies
1 tbl spoon Coconut grated
pinch of Asafeotida
little tamarind
salt to taste
oil 2 tea spoon

Method:
In a pan add the oil,urad dhal,channa dhal,asafeotida and red chillies and fry until golden brown
Remove from the stove and keep them aside.
In a drop of oil fry the drunstick leaves seperatly until the leaves shrinks.
Grind everything together(leaves,Dhals,salt,tamarind and coconut) to a paste
Serve with rice or any tiffin varieties.

Check out other blogging marathoners here

Thuvayal

18

Paneer Burji

I had a store bought paneer was tempted to cook it today, I was bored of always making a dish with gravy. Hence decided to do Burji out of it.
Recipe for Paneer burji is as follows,
2 cups of grated paneer
1 onion cut fine
1 Capsicim
1 cup of peas and carrot
2 Tomato
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp Chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp Aam chur powder
1 tbl spn Kasoori methi
1 tsp Jeera
1 tbl spn oil
salt to taste


Method
In a pan add the oil, jeera and allow it to splutter.
Add the onions and salt and fy till golden brown.
Add the peas, carrot and capsicum and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the tomato and cook well till the oil seperates.
Add all the masala powders and mix well.
Finally add the Grated paneer and cook till the raw smell goes away for about 5 minutes.
Serve hot with Roti's.

Side Dish

4

Methi Dal

Methi dal is really fast and easy dish. Methi in general is good for health and here goes the recipe for Dal.
Ingredients
1 cup Methi leaves
1 Tomato
1 Onion
1/2 cup Moong Dhal
2 Green chillies
1/2 lemon
salt to taste

To temper
1 tea spoon Mustard seeds
1 tea spoon Urad dhal
1 tea spoon Jeera
1 tea spoon Oil

Method
In a pressure cooker add oil, mustard seeds, urad dhal, jeera and allow it to splutter.
Add the onions, tomato and Methi leaves and fry for a minute.
Add the Moong dhal and mix and cook until 1-2 whistles based on your cooker.
Once cooked add salt and lemon and mix well. Add water if required.
Serve hot with phulkas or Rice.

This dish goes to Mom chef's herbs and flowers in my platter event and originally hosted by PJ.

Side Dish

3

Mysore Rasam/Paavakai Kari- Day 7

Today is the last day of the Blogging Marathon #4 by Srivalli.
It was real fun preparing and participating in the event.
Now, here is the recipe for Mysore rasam.
Ingredients
preparation time:5 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes
1/2 cup Toor dhal
1 Tomato
1 tea spoon turmeric powder
1 1/2 tea spoon Tamarind paste
To Grind
2 tea spoon Coriander seeds (Dhania)
1 tea spoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
1 tea spoon Pepper powder
2-3 Dried red chillies
2-3 curry leaves
1/2 tea spoon Asafoetida
To Temper
1 tea spoon Mustard seeds
1 tea spoon Jeera
1 tea spoon Ghee
salt to taste

Method
In a pressure cooker add the toor dhal and turmeric powder allow it to cook.
In a small pan add coriander seeds, jeera, pepper powder and red chillies and fry till nice aroma comes.
Grind into a smooth powder.
Once the dhal is cooked add 2- 21/2 cups of water and Tamarind paste then allow it to boil till the raw smell goes away (5-10 minutes).
Add the ground powder, salt and mix well with the rasam.
Serve hot with rice and kari.

Paavakai Kari
preparation time: less than 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
3-4 Paavakai (Bitter gourd)
2 tea spoon Besan (Kadalai maav)
1 tea spoon Rice flour
1 tea spoon chilli powder
1/2 tea spoon turmeric powder
1 table spoon oil
salt to taste
Method
Cut the bitter gourd into thin pieces.
Mix all the other ingredients and keep it in oven and put it in broil-low for 10 minutes until it becomes crisp.
If you don't have oven then you can cook in the stove itself until it becomes crisp.
Serve hot with rice and rasam.

Check out my Blogging Marathoners doing BM#4 hosted by Srivalli

Diabetes Diet/Management: PJ
Kid Friendly Recipes: Suma, Priya Suresh, Divya
Seven Days of Soup:Ila, Smita P
Seven Days of Indian Bread: Monika
Seven Days of Cakes: Bhagyashri
30 Minutes Meals: Archana
Seven days of Condiment: Kamalika, Srivalli

This Mysore rasam also goes to Suma's Veggie Platter Toor dhal event.

South Indian

7

Pav Bhaji- Day 5

Wow today is the fifth day of 7 day blogging marathon by Srivalli. Days are going really fast.
Also it is fun though. Being Friday evening i thought of making something spicy and hot.
My mother gave an idea of making Pav Bhaji and this is surely durable to make within 30 minutes.
Here goes the recipe for Pav Bhaji

Ingredients
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

2 Potatoes
2 Tomatoes
1 Capsicum
1 Big Onion
1 cup peas
1 cup carrot
1 tea spoon turmeric powder
1 tea spoon Red chilli powder
1 table spoon Pav Bhaji masala
1 1/2 table spoon Butter
1 tea spoon Jeera
salt to taste

Method
In a pressure cooker add potatoes, carrot and peas, turmeric powder and allow it to cook up to 2 whistles.
In a pan add butter and jeera and allow it to splutter. Then add the onions and salt and saute until it turns transparent.
Add the chopped capsicum and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Next add the chopped tomatoes ad saute for 2 minutes.
Add pav bhaji masala, chilli powder and combine the mashed and cooked potatoes/carrots and peas.
Mix well for 3-4 minutes and add water if required.
Serve hot with butter toasted pav or bread.
Check out my Blogging Marathoners doing BM#4 hosted by Srivalli

Diabetes Diet/Management: PJ
Kid Friendly Recipes: Suma, Priya Suresh, Divya
Seven Days of Soup:Ila, Smita P
Seven Days of Indian Bread: Monika
Seven Days of Cakes: Bhagyashri
30 Minutes Meals: Archana
Seven days of Condiment: Kamalika, Srivalli

Tiffin

3

Aloo Methi

Very simple and quick dish to make with ingredients whatever you have at home.
Ingredients
2 potatoes
1 cup methi leaves
2 tomatoes
1/2 onion (optional)
2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp dry mango powder
1 tsp Jeera
2 table spoon of oil
salt to taste

Method
Chop the potatoes,tomato,onion and methi and keep aside.
In a pan, add oil, jeera and allow it to splutter.
Add the Onion and fry till golden brown.
Add the methi leaves, tomatoes and potatoes and allow it to cook till done.
Add some water for boiling the vegetables and cook them covered.
Add salt, chilli powder, garam masala and dry mango powder and stir well.
Servce hot with roti's or rice.

Side Dish

3

Soya Methi

I tried a recipe with Soya Chunks(Nutrella, Meal Maker) and turned to be good. This is very nutritious and healthy.

Here is the recipe
1 cup of Soya Chunks
2 tomatoes
1 onion ( 1/2 chopped, 1/2 grounded)
2 tbl spoon Kasoori Methi
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp amchur powder
1/2 tsp ginger paste
4-5 cashew(ground to a paste)
1 tsp Jeera
1 tbl spoon butter
salt to taste

Method:

1. Crush the tomato into a puree and keep aside
2. grind 1/2 onion and keep aside
3. Soak the soya chunks for 10 min and Boil the soya chunks and keep aside
4. In a hot kadai add butter and jeera and allow it to splutter.
5. Add the onion paste and cut onions and fry for a while till it turns transparent
6. Add the tomato puree and cook for about 5 min
7. Add all the masala powders
8. Add water to make it liquid
9. Add the cashew paste and cook till the gravy thickens
10. Add the soya chunks and stir well
11. Methi Soya is ready to serve with Roti, Rice or naan.

This entry goes to Mahanandi's

Side Dish

2

Vegetable Korma

After a long time, posting a dish. yesterday i made Chapathi and korma.

Ingredients:
Potato 1 Nos
Beans,Carrot,Corn,Peas and soya bean 1 cup
Onion 1 cut and 1 for grinding
Tomato 1
Bell Pepper 1
salt to taste

To grind:
Green Chillies 3
Cashew Nuts 3 Tb spoon
Khus Khus 1 tsp
onion 1
Cinnamon 1 small piece
Cardamon 1
Coconut grated 3 tsp
Cloves 2
Oil 1 tsp

Method:
Pour oil in a pan add all the ingredients that are to be grounded and fry for five min.
Grind into smooth paste
In a another pan, add 1 tsp oil and fry the cut onions.
Add tomato,bell pepper and fry till cooked
Boil the other vegetables and then add to tomato and bell pepper.
Add salt, ground paste and mix well till it thickens
Serve hot with chapathi's,Naan or Rice

Vegetable

2

Kofta Curry

What you need:
For Gravy:
Onion 1 (1/2 cut into pieces and 1/2 into paste)
Tomato Puree (2 tomatoes)
chilli powder 1 tsp
Garam masala 1 tsp
Aam chur powder 1 tsp
Kasthoori methi 1 tsp
buttter 1 tb spoon (salted or unsalted)
Cashew paste 2 tb spoon
Ginger/garlic paste 1 tsp
Jeera 1 tsp
salt to taste

For kofta:
Boiled and mashed potatoes 2 nos
sweet corn 2 tb spoon
few raisins
maida 1 tsp
Rice flour 1 tsp
Rava for outer coating
oil 1 laddle to fry

Grind to paste:
Tomato for puree
Cashew paste(grind cashew with little water)
onion paste

How to make the koftas?

• Boil the potatoes and mash well.
• Add sweet corn, salt, raisins, maida and rice flour and bind well
• make small balls from them
• boil oil in a pan and fry the koftas till golden brown.

How to make the Gravy?

• In a pan add 1 tb spoon of butter,jeera and allow it to splutter
• Add ground onion paste, cut onion and fry till golden brown
• Add the Tomato puree and cook till oil separates from the pan
• Add chilli powder, aamchur powder, garam masala, salt and kasthoori methi and cook for a while
• Add the cashew paste and cook till it thickens
• add the koftas at the end before serving
• Gravy is done.

This is my entry to Srivalli's Curry Mela.

Side Dish

1

keerai Poricha Kootu(Spinach)

Poricha kootu is a south indian traditional recipe made from just dhal and vegetable or keerai.
It's very healthy and protein rich recipe.
Here are the ingredients:
1 cup cut spinach
1/2 cup toor dhal
1 tsp tumeric powder

To fry and grind:
1 TB spoon urad dhal
1 tsp asefotida
2 TB spoon grated coconut
3-4 red chillies
5-6 pepper balls
1 TB spoon pottu kadalai(to thicken) optional
salt to taste

To temper:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dhal
1-2 red chilli

Method:

1. In a vessel add the cut spinach, dhal and tumeric powder and pressure cook till done.
2. In a pan with 1 tsp oil add all the ingredients in "To fry and Grind" and saute for a minute
3. Once cooled down grind them to a paste
4. Add the paste to the spinach and dhal and temper them.
5. kootu is ready
   

This can be alternated with any vegetables instead of spinach

spinach

2

Matar Paneer

Ingredients:
Peas 1 cup boiled
Paneer 10 pieces
Tomato puree 1 cup
Onion 1 nos
Jeera 1 tsp
Ginger paste 1 tsp
garam masala 2 tsp
Dhania powder 1 tsp
Aam chur 1 tsp
red chilli powder 1 tsp
Salt to taste

• Fry paneer and keep aside
• Add little oil in kadai and add jeera.Fry till it splutters
• Cut 1/2 onion and make a paste of other 1/2, fry both till golden brown
• Add tomato paste and add little water
• Boil till the oil separates the pan
• Add garam masala, dhania powder,aam chur and salt and boil for a while
• Finally add boiled peas and fried paneer
• Matar Paneer is ready to serve

Side Dish

1

Paneer Butter Masala

We always wonder how does hotel dish tastes different and yummy. But here is recipe for Paneer Butter Masala made at home as it tastes in all hotels.

Ingredients:
Paneer cut into cubes 15 pieces
Butter 2 Tb spoon
Tomato puree 2 tomatoes
Onion 1 nos
cashew nuts 1 tb spoon
Ginger&garlic paste 1 tsp
Red Chilli powder 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder 1 tsp
Aam Chur powder 1 tsp
Kasthoori methi 1 tsp
Jeera 1 tsp
cilantro to garnish
salt to taste

To Grind:

• Grind 1/2 onion to smooth paste, chop the other half into small pieces.
• Grind the tomato and make it a puree.
• Grind cashew into smooth paste

Method:

1. Fry the Paneer to half brown stage in little oil.
2. Drop the fried paneer in hot water and keep aside.(this is to reduce oil and make it soft)
3. In a kadai put the butter and add jeera. fry till it splutters.
4. Add grounded onion and fry little.
5. Then add the cut onion and fry till golden brown.
6. Add Ginger& Garlic paste and fry for a minute.
7. Now add tomato and boil it till the oil separates from the pan.
8. Add red chili powder, garam masala, kasthoori methi, amchur powder, and salt.
9. Add a little(1/2 cup) water if needed to make semi liquid state.
10. Add the cashew paste and cook for five min.(till the gravy becomes thick)
11. Finally add the paneer pieces and boil for five minutes.
12. garnish with cilantro
13. Serve hot with Naans, chapathi or rice.

Alternatives:

• we can use cauliflower or potato instead of paneer. Just need to boil the vegetable and put in the gravy.You need not fry.
• You can put as raw paneer instead of frying.

Side Dish

2