Mixed vegetable Chettinad style

     

   There are some gravies that are simple to make if the spice mix is ready and I like to make a few such mixes for the ease of it. These mixes are perfect for days when you are short of ideas and also do well when you have a few guests coming over. They are complete winners! This is one such recipe. I don't need to make too many things with this, it is complete in itself and has a wholesome taste and flavors attached. You can serve with rice, dosas, appams and even hot parathas. It never fails to please. And on cold days, this is a must make recipe, complete in all ways. 

Ingredients

2 cups mixed vegetables (beans, carrots, cauliflower, peas, bell peppers, potatoes)

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

1 chopped onion

1/2 tsp each of crushed ginger and garlic

Few sprigs of curry leaves 

2 chopped chillies (optional)

Few halved cashews (optional)

2 tbsp oil

!/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp Coriander powder

1/4th tsp Chilli powder 

1-2 bay leaves

2 tbsp Chettinad masala powder

salt to taste

1/4th cup coconut milk

Juice of half a lemon

coriander leaves to garnish

Method

1. Heat oil and add bay leaves, cashews and saute. Put in curry leaves and ginger garlic. saute.

2. Put in the onions and saute till slightly golden. Put in chopped tomato and cook till soft.

3. Now add all the spices and the chettinad masala powder along with salt. Mix well.

4. Put in the vegetables and on medium heat, saute them for about 2-3 mins to coats well and allow a little water to seep out.

5. Cover and cook until soft. 

6. Now add coconut milk and mix well. simmer on slow heat for few mins. 

7. Pour lemon juice and serve with chopped coriander leaves.

8. Extremely wholesome and 1 pot curry to go with any accompaniment. 

PS- You can also make only potatoes with this. Tastes amazing.

Chettinad Masala powder

     

My favorite thing to do is to try out different ingredients, play around with them and still get authentic tastes which makes meals interesting! What else is life all about! We like things spicy and one needs to keep working on making life spicy no matter what. In Jakarta with so much rice available, I started to make a lot of dosas and then moved to making Aapams. My family was hooked. I made the Chettinad masala aloo with them and the taste was something else! I have been wanting to write the recipe down but somehow life happened and I kind of didn't get the time to post recipes. I still like the old fashioned way of putting down my recipes. Helps me stay calm instead off being stressed with huge pressure of editing. People are doing great and I admire them for the energy it requires.

Ingredients

 3-4 Red chillies with stalks

1 tbsp Peppercorns 

3 star anise

1 tsp cumin

Curry leaves a handful

2 tbsp Fennel/saunf 

2 tbsp poppy seeds/ khus khus

1/4th cup coconut grated ( I used dessicated)

2-3 cloves

1 small stick cinnamon

A few pieces of black stone flower (optional)

Method

1. Roast all the spices on medium flame until brown.  Take care not to over roast.

2. Let the coconut be brown and aromatic. The masala starts to leave oil.

3. Cool and grind to a nice rough powder.

4. Store in a cool place. Add to vegetables of your choice. I make potatoes or mixed vegetables. They taste amazing with rice, dosas, appams and even hot parathas.

Mix vegetable kootu

I relished this amazing dish once made by a friend and food blogger. She made cabbage and chana dal version. I decided to try another combination which had lots of vegetables and it turned out amazing. I made a few changes but it satisfied the taste buds and was extremely comforting with its soft and smooth tastes. This comes from South of India. 

INGREDIENTS 

1/2 cup yellow mung dal 

2 tbsp red masoor 

1 cubbed potato

1 cubbed carrot 

1 cup chopped cauliflower 

1/2 cup chopped spinach 

1/2 cup beans chopped 1” pieces 

1 bay leaf 

Salt 

1 tsp haldi 

1 tbsp tamarind paste (optional) 

Ingredients for paste 

1/2 cup coconut shreds(I used dry) 

1” ginger piece 

2-3 garlic 

1-2 green chili 

1 tsp cumin

Ingredients for tadka 

2 tbsp ghee/oil

1 tsp mustard seeds 

Pinch of hing 

2 tbsp urad & chana dal 

2 tbsp curry leaves 

1 red chili 

Chopped coriander for topping 

METHOD

1. Wash and soak dals. Add all the vegetables, salt and haldi and pressure cook until soft. You can choose other vegetables. 

2. Grind ingredients for paste with a little water. 

3. Mix the paste in the vegetable and adjust consistency. Add tamarind paste if want at this point. 

4. Heat ghee or oil. Add hing and mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add chana dal, red chili and curry leaves. Sauté for few seconds. Add chili powder if you like. Pour on top of the curry. Top with chopped coriander. Serve hot with rice or even dosa. 

EXTRAS- Make this with Chana dal and cabbage. Use vegetables of choice. It’s a very soft and smooth dish. It’s very flexible. Add tomatoes if you like. You can add little tamarind paste if like a bit if sourness. 

Dal Pachadi

INGREDIENTS 

5 tbsp white urad dal 

2 tbsp chana dal 

Few pepper corns 

3-4 tbsp coconut grated 

2 red chili 

1/2 tsp jeera 

Few curry leaves 

1/2 tsp chopped ginger 

1 tbsp oil 

Pinch of hing

1/2 tsp mustard seeds 

1 cup whipped curd 

Salt 

1/4 tsp Chili powder 

METHOD

1. Heat a pan and add dals, peppercorns, 1 red chili, jeera and few curry leaves and sauté until golden brown. Cook and add coconut. You can use fresh or dry coconut as you like. Grind it into a powder  

2. Beat the yoghurt with salt and dilute as much as you like. 

3. Add the powder and mix well. Over time the curd will thicken up. Add yoghurt or water as you like. 

4. Heat oil, add hing, mustard, broken red chili, curry leaves and little urad dal. Sauté. 

5. Add ginger and sauté again. Put in chili powder and pour on top of the yoghurt mix. 

6. Adjust consistency and top with fresh coriander. 

7. Relish with rice, dosas or serve as an accompaniment with upma like I did. It’s highly flavorful and refreshing. 

Beetroot pachadi

Beetroots are a rich source of nutrients and one should try and use them in daily diet. This was on my wish list for long. Flavorful and very healthy, it tastes great just the way it is or with rice too. Flavored with coconut, curry leaves and mustard seeds, it’s very satisfying. Try this recipe from South India. 

INGREDIENTS 

5 beetroots medium size 

1-1.5 cups yoghurt 

1/2 cup coconut grated( I used flakes) 

2 green chilies 

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin 

1 tbsp roughly chopped ginger 

Salt 

Curry leaves

2 tbsp oil 

1/2 tsp mustard seeds for tempering 

Chili powder optional 

METHOD

1. Boil the beetroots but keep it a little firm. Cook and chop into small pieces. Or grate through large grater. 

2. Put coconut, chilies. Ginger, cumin, mustard seeds and few curry leaves in a blender and grind to a paste. 

3. Heat the chopped beetroots and add paste. Cover and cook for 2-3 mins. Cool  

4. Add beaten yoghurt to this and keep aside. Add water if you like to adjust consistency. 

5. Heat oil, add mustard seeds. Let them splutter. Add chopped curry leaves. I added red chili powder for extra punch and color. Pour over the curry. Sir and relish with rice. 

Brüsselsprouts Poriyal (coconut)

Ingredients 

500 gms brüsselsprouts cleaned,cut into halves

2 chopped green chilies 

1 tbsp chopped curry leaves 

1 tbsp chana dal 

1 tbsp urad dal

Hing

1 tsp mustard seeds 

1/2 tsp haldi/turmeric 

1/2 tsp chili powder 

2 tbsp oil 

Salt

1/4 cup Coconut flakes

Lemon juice 

Coriander leaves chopped 

METHOD

1. Heat oil and add the mustard seeds and hing. Let them pop. 

2. Add the dals/lentils. And let them color brown. 

3. Add the leaves and green chilies. Sauté. 

4. Put in the spices and salt. 

5. Now add the Brüsselsprouts and mix. 

6. Cover and cook until soft yet not squishy(5-7 mins). Let them remain slightly crunchy. 

7. Now sprinkle coconut flakes and toss well. 

8. Pour lemon juice and let it just stay a little in the wok. 

9. Sprinkle coriander leaves and mix. Serve hot with rice as a side dish. Tastes good even cold. We love it with rice and dal/lentils. 

PS: if you do not have curry leaves, dals/lentils or coriander leaves it’s still fine. You can add peanuts instead of dals/lentils. 

Rawa Kozhukattai

Have you ever tasted the South Indian delicacy Kozhukattai? Try it, amazing for snacks or tea time! Light on breakfast and can be made and kept for in between hunger. I love them and tried making in rawa today. Amazing flavors and really smooth taste. With or without chutney, it is my favorite snack. Do try this and see your kids finish the bowl. 

INGREDIENTS 

1 cup rawa

1/4 cup sour curd (my addition) 

1.5 cup water 

1 tbsp ghee

2 tbsp oil 

1/4 tsp mustard seeds 

2 tbsp chana dal

1 chopped green chili 

1 tsp chopped ginger 

Few curry leaves 

Pinch of hing 

3-4 tbsp grated coconut ( I had desiccated) 

Salt 

Chopped coriander 

METHOD

1. Heat oil, add hing, mustard and dal and sauté till it colors. 

2. Add curry leaves, green chili and ginger and sauté well. 

3. Add salt , yoghurt and water and boil. 

4. Add all the ingredients and cook together till it looks like a dough. 

5. Add butter and mix well. Make small balls and put them in a steaming vessel. 

6. Steam for 10 mins and serve hot with ghee and chutney. 

7. You can also toss them again in tadka of oil, mustard and curry leaves! Can also toss in gun powder. 

8. Serve hot with coffee or in a lunch box. 

Rasam

South Indian cuisine is one of my favorite. Flavorful, healthy and delicious. Has so much variety and so much taste. Rasam is one such dish. A light soup, healthy and good for the soul. Can be made anytime and is good for those colds and during winters or rainy days to drive away your blues. 

Ingredients 

5-6 tomatoes chopped 

2 tsp crushed garlic

Few curry leaves

Walnut size tamarind 

1 tsp oil

1-2 tsp mustard seeds

Pinch of Hing

Ingredients of Spice mix 

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander 

1/2 tsp pepper

1 dry red chilli

Method

Crush the spices roughly for the spice mix.

In a pot pour 5 cups water.

Add chopped tomatoes ,tamarind, crushed garlic ,Hing,salt and spice mix. 

Boil on slow flame for about 30 mins.

Heat oil and add mustard. Let them splatter.

Add curry leaves and pour into rasam.

Add coriander leaves and serve hot. 

Protein packed healthy vadas

Diet protein packed vada with rasam 

My quest for healthier options for all the calorie rich foods never stops me from experimenting in my little kitchen. I saw this donut maker and I wanted to make my all time favorite ... Rasam vada without those extra calories. Today I tried mixed daals and they were passed by full marks by my friends and family. Sharing this goodness on my blog. 

1/2 cup red masoor

1/4 cup Chana dal

1/4 cup tuar

1/4 cup urad

1/4 cup quinoa 

1/4 cup dalia

1/4 cup rice

1 tbsp ginger

2 green chillies

1/2 tsp cumin 

1/6 tsp Hing

2 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 tbsp baking powder

2-3 tbsp curd

1 chopped onion

Salt to taste

Method 

Soak all the grains for about 2-3 hours.

Grind them with green chillies and ginger .You can also add them chopped instead. Add curd to grind. Keep the batter thick. 

Add oil , onions, spices and baking powder and mix well.

Heat donut maker. Apply butter on both sides. 

Pour spoon fulls into each slot.

Close the griddle and cook for about 5-7 mins. 

Serve them hot with steaming rasam or chutney! 

Delicious and healthy !!

Chettinad potatoes

Chettinad aloo

Love the strong flavors of this dish. One whiff of this dish and my little girl couldn't resist a spoon full from the pot. Here it is.

4-5 large potatoes cut into chunks

2 onions sliced

2 chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard

Hing

Curry leaves

Haldi

Salt

To roast and grind to powder

2 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tbsp urad dal

2 red chillies

8-10 peppercorns

1 inch piece cinnamon

2 cloves

1 tbsp fennel seeds/ saunf

Method 

Heat oil and add hing and mustard , let them splutter. 

Add curry leaves and onions and sauté.

Now add haldi and salt and mix.

Put in potatoes and mix.

Add chopped tomatoes and water and cook till done.

Now sprinkle the masala powder and mix well.

Adjust the water as needed.

Cook for few mins and too with green coriander.

Serve with dosas or lemon rice. 

Curry leaves podi

Curry leaves podi

South Indian food is really relished by my family. Here is one such podi..... Yummy and flavorful!

2 cups curry leaves

2 tsp oil

6-7 garlic cloves

1/4 tsp hing

1 tbsp Chana dal

1 tbsp urad dal

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1/2 tsp methi seeds

3-4 red chillies

6-8 pepper corns

2 tbsp desiccated coconut

Walnut size tamarind

Salt 

Heat 1 tsp oil and add curry leaves and crisp them up.

Heat the rest of the oil and add garlic and cook a bit.

Add the rest of the ingredients and cook till golden.

Mix all the things, cool and grind well to a nice powder.

Yummy to be eaten with rice or idlis! Enjoy !

Idlis

Perfect idli dosa with sona masuri! These were absolutely the best so far. Will stick to this proportion. They are heavier though than just with idli rice. Recipe here...

1 cup sona masoori rice

1 cup idli rice

1/2 cup urad dal

1/2 cup poha

1 tsp methi seeds

Salt as needed

Soak rice , poha and methi together and dal separate. Grind after few hrs. Keep overnight to ferment and steam them as idlis or dilute the batter a bit for dosas. Enjoy! Hit with sambhar and onion tomato chutney.

Kohlrabi sambhar

Moving to Germany has been tough as lack of desi vegetables has made it difficult to cook and get desi tastes. But that doesn't stop me from trying things constantly. So make do with whatever I can find in a supermarket. Family loved this one as the tastes were intense and it was lighter than the daal sambhar. 

Ingredients 

One head kohlrabi cut into fingers

2 thickly chopped onions

1/2 pod garlic chopped in chunks

1 tbsp chopped ginger

Curry leaves hand full

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp ghee

1/2 tsp each of methi, mustard and jeera

1/8 tsp hing

2 tbsp of Chana dal

2 tsp of sambhar powder

1/3 tsp haldi

1/3 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp dhaniya powder

1/4 cup grated coconut paste( optional)

2 Chopped tomatoes

Paste from walnut size tamarind

Method

Heat oil and add tadka of mustard, jeera and methi. Let it color n add hing and one red chilli.

Add Chana dal and curry leaves.

Add all the vegs and sauté on low heat till slightly golden.

Add dry masalas and cook for few secs to get aroma.

Add the tamarind paste and turn well. 

Put the coconut if you are using n cook for few mins.

Add water and pressure cook for few whistles n simmer for few mins till the kohlrabi is cooked.

Top with ghee and coriander leaves.

Serve hot and tastes nice as a thin soup/ rasam soup variety too. Light with idlis, can steal few more ;)

Tomato pickle

The South Indian pickles are my favorite and here is one more such recipes from my kitchen.

Ingredients

1 cup Tomato purée/ chopped tomato can

100 gms tomato paste

6-8 green chillies

1/2 pod garlic

2" piece ginger

3 tsp sambhar powder

1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp methi powder
1 tsp mustard powder

1/2 cup Olive oil

1 tbsp Chana dal

1 tsp urad dal

1 tsp methi seeds

1 tsp mustard

Curry leaves

1/4 tsp hing

Method

Crush ginger , garlic and green chillies. 

Hear oil , add hing, methi and mustard. Let them splutter. Add the dals and let them color.

Add curry leaves and the crushed ginger paste.

Cook for a while.

Add tomato purée and paste and sauté.

Add salt , chilli powder, methi and mustard powder and sambhar masala. Cook till all the water evaporates and oil starts leaving the mixture.

Cool and store.

Toor daal and rice steamed balls