ChickPea Sundal/ Chickpea and Cocunut Salad

Sundal is served as prasad all over south in temples. Temple sundal always has a special taste. This is my humble version. It usually prepared at home too during festival poojas for prasad . And i find it a very healthy evening snack.

Chickpea/Chole - 1 cup soaked overnight

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Green Chilli - 2 tsp , paste or very finely chopped

Coconut - 1/8 cup ,freshly grated

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Curry Leaves - a few.

Salt to taste

Oil - 1 tsp

1. Cook soaked chickpea with salt ,drain and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a frying pan and hing and mustard and cover.

3. When mustard starts to pop, add green chilli ,curry leaves and chickpea .

4. Cook for a minute and add fresh coconut and remove from flame.

PS: Chickpea should be cooked but not mushy. If you don't like to add coconut avoid it and instead use lemon juice to taste. Though lemon juice is not authentic to recipe but still thesundal tastes good.

Dals & Dill Vada/ D&D Fritters

For this fritter i use all the dal available in my pantry. I can it D&D fritters or vada as the main ingredients are DALs and DILL. Dill is what gives this recipe its unique taste. If you like dill you will like this vada.

Channa Dal - 1/4 cup

Toor Dal -1/4 cup

Moong Dal - 1/4 cup

Urad Dal - 1/4 cup

Dill - 1/4 cup chopped fine

Green Chilli - 2 tbsp chopped fine

Onion - 1/2 cup chopped fine

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

1. Wash and soak all the dals for 4 -6 hrs.

2. Coarsely grind all the dals in a food processor.

3. Mix in onion ,chilli , dill and salt.

4. Heat oil to 350 F in a deep pan.

5. Take small lemon size balls of mixture and flatten it between two palms forming a disk.

6. Drop the disc in into the hot oil and deep fry till golden.

7. Serve hot or at room temperature with chutney of your choice.

Cucumber Thalipeeth / Cucumber Pancake

This recipe is inspired by friends mother's Thalipeeth recipe.I just modified it a little because i had some rice flour which i needed to use up and the result my tasters said is good so thought of posting it :).

Rice flour - 1/2 cup

Wheat Flour - 1/2 cup

Cucumber grated - 2 cups

Green Chilli - 1 tbsp Chopped fine

Green Onion - 1/4 cup chopped fine only top greens

Onion - 1/4 cup

Cumin - 1 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil

1. Mix the rice flour,wheat flour ,salt onions,chilli,cumin,turmeric .

2. Mix grated cucumber slowly to the mixture and make a thick very batter and leave it for 15 -20 minutes.

3. Heat a non-stick tava or pan .

4. Drop 1/2 tsp oil and spread it well.

5. Drop a blob of batter on the tava and spread it into a round shape with hands.

6. Make a hole in the center on the round and fill it with oil.

7. Let it cook and check to see by lifting with a flat spatula to check for brown spots on underside.

8. Spread a little oil on top and turn.

9. Cook on the other side till done.

10. Serve with tomato chutney or pickle.

PS : Spreading batter with hands on a hot tava takes a little practice so you can use a wooden fork if it helps to spread :).

I am sending this to WYF- Break Fast Event at blog : SimpleIndianFoods.

Shri Ganeshaya Nama :Suhiyan and Puliyarsadam

Ganesh Utav is celebrated all over India . During Ganesh Ustav families will keep their new idol for 3 , 5 , 10 days.In our family only eldest in the family will keep new Idol every year for 10 days and all others will do pooja and neivadiam for 10 days at there places.

This is what i have prepared for neivadiam for the first day.Vada , Semiya Payasam, KalaChanna Sundal, Suhiyan and Puliyarsadam

Here's the recipe for the MIL's Suhiyan and Puliyarsadam

Suhiyan

Channa Dal - 1/4 cup

Gratted jaggery - 1/4 cup

Cardamon Pw - 1/2 tsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

All purpose flour - 1/4 cup

Water as needed

salt to taste

Oil for frying

1. Cook channa dal with little water in pressure cooker till done but not mushy.

2. Keep the cooked dal in a seive and let all water drain.

3. Add dal, cardamon pw, jaggery to a food processor and pulse it few times.

4. Heat ghee in a pan , add the mixture , mix and cook till all moisture is dried.

5. Keep a side to cool and when cooled make small balls.

6. Mix salt and flour and make a thick pancake like batter adding little water at a time.

7. Heat oil to 350 F in a deep pan.

8. Dip the dal ball in batter and deep fry till golden.

Puliyarsadam / Tamarind Rice

Cooked Rice - 2 cup

Tamarind - small lemon sized ball

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Red Chilli Whole - 6

Groundnut - 2 tbsp

Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Channa Dal - 1 tsp

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Jaggery - 2 or 3 tbsp ( i added this but she will not so its optional)

Curry Leaves - a sprig

Oil - 2 tbsp

1. Soak tamarind in warm water and mash and extract the take pulp.

2. Heat oil and add hing and mustard and let it pop.

3. Add ground nut , chilli, curry leaves , urad and channa dal and cook till ground nut is done.

4. Now add tamarind pulp ,jaggery and cook till everything comes to chutney like consistency.

5. Add salt and let the mixture cool.

6. Mix the rice and tamarind mixture and rice is ready to serve.

Mixed Vegetable Curry - Easy Recipe

Mixed vegetable curry is cooked in my home when have little of many vegetables left in the fridge. This is my MIL's recipe and she calls its poriyal. I myself call it clean your fridge mixed veg curry:)The recipe is simple enough for everyday preparation and goes well with roti. .I have used potato,eggplant,cauliflower,drumsticks,beans,tomato. If drumsticks are not available use peanuts.

Potato Yukon gold - 1 medium sized, cubed into 1 1/2 inch pieces

Cauliflower - 1 cup ,florets

Egg Plant - 1/4 cup ,cubed into 1 1/2 inch pieces

Drumsticks - 1/4 cup , 2 inch pieces

or

Peanut - 2 tbsp

Beans - 1/4 cup , 2 inch pieces

Onion - 1/2 cup finely chopped

Tomato - 1 cup finely chopped

Green Chilli - 1 tsp chopped fine

Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp

Turmeric Pw - 1/4 tsp

Red Chilli Pw - 2 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry Leaves - 5-6

Coriander /Cliantro Leaves - 2 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Water - 1 cup

Salt to taste

1. Heat oil in a deep pan and add mustard seeds and let it pop.

2. Add ginger garlic paste,onion, green chilli, curry leaves and salt and cook till onion is golden.

3. Add turmeric ,red chilli powder and cook for a minute.

4. Add tomato mix well and cover and cook till oil starts to separate.

5. Mix the mixture now and then so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of pan.

5. Add potato ,drumstick and water and cover and cook till potato is half  done.

6. Then add all the vegetables and cover and cook till all the vegetable are properly cooked.

7. Check for gravy if its not enough add some more as needed and let come a boil.

8. Remove from heat and sprinkle with coriander leaves.

Tomato Rice

Any kind of left over tomato chutney can be used to make tomato rice . But tomato rice is tasty enough to make a batch of chutney just for making this rice :).

Tomato - 2 cup chopped fine

Ginger - 1 tsp chopped fine

Onion - 1/2 cup chopped fine

Green Chilli - 1 tsp chopped fine

Curry Leaves - 10 -12

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Red Chilli Pw - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 1-2 tsp

1. Heat oil in a deep heavy bottom pan and add hing and mustard.

2. Let mustard pop and then add fenugreek seeds and urad dal.

3. Once dal turns golden add onion ,green chilli,ginger and curry leaves.

4. Cook till the onion turns translucent and add turmeric,red chilli pw and cook for a min .

5. Add tomato cover and cook till tomato is fully cooked.

6. Now add salt and mix well and cook uncovered till desired consistency is reached.

Now that chutney is ready we will need cooked rice . Make sure to cook the rice such that each grain is separate and spread it in a plate.

Cooked Rice - 2 cup

Now that chutney is prepared mix it with the cooked rice and serve with any kind of papad.

PS : You may not need to use the entire chutney so add in small batches of chutney to the rice mix well , taste and add more as needed.

Tomato Chutney

Tomato is so easy to grow and care for and i love to grow them. These year we were lucky to be able to grow 3-4 different variety. Yellow pear is our favorite to pick and snack .Check some pictures of my tomato :)

Tomato is an integral part of north indian cooking but these days its used a lot in south too. And i love to make tomato chutney when tomatoes are in peak and tastes fabulous .This chutney is easy to make and a crowd pleaser too in my family.

Tomato Chutney : 1

Tomato - 2 cups chopped fine

Onion - 1/4 cup chopped fine

Green Chilli - 2 tsp

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Chilli Pw - 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste.

Coriander /Cilantro Leaves - 2 tbsp chopped fine

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and when it starts to pop add cumin .

2. Lower heat to low add ginger garlic paste and cook for 2-3 min.

3. Set heat to medium and add onion,green chilli and cook till onion is golden.

4. Add turmeric , chilli pw and salt and mix well .

5. Add tomato to the onion mixture and mix everything well.

6. Cover and let tomatoes cook for sometime ,keep checking and mix now and then.

5. When tomatoes is cooked and reaches the consistency of chutney ,remove from flame.

6. Mix cliantro leaves and serve with rice or paratha.

Tomato Chutney : 2

This a quick and easy chutney made with all raw ingredients.

Tomato - 1 cup chopped fine

Green Chilli - 2

Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup

Cumin - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

1. Grind everything together without using any water.

2. Goes very well with dosa or as side to roti or rice.

Tomato Chutney : 3

Panch Phoran used here gives this chutney a very distinct flavour.

Tomato - 1 1/2 cup chopped fine

Panch Phoran mix - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Red Chilli Pw - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt to taste

1. Heat oil in a pan add panch phoran mix and let it pop .

2. Add red chilli pw and mix for 1-2 sec.

3. Add Tomato, sugar and salt to taste and cover and cook.

4. Keep mixing now and then and when it reaches the desired chutney like

consistency remove from flame.

5. I find this taste good with puri or paratha.

Tomato Chutney : 4

Now this one is a favorite as this is what my mom makes.

Tomato - 2 cup chopped fine

Ginger - 1 tsp chopped fine

Onion - 1/2 cup chopped fine

Green Chilli - 1 tsp chopped fine

Curry Leaves - 10 -12

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Red Chilli Pw - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 1-2 tsp

1. Heat oil in a deep heavy bottom pan and add hing and mustard.

2. Let mustard pop and then add fenugreek seeds and urad dal.

3. Once dal turns golden add onion ,green chilli,ginger and curry leaves.

4. Cook till the onion turns translucent and add turmeric,red chilli pw and cook for a min .

5. Add tomato cover and cook till tomato is fully cooked.

6. Now add salt and mix well and cook uncovered till desired consistency is reached.

7. This goes very well with rice and roti too.

Tomato Chutney :5

This chutney is made for Dosa and Idli

Tomato - 1 cup chopped fine

Onion - 1/2 cup chopped fine

Whole Red Chilli - 8

Curry Leaves - 10 -12

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 3 tsp

1. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a deep heavy bottom pan and add urad dal.

2. Once dal turns golden add onion , 4-5 red chilli and few curry leaves.

4. Cook till the onion turns translucent ,add turmeric and cook for a min .

5. Add tomato cover and cook till tomato is fully cooked.

6. Now add salt , mix well , cool the mixture and grind to a fine paste with 1/4 cup of water.

7. For tempering : Heat 1 tsp of oil and mustard when it pop add 3 red chilli and remaining curry leaves and add it to the tomato mixture.

PS: If tomato is very sour add a little sugar or jaggery while grinding ,whereas if tomato is very sweet add a small amount of tamarind while grinding.

Happy Krishna Janmasthami

Cabbage Curry

I really need some good everyday type cabbage recipes other than cabbage thoran . But whatever i try so far not yet very happy . Here is one of my experiments though i must warn you that i was not happy with this one too . This is a kind of FUSION of kerala thoran and cabbage ki sabzi. If any body has any good cabbage recipe i would love to try it :). If anybody come across this recipe and happens to try let me know what do you think.

Cabbage - 2 cubs chopped fine.

Onion - 1/2 cup

Green Chilli - 1 tsp chopped fine

Lemon Juice - 1 tsp

Curry Leaves - a few

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Red Chilli Pw - 1 tsp

Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Crushed - 1/4 tsp
Sugar - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt to taste

1. Heat a pan and add mustard seeds and let it crackle.

2. Add onion , green chilli, curry leaves ,salt .
3. And cook till onion turns translucent.

4. Add crushed cumin ,turmeric,red chilli pw ,sugar and cabbage .

5. Mix well ,cover and cook .Keep checking in between and mix now and then.

6. When cabbage is done add garam masala ,lime juice and mix well.

ChickPea Fritters/ Chole Ke Vade

I got carried away one day after hearing so much about the nutritional value of chickpea and soaked a little to much and made Chole the next day but still some reconstituted chickpea was left over in the fridge and decided make some vade because my mother always one of her vade with channa dal.

Soaked Chole - 1 cup

Green Onion - 1/2 cup chopped fine

Green Chilli - 1 tbsp chopped fine /or less to taste

Mint Leaves - 1/4 cup chopped fine

Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup chopped fine

Ginger Leaves - 1 tsp chopped fine

Garlic - 1 clove chopped fine(optional)

Salt to taste

Oil to fry

1. Coarsely grind the chickpea and mix everything into the chickpea mixture and check for seasoning and adjust to your taste.

2. In the mean time heat oil to 350 F and take a small ball of mixture and press between you palm to make a small disc drop it into oil and fry till golden brown.

PS : Fry on medium heat by making sure that the temperature doesn't fall low otherwise the fritters will absorb a lot of oil.

Moong Salad Wrap Sandwich

Whole Moong sprouted is very healthy. My dad says for diabetic patients its good to eat a fist full of sprouted moong after morning exercise . But i myself cannot eat uncooked sprouts so devised this recipe to take in my healthy dose of moong whenever i feel like. This recipe will be a good for healthy breakfast or after school snack for kids .May be they will like to take it in there lunch box with a little ketchup.

I have used whole moong but good old lentils found in supermarkets also tastes good.

Dry Whole Moong - 1 recipe

Whole Wheat Roti (or Any Tortilla) - 6

Tomato - 1/4 cup deseeded and chopped fine

Onion - 1/4 cup chopped fine

Carrot - 2 tbsp grated

Cilantro(Coriander leaves) - 2 tbsp chopped fine

Chat Masala - 1 tsp or to taste

Sev - 1/4 cup

Oil - 2 tsp

1. Prepare a recipe of the dry whole moong and let it cool.

2. Add to it onion,tomato,carrot,cilantro ,chat masala and mix well.

3. Check for seasoning and adjust salt and add sev and mix well.

4. Brush a little olive oil on both sides of the roti or tortilla and warm it.

5. Fill it with the salad and prepare a burrito like wrap and serve with tamarind chutney or ketchup.

I'm sending this to "show me your sandwich" event at Dil-Se

Dry Whole Moong

Whole Moong is cooked and eaten is different ways in different part of India but everybody uses it in their preparation. This itself shows its liked and considered healthy every where.Maharastrians make usal, tamilians make sundal ,kerliates make suhiyan payasam and thoran ,in UP and MP its used in chats etc.

This recipe that i'm posting here is the base for lot of preparation that i do with moong.

Whole Moong - 1 cup ,soaked overnight and sprouted if possible

Onion - 1/2 cup finely chopped

Lemon Juice - 1 1/2 tsp or to taste

Green Chilli - 1 tsp finely chopped.

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

Tumeric - 1/4 tsp

Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp if home made otherwise a little more

Oil - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Water - 1/4 cup

1. Heat a oil and add mustard and let them crackle.

2. Now add onion ,green chilli,salt and cook till onion is golden in colour.

3. Now add moong,tumeric and water and cover and cook on low flame till moong is done.

4. Stop the flame add lemon juice and garam masala and mix well.

Dum Aloo

This year i tried growing potato for the very first time and i have a small balcony garden so grow everything in pots .Sowed the seeds in early spring and now by summer it produced some small cute potatoes for us.

When i saw the baby potatoes the first dish that came to my mind is Dum Aloo.

Baby Potato - 10 - 12

Curd - 1/2 cup

Onion - 1/4 cup chopped fine

Tomato - 1/4 cup

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Chilli Pw - 1 tsp

Coriander Pw - 1 tsp

Dry Ginger Pw -1/2 tsp

Fennel Pw -1/2 tsp

Garam masala -1/4 tsp

Honey -1/2 tsp

Hing -1/4 tsp

Bay Leaf -1 big

Oil -11/2 tbsp and also to deep fry

Salt to taste

Cliantro - 1 tbsp finely chopped

1. Clean and peel the skin of potato and prick with fork and leave in salted water for half an hour and then deep fry and keep aside.

2. If you want to avoid deep frying boil the potato and then peel and prick it with fork and drop them in salted water for half an hour.

3. Grind onion and tomato together to a paste.

4. Mix curd,honey,salt,chilli,coriander ,turmeric,garam masala,ginger and fennel powder.

5. Heat oil and add hing and bay leaf to it.

6. Add onion tomato paste and cook till oil separates.

7. Lower the flame and add curd masala mix and cook till oil floats on top.

8. Add the potato and cup of water and let every thing simmer till the gravy reaches the required consistency.

9. Remove from heat and add finely chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Spinach and Potato in South Indian in style.

Potato - 1 big yukon gold
Spinach - 1 bunch
Onion - 1/2 cup chopped
Green Chilli -3
Garlic -2
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Channa Dal - 1 tsp
Hing Powder - 4 pinch
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Lime Juice - 1 tsp
Turmeric -1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

1. Boil Potato and cut into small cubes.
2. Blanch spinach and press out the water and chop fine. Save water form Spinach and use it to cook that days dal.
3.Heat oil add hing, mustard,cumin and let it crackle.
4. Add channa dal and urad dal and let them to be light golden .
5. Add Crushed garlic and chopped onion,chopped green chilli.Fry till onion is golden brown.
6. Add potato,salt ,tumeric and fry for a min.
7. Add Spinach and mix everything well light handedly for 2-3 min .
8. Put of the flame and add lemon juice and serve with hot chapati and rice.