SWEET POTATO STIR FRY

 SWEET POTATO STIR FRY

There is a school of thought which says that Sweet Potatoes are indeed better than Potatoes. Both are good within limits and each has its pros and cons but it is well-established that the sweet potato has several health benefits.

Sweet Potatoes are known as Shakarkhand in Hindi, Sihi Genasu in Kannada and Kannang in my mother tongue, Konkani. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for other dishes using sweet potatoes such as:-

• Sweet Potato Masala Fry 
• Sweet Potato Tikkis
• Mergole- Sweet Potato Payasu

Today's recipe is for a simple stir fry or Upkari as we would say in Konkani. Kannanga Upkari is easy to make and goes well as a side dish with rice or rotis. 

Ingredients:-

• Sweet Potatoes,  500 grams
• Medium-sized Onion, 1
• Green Chillies,  2
• Ginger, 1 " piece
• Chilli Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Salt, to taste 

For the Seasoning:-

• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a sprig 
• Oil,  1 and 1/2 to 2 tbsp

Method:-

Wash the sweet potatoes thoroughly and pressure cook in adequate water for 1 whistle

Once the cooker cools, remove the sweet potatoes and when it is cool enough to handle peel and cube them. Keep aside

Chop the onion, finely chop the green chillies and grate the ginger

In a thick bottomed kadhai, heat oil and on medium heat add the mustard seeds, when they splutter add the curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds

To this, add the chopped onion and green chillies and the grated ginger and saute till the onion becomes translucent

Now add the chopped sweet potatoes, salt to taste, turmeric powder and chilli powder and mix well

Cook on medium/low flame, stirring from time to time, for 4-5 minutes till the sweet potatoes get well blended with the spice powders

Transfer to serving bowl

Serve Sweet Potato Stir Fry as a side dish with rice and rasam or with rotis

KAIRICHI URAD METHI

 KAIRICHI URAD METHI 

This is the season for mangoes in India and we make so many dishes using raw mangoes. The mention of raw mangoes brings back many childhood memories. Of climbing mango trees to pluck the raw mangoes, and then enjoying them dabbed in salt and chilli powder!

Apart from being so tasty, raw mangoes help in the hot summer by preventing dehydration, and have numerous health benefits. 

Elsewhere in this blog you will find recipes for dishes made with raw mango such as:- 

• Raw Mango Chutney South Canara Style 
• Aam ka Panna
• Maavinakayi Chitranna or Raw Mango Rice 
• Mamidikaya Menthi Pachadi

Today's dish Kairichi Urad Methi gets its name from three ingredients: Kairi, Urad Dal, and Methi Seeds. Kairi means raw mango in Konkani and Marathi. This dish is mainly made in Karwar area of Karnataka, in Goa, and in the Konkan area of Maharashtra. 

We enjoyed this sweet, spicy and tangy side dish with its distinctive flavor of methi, served with hot steamed rice. I am sure you will enjoy it too! 

Ingredients:-

• Kairi (Raw Mangoes), 2 or about 350 gms
• Urad Dal ( Black Gram Dal), 1 tbsp
• Methi Seeds (Fenugreek Seeds), 1 tsp
• Coriander Seeds, 1/2 tbsp
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1 cup
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 5
• Raw Rice, 1 tsp
• Jaggery, grated, 2 tbsp or to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Coconut Oil, 1 or 2 tsp

For the Seasoning:-

• Mustard Seeds, 1/2  tsp
• Asafoetida, 1/8 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a few 
• Coconut Oil, 1 tsp 

Method:-

Wash the raw mangoes, peel and cut into bite-sized pieces

In a vessel cook the mango pieces in adequate water. make sure the mangoes are cooked but remain firm and don't get overcooked. Keep aside. 

In 1 or 2  tsp of coconut oil, roast the urad dal, methi seeds, coriander seeds, raw rice, and dried red chillies on low heat till the dal change colour 

Grind together these roasted ingredients along with fresh coconut gratings to a smooth paste adding just the required amount of water. 

Add this ground paste to the cooked mangoes, add salt and jaggery, and water as required to get the desired consistency, mix well and bring to a boil 

In a small pan, heat 1 tsp of coconut oil and on medium heat add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the asafoetida and curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds

Pour this seasoning on to the Kairichi Urad Methi and transfer to a serving bowl

Serve the Kairichi Urad Methi as an accompaniment to the main meal 

BHENDA SASAM ( LADY'S FINGER CURRY )

 BHENDA SASAM ( LADY'S FINGER CURRY )

In these days of Covid 19, we home makers have sharpened our skills in planning meals and buying/ ordering vegetables and fruits. We try to make the best out of difficult circumstances prevailing in all parts of India, and indeed the world. 

Called Bhindi in Hindi, Bhenda in my mother tongue, Konkani and Bendekai in Kannada, lady's fingers/okra has numerous health benefits. It is strong in Vitamins and has good quantity of proteins as well. It is said to have positive control on blood sugar, especially for diabetics. 

I make it a point to use lady's fingers in my cooking from time to time. Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with lady's fingers/okra such as:- 

• Lahsuni Bhindi
• Bendekayi Gojju 
• Bhenda Puddi Sagle
• Bharwan Bhindi

Last week I had made Vendakkai Puli Kuzhambu and found that I had enough lady's fingers/okra from that order to make one more dish. 

I immediately decided to make Bhenda Sasam, a popular dish in our Konkani cuisine. In my house we are very fond of this and I make it the way my Amma used to. Though we call it Bhenda Sasam, in this version we do not add any mustard for grinding but only for the seasoning. 

One advantage of this dish is that you can put to use the not so tender lady's fingers as well since they will be deep fried. In case you are using curds in place of buttermilk, whisk the curds in adequate water before use. 

Bhenda Sasam is served as a side dish with the main meal of rice and dal. 

Ingredients:-

• Bhenda (Lady's Fingers/Okra), 18-20 nos. or 250 gms 
• Salt, 
• Oil, as required for deep frying

For The Masala:

• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1 cup
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 2
• Buttermilk, 1 cup
• Asafoetida, a large piece or 1/4 tsp Asafoetida Powder
• Salt, to taste
• Coconut Oil, 1 tsp for roasting the red chillies and asafoetida 

For The Seasoning:-

• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves, 1 sprig
• Coconut Oil, 1 tsp

Method:-

Wash the lady's fingers and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel. 

Snip off both the ends and cut them into roundels. 

Sprinkle a little salt, mix well and keep aside. 

Heat oil in a kadhai and deep fry the lady's fingers till they turn crisp and golden brown in colour 

Transfer the deep fried lady's fingers on to absorbent paper to remove the excess oil. Keep aside.

In a small pan, heat 1 tsp of oil and sauté the asafoetida for a few seconds till it gives off a good aroma. Keep aside 

In the same pan, roast the Byadgi Red Chillies 

Next, grind together the coconut gratings along with the roasted asafoetida and red chillies and the buttermilk to a smooth paste 

Transfer the ground paste to a bowl, add salt and mix well. If the ground masala is too thick, you can add a little water

In the same pan, heat 1 tsp of oil and on medium heat add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds

Pour this seasoning on to the Bhenda Sasam masala

Finally, add the deep fried lady's fingers just before serving the Bhenda Sasam as they should be crisp 

Serve Bhenda Sasam as a side dish to the main meal of rice and dal 

Tips: 

# The buttermilk used should be fresh yet a little sour 

# The coconut gratings used must be fresh as this dish is not boiled 

VENDAKKAI PULI KUZHAMBU

 VENDAKKAI PULI KUZHAMBU 

Today's dish is from Tamilnadu and gets its name from the principal ingredients: Lady's Fingers/Okra or Vendakkai in Tamil, and Tamarind or Puli in Tamil. 

Lady's fingers has to be one of the most common vegetables in India. Called Bhindi in Hindi, Bhenda in my mother tongue, Konkani and Bendekai in Kannada, this vegetable has numerous health benefits. It is strong in Vitamins and has good quantity of proteins as well. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with lady's fingers/okra such as:- 

• Lahsuni Bhindi
• Bendekayi Gojju 
• Bhenda Puddi Sagle
• Bharwan Bhindi

Today's recipe is for a side dish called Vendakkai Puli Kuzhambu and has been adapted from Kannamma Cooks. 

We enjoyed this for lunch served with hot steamed rice. 

Ingredients:-

• Vendakkai, (Lady's Fingers/ Okra), 250 grams
• Puli ( Tamarind), lemon sized
• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal, 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Byadgi Dried Red Chillies, 2
• Curry Leaves, 1 sprig
• Turmeric Powder , 1/2 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Sambar Powder, 1 tsp
• Jaggery, 1 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 3 tbsp (1+1+1) 

For the Masala:-

• Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a sprig
• Garlic Cloves, 4-5 
• Onions, 2
• Tomatoes, 2
• Coconut Gratings, 4 tbsp
• Oil, 1 tbsp

Method:-

Wash the lady's fingers and pat them dry, snip off the two ends and cut them into 1" pieces 

Wash and chop the tomatoes and onions, and peel the garlic

Soak the tamarind in 2 cups of warm water for about 10-15 minutes and extract the juice. 

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a thick bottomed kadhai and sauté the cut lady's fingers, adding a little salt, for about 6-8 minutes. Keep aside

In the same kadhai, add 1 tbsp of oil and on medium heat add the cumin seeds, curry leaves and garlic cloves. Saute for a few seconds, then add the chopped onions and fry till they become soft

Now add the chopped tomatoes and the coconut gratings and sauté for a few minutes

Remove from the flame and allow this to cool 

Transfer to a small mixer jar and grind to a smooth paste adding water as required

Remove and keep aside

Heat 1 tbsp oil in the kadhai and on medium heat add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the urad dal and fenugreek seeds and sauté till it changes colour

To this add the dried red chillies and curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds

Now add the freshly ground masala and the tamarind juice and mix well

Add the coriander powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder, sambar powder, salt and jaggery along with one cup of water and bring to a boil

Lower the flame, cover the dish and let it simmer for 15 minutes

Now add the sauteed lady's fingers, mix well and let it cook for another 5 minutes till the oil appears on the surface

Switch off the flame and transfer to serving bowl

Serve Vendakkai Puli Kuzhambu with hot streamed rice 

YELLOW PUMPKIN CHUTNEY

 YELLOW PUMPKIN CHUTNEY

In our South Indian homes, as we make idlis and dosas often, we need to have a battery of chutneys in order to avoid making the same chutney at all times/too frequently. In the old days, every chutney was invariably made with coconut but these days more and more chutneys have vegetables too so as to make them more healthy. 

It is also one way of pushing healthy vegetables that are not much sought after- into kids! 

Yellow Pumpkin is called Manjal Poosinikai or Parangikai in Tamil, Kaddu in Hindi, Sihi Kumbalkai in Kannada, and Duddhi in my mother tongue, Konkani.

It is well established that Yellow Pumpkin has numerous health benefits  being high in vitamins and minerals yet low in calories. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for chutneys made with vegetables such as:-

• Carrot Chutney
• Radish Chutney
• Red Bell Pepper and Tomato Chutney

Today's recipe is for a chutney made with Yellow Pumpkin which is quite delicious. This is commonly made in Mangaluru- Udupi region of my Home State of Karnataka.

We enjoyed this with dosas for breakfast. 

Ingredients :-

• Yellow Pumpkin, 250 grams
• Coconut Gratings, 1/3 cup
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 3
• Tamarind, size of a small marble
• Green Chilli, 1 
• Black Gram Dal (Urad Dal), 2 tsp
• Coriander Leaves, a handful
• Oil, 1 tsp 
• Salt, to taste

For The Seasoning:

• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Black Gram (Urad)  Dal, 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida, 1/8 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a few
• Oil, 1 tsp 

Method:-

Wash and peel the yellow pumpkin, discard the core and the seeds and chop the pumpkin into pieces

Remove the coriander leaves from the stems, wash and keep aside

In a pan, heat 1 tsp of oil and roast the Byadgi red chillies and urad dal together on medium heat till the dal changes colour 

Remove from the flame and allow it to cool 

Cook the pumpkin pieces in a vessel adding 1 cup of water till it becomes soft 

Allow it to cool

Grind together the roasted ingredients, coconut gratings, tamarind, green chilli, and coriander leaves along with the cooked pumpkin, and salt to taste, to a coarse paste without adding any water

Transfer this to a bowl

In a small pan, heat 1 tsp of oil and on medium heat add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the urad dal and sauté till it changes colour

Add the asafoetida and curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds

Pour this seasoning on to the Yellow Pumpkin Chutney

Serve with idli, dosa, rice or chapati 

MUSHROOM CURRY

 MUSHROOM CURRY 

Button mushrooms have become very popular in India over the last couple of decades. They are readily available and many have acquired a taste for them. At our home, we make dishes from mushrooms quite often as they are considered good for health in many ways. 

You will find many recipes for mushroom dishes elsewhere in this blog, including :-

• Mushroom Kurma, 
• Mushroom Mint Pulao,
• Matar Mushroom. 

Today's recipe is for a gravy made with mushrooms which I have adapted from Mushroom Curry in Swasthi's Indian Healthy Recipes

We had this with jeera rice and it was delicious! 

Ingredients:-

• Button Mushrooms, 200 gms
• Small sized Capsicum, 1
• Large sized Onion, 1
• Medium sized Tomatoes, 2  for the tomato puree  
• Turmeric, 1/4 tsp 
• Curry Leaves, 1 sprig
• Green Chilli, slit, 1
• Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp or to taste 
• Kitchen King Masala, 1/4 tsp
• Kasuri Methi ( Dried Fenugreek Leaves), 1 tsp
• Oil, 2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Coriander leaves, finely chopped, for garnish 

To Dry Roast and Make A Powder: 

• Peanuts, 2 tbsp
• Sesame Seeds, 1 tbsp
• Coconut Gratings, 1 tbsp

Method:-

Wash the button mushrooms, dab them dry and slice them

Chop the capsicum into cubes

Finely chop the onions 

Prepare a puree out of the tomatoes

In a kadhai, dry roast the peanuts till they change colour and give off a good aroma

Lower the heat, add sesame seeds and sauté till they splutter 

Switch off the gas, add the coconut gratings and sauté 

Allow the dry roasted ingredients to cool then transfer them to a small mixer jar

Grind them to a powder and keep aside 

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in the kadhai,  add the sliced mushrooms and sauté on high heat for 2-3 minutes in its own juices till it gives off a good aroma. Keep aside

In the same kadhai add the capsicum cubes and sauté till they get partially cooked yet remain crunchy. Take care not to overcook them. Keep aside

Heat the remaining 1 tbsp of oil in the kadhai, and on medium heat add the cumin seeds and when they sizzle add the curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds

To this add the finely chopped onions and the slit green chilli

Sauté till the onions become slightly golden 

Now add the ginger garlic paste, and sauté till the raw smell goes

Add the prepared tomato puree, salt and turmeric powder and mix well 

Cook on medium heat stirring from time to time till the raw smell of the tomatoes goes 

Next add the roasted peanut-sesame-coconut powder prepared earlier and chilli powder to taste

Saute for 1-2 minutes

Add 1 and 1/2 cups of water, mix well and bring to a boil

Lower the heat and and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes till the gravy thickens

Check for salt and add only if required

Now add the sautéed mushroom and capsicum and mix again 

Add the crushed Kasuri Methi and Kitchen King masala

Cook till the mushrooms and the capsicum get fully done but remain firm 

Switch off the gas and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves

Transfer to serving bowl

Serve with pulao, jeera rice or rotis 

INSTANT RAVA & ATTA DOSA

 INSTANT RAVA & ATTA DOSA

Dosas form an integral part of our South Indian cuisine. In my house we have them for breakfast quite often. Thankfully, there are ever so many types of dosas that we simply don't tire of having dosas for breakfast! 

Elsewhere in the blog, you will find recipes for some types of dosas such as:-

• Dosa
• Masoor Dal Dosa
• Moong Dal Dosa
• Paper Dosa 

These days with time being at a premium, we are always looking for dishes which can be made quite fast and save us some valuable time. I came across one such dish recently and tried it out.

For making dosas, usually we would make the batter and let it ferment overnight etc. In this recipe for Instant Rava and Atta Dosa, we can make the dosa quickly as the batter need not be fermented. 

Another advantage is that this dosa can be easily made on days when we want to avoid rice. It is also  convenient for those who wish to avoid rice in their diets. 

I have adapted from Instant Rava Wheatflour Dosa by Nisha Madhulika, the well-known cookery expert,We had this for our breakfast today and enjoyed it with chutney.

Since different types of rava/sooji are available, for today's recipe you should use the fine variety of rava.  In case you have a thicker variety, you can run it once in the mixer to make it more fine. 

Ingredients:-

• Fine Rava /Sooji (Semolina), 1 cup
• Atta (Wheat Flour), 1/4 cup
• Fresh Curds, 1 cup
• Salt, to taste
• Baking Soda, 1/4 tsp or Eno1 tsp
• Oil, to make the dosas

Method:- 

In a bowl, mix together fine rava, atta, fresh curds, salt to taste, and water as required to make a batter which is free of lumps.We need the batter to be of the consistency used for the regular dosa. Cover and keep aside for about 15 minutes. 

After 15 minutes, you will find the batter has become thick by absorbing the water so add more water if required.

Now add the baking soda OR Eno fruit salt and mix well. The batter is ready to make dosas.

Heat a non-stick tawa,  and lightly grease it. Sprinkle a little water and wipe it off the tawa.

On medium heat, pour a ladle of the prepared batter and spread it in a circular motion to form a dosa 

Drizzle oil on top of and around the dosa and then cook on high flame till one side of the dosa gets done

Likewise, flip and cook the other side

Transfer the prepared dosas to serving plate and serve hot with chutney of your choice

Tips

* When making dosas, it is a good idea to spread the batter on low flame and then increase the flame to cook the dosa. It gets difficult to spread the batter of the tawa is overheated.  

* After making each dosa, sprinkle a little water on the tawa and wipe it off. This helps to make sure the tawa does not get overheated 

ASH GOURD KOOTU

 

ASH GOURD KOOTU 

During the summer months it is better to have more of vegetables that have a higher water content. One such is Ash Gourd, also known as White Pumpkin or Winter Melon. 

We  call this  "Kuvale" in my mother tongue, Konkani. It is called, "Boodagumbala " in Kannada, "Petha" in Hindi, and "Vellai Poosinikai" in Tamil. 

 Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for our Konkani style Kuvale Sasam, for Ash Gourd Mor Kuzhambu from Tamilnadu and for Ash Gourd Pumpkin Coconut Stew from Kerela. 

Today's recipe has been adapted from Vellai Poosanikai Kootu by Subbu's Kitchen. This dish does not call for the use of onion and garlic so can be made when you wish to avoid using these ingredients. 

We enjoyed this kootu with hot steamed rice and spicy rasam. 

Ingredients:-

• Ash Gourd, 250-300 rms
• Bengal Gram (Channa Dal),  1/4 cup
• Water, 1 cup
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Torn Curry Leaves, a few
• Coconut Oil, 1 tsp

To Be Ground To A Smooth Paste:-

• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/3 cup 
• Green Chillies, 2
• Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
• Soaked Raw Rice, 2 tsp

For Seasoning:-

• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Split Urad Dal, 1 tsp
• Red Chilli, broken into halves, 1
• Curry Leaves, a few
• Coconut Oil, 2 tsp

Method:-

Wash, peel and cube the ash gourd into bite-sized pieces

Wash the Bengal Gram (Channa Dal ) and pressure cook with adequate water for about 2-3 whistles. Once the cooker cools remove the cooked dal and keep aside. There is no need to mash the cooked dal. 

Soak the raw rice for about 10 minutes in a little water, then discard the excess water

In a mixer jar grind together the coconut gratings, cumin seeds, green chillies and the soaked rice, adding water as required, to a smooth paste and keep aside

In a vessel, cover and cook the ash gourd pieces along with 1 cup of water and a little turmeric on medium heat, till the ash gourd gets done but remains firm. Take care to see it does not get overcooked. 

To this add the cooked channa dal and the ground paste just prepared, salt to taste and mix well 

Add a few torn curry leaves, 1 tsp of coconut oil and a little water as required to adjust the consistency and bring this to a boil 

In a small tadka pan , heat 2 tsp of coconut oil and on medium heat add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the urad dal and sauté till it changes colour

Add broken red chilli and a few curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds

Pour this seasoning on to the ash gourd kootu

Serve as a side dish with steamed rice and rasam