Kovakka Thoran

Ingredients:-

Tindora – 1 lb, chopped

Mustard seed – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 8 to 9

Salt – to taste

Oil – 1 tsp

Garlic – 4 cloves, chopped

 

To grind:

Green chili – 4  

Coconut – ½ cup grated

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Cumin – 1 tsp

 

 

 

Method:-

 

Grind all the ingredients listed in the ‘To grind’ section to a coarse paste

Heat oil in a non stick skillet; splutter mustard seed & curry leaves.

Add the Tindora and the ground paste, chopped garlic & salt and mix well.  

Cover and cook this for a few minutes in medium heat till the vegetable is cooked well.

This should take 5 – 6 minutes  

Remove the lid and cook on high heat, stirring in between, till the dish become dry.

Remove and serve hot with Rice.

Note: You might need to sprinkle some water in between to help the vegetable cook well.

 

Broccoli Cherupayar Thoran

This dish is very similar to Vazhappo (Banana flower) thoran;  just substitute the Vazhappo with Broccoli and you have a easy and healthy side dish ready in a few minutes.  Kids love this dish as it is not at all spicy. Also the Moong dal balances the somewhat strong taste of broccoli and makes it a tasty dish.

 

Check out the recipe below:-

  

Ingredients:

 

Broccoli – 1 lb, chopped fine  

Moong Dal with skin, split – ½ cup

Mustard seed – 1 tsp

Udad dal – 1 tsp

Dry Red chili – 2 broken

Curry leaves – 1 handful

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Cumin Powder – 1 tsp

Green Chili – 2

Grated coconut – ¼ cup

Salt – to taste

Oil – 2 tsp

 

  

Method:

 

Cook the Moong dal with little salt and turmeric powder in a pressure cooker for 1 whistle with little water. The idea is not to overcook the dal and make it mushy.

In the meantime chop the broccoli head into small pieces.

Grind coconut and green chili into a coarse paste and reserve.

In a nonstick pan, splutter mustard seeds, red chili, curry leaves and udad dal till it turns slight brown.

Add broccoli, cumin powder, salt and the ground coconut paste and mix it well for 2 to 3 minutes.  Keep stirring in between so that it will not stick to the bottom.  Please note that this vegetable cooks fast as it is finely cut.

 Stir it for 3 to 4 minutes on high heat till all the water from the dal is gone and the dish turns dry.

 Remove and serve hot.  This goes well with plain rice and Moru curry with a pickle as side dish.

 

Upma

This is one breakfast item that is popular throughout India, so am not going to talk at all about this dish.  Here goes the recipe …

 

 

Ingredients:-

 

Rawa – 1 Cup

Onion – 1 medium sized, chopped

Green chili – 3 chopped

Ginger – ½ inch chopped

Curry leaves – 8 to 10

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Udad Dal – 1 tsp

Cashew nut – 2 tbsp

Oil – 2 tbsp

Salt – to taste

Water – 1 ½ cup boiled  

 

 

 

 

Method:-

 

Heat a nonstick pan and dry roast Rawa till it turns light brown and fragrant.  Remove and keep aside 

 

In the same pan, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds; sauté curry leaves and Udad dal till light brown.

 

Add chopped chili/ginger, onion and fry till transparent.

 

Add Rawa, cashew nut and salt and sauté for 5 minutes in medium heat stirring in between.

 

Add the boiled water, give a good stir; cover with lid and turn down the heat to low.

 

Remove from heat after 2 minutes, remove the lid and gently fluff the Rawa with a fork.

 

 

Serve hot with a cup of coffee!

 

 

Bhindi Split Fry

This is my effort to recreate a Bhindi dish that we had in one of the restaurants here recently. Surprisingly it came out  very good and very close to the original dish ! Take a look …

 

Ingredients:

Okra – ½ lb, sliced into 2 lengthwise

Red Chili – 4 broken into small pieces

Coconut – 2 tbsp grated

Dhania whole – 1 tsp

Jeera whole – 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Oil – 2 tbsp

 

 

 

Method:-

 

Heat oil in a wide nonstick skillet till hot, sauté Red chili till fragrant.

 

Add the cut okra and sauté in medium to high heat, turning it occasionally

 

Grind the Dhaniya & Jeera in a mortar & pestle to a coarse mixture

 

Add the ground spices, coconut and salt when the vegetable is half cooked

 

Remove from heat, when it is nicely browned.

 

Serve with Jeera Rice/Kadhi

 

 

Note: Please note that you do not stir this dish often and be gentle while turning the vegetables, as we don’t want all the Okra seed to come out and the spoil the look of the dish J

 

Also I try to pick the Okra that are small and of uniform size; not a big deal, but I feel that it really helps boost the appearance of this dish