Weekend Lunch Plate - 5

Guys last weekend we had lunch at an Indian restaurant, hence couldnt post my lunch plate.

But here I am with a very simple lunch plate - Rice, Mysore Saaru,  Alu Fry & Pachadi.

This Alu Fry prepared here is very simple & delicious.

It goes very well with a simple rasam or sambar. 

Do try this, u’ll love it

ALU - FRY

(Potato Fry)

Ingredients :

4 Medium Potatoes

1/2  Tsp Jeera 

Few Curry Leaves

1 Jalepeno

1/2 Tsp Turmeric 

1/2 Tsp Dhania Powder

1/2 Tsp Red Chilli Powder

2 Tsp Kasuri Methi

3-4 Tsps Oil

Salt - as per taste

Method :

Boil Potatoes & cube them. 

Heat Oil in a wide pan, add jeera seeds & curry leaves.

Quickly add thinly sliced Jalepeno. Stir & cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add Turmeric & salt. Stir & add the cubed potatoes. Mix well.

Add the Dhania & Red Chilli Powders. Stir everything.

After 2 minutes or so add crushed Kasuri Methi.

Cook on a low flame for few more minutes until done.

Weekend Lunch Plate - 4

Thotakura - Mamidakayi Pappu,  Rice, Zucchini Fry, Pachadi and Lotus Root bhajji was our delicious lunch today.

It had been ages since I prepared Thotakura(Dantinasappu in Kannada).

In my quest to eat greens, atleast now & then I cook them.

This pappu turned out delicious!! It was a very satisfying meal.

This is my entry for RCI.

Thotakura-Mamidikaya Pappu

(Amaranth-Green Mango Curry)

Ingredients

1  Cup Toor Dal 

3 Cups Thotakura

1 Cup Green Mango Chopped

3 Green Chilles Slit

1/2 Tsp Red Chilli Powder - or as per taste

1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder

Salt as per taste

Seasoning

2-3 Tsp Oil

1/2 Tsp Mustard Seeds

2 Green Chilles slit

Curry Leaves

2 Red Chilles

1/4 Tsp Hing

Method 

Wash & chop the Thotakura(Amaranth) Leaves finely.

Green Mango is preferable, Chop Mango along with the skin into small cubes.

In a pressure pan, add 3-4 cups of water and bring it to a boil.

To the water add washed Toor dal, chopped Thotakura, Mango Cubes, Green Chilles slit and Turmeric powder. Stir.

Pressure cook for 2 whistles & let it simmer for a few minutes & remove.

Once the pressure cooker cools, mash the ingredients. And again keep it on medium flame.

Heat oil in a pan for seasoning, add mustard seeds, when pops, add the green chilles & curry leaves.

Then add dry red chilli broken into 2-3 pieces. Add hing, stir & add this to the cooked dal.

Add salt & Red chilli powder, stir everything.

Simmer for 5-7 minutes.

Delicious pappu is ready enjoy!!!!

Weekend Lunch Plate - 3

Todays lunch was a simple Sambhar, Rice, Bittergourd/Hagalakaayi fry & Chayote Squash/Seemebadanekaayi Palya.

Let me confess, Chayote Squash is not one among my favourites, I dont prepare it that often.

But Chayote Squash Kootu makes me forget that I dont like it, it tastes great in kootu.

I also prepare a palya/poriyal with it, it tastes great as a side. Try it once!!!

(Thx to Raaga - Chayote Squash is also called Bengaloor Katrikkai in Tamil and Vilayat Vaingan in Konkani.)

Chayote Squash Palya

(Seemebadanekaayi Palya)

Ingredients

1 Chayote Squash

Seasoning :

Mustard Seeds,

1 Dry Red Chilli

Few Curry Leaves 

To Grind :

1 Tbsp Coconut Grated

2 Dry Red Chilles

1 Tsp Mustard Seeds

1/2 Tsp Cumin Seeds

1/2 Tsp Turmeric

Method :

Peel & chop the squash into small cubes.

Grind all the ingredients in “To Grind” smoothly with little water.

Heat 3-4 Tsp oil, when hot add mustard, when pops add the dry red chilli broken & curry leaves.

After a minute add the cubed squash, stir well.

Cover and cook for a few minutes, until water is oozing from the veggie.

Add the ground paste, salt & mix well.

Cook further until all the water has evaporated & is a bit dry.

Chayote Palya is now ready!!!

Weekend Lunch Plate - 2

Our Lunch today was Dondakaya Pappu(Tindora Dal), Rice, Beerakaya Pachadi (Ridge Gourd Chutney),

Dondakaya Vepudu (Tindora Fry) & Taro Root Fry.

The highlight of our lunch was this spicy beerakaya pachadi.

My collegue at work Sangeetha, prepares lipsmacking beerakaya pachadi.

And she graciously offered me the recipe when I asked her.

So here I present Beerkaya Pachadi -

Beerakaya Pachadi

(RidgeGourd Chutney)

Ingredients 

1 RidgeGourd/Beerakaya

3 Green Chilles

2 Garlic Cloves

Cilantro - Handful chopped 

4 Tsp Urad Dal

3/4 Tsp Dhania Seeds

3 Dry Red Chilles

4 Tsp Grated Coconut

1 Tsp Tamarind pieces

Salt as per taste.

Method

Scrape the ridges of the ridge gourd, Dont scrape of the outer green skin elsewhere.

Chop ridge gourd & slit green chilles.

Heat a tsp of oil add urad dal, dhania seeds, red chilles & fry untill golden. Transfer to a bowl.

In the same pan, add 2 - 3 Tsp of oil & add the chopped ridge gourd cubes, green chilles & garlic cloves.

Saute them until ridge gourd gets soft & is half cooked. Add cilantro towards the end.

Remove & set aside to cool.

Grind the roasted spices with grated coconut & tamarind to powder.

Add the ridge gourd pieces to the above & grind well.

Adjust salt as per needed.

Weekend Lunch Plate - 1

 

Our weekend lunch today was Rice, Tomato Mango Pappu, Vankaya perugu pachadi & Bitter gourd Theeyal.

Last week when DH went for grocery shopping, I had asked him to get bittergourd, and he got not 2 nor 3 but whole 6!!! what was I thinking sending him grocery shopping!! whew !! So I had to find ideas to get rid of the bittergourd before they went bad. 

I like eating bittergourd for health reasons, but many bitter gourd recipes calls for deep frying, which is a big no no for me. So when I saw Sig’s post on Bitter gourd theeyal, I was more than interested to try it as there was no deep frying involved. Usually I slice them in rounds & marinate in turmeric, salt, garam masala, chilli powder & aamchur powder  and oil for like an hour & microwave them. They turn out very crispy & crunchy.

I modified Sig’s recipe to my tastes and the outcome was super good. The spicy thick gravy with tamarind  and bittergourd was lipsmacking.  I know this is a keeper. Here is my version of the recipe.

BitterGourd Theeyal 

Ingredients

2 Med Bitter Gourds

7-8 Shallots (small onions)

1/2 tsp Ginger sliced

4 tsps Fresh Coconut grated

2-3 Red Chilles

1 tsp Dhania

7-8 Methi seeds

1/4 tsp Jeera / Cumin seeds 

2 green chilles

1/2 tsp Tamarind paste (store bought)

Curry leaves.

For Seasoning -

Oil, Mustard seeds

Method -

Dry Roast  Grated coconut untill slightly reddish. Remove. 

Dry Roast Red chilles, Dhania, Jeera, Methi for 2-3 minutes. Remove.

Heat a tsp of oil and ad the shallots halved & sliced ginger. Saute for a few minutes, until reddish. Remove.

Grind all the above together to a smooth paste with water.

I usually slice the bittergourds & add salt & keep it for an hour or so to remove the bitterness. 

Wash the bittergourds 2 -3 times to remove excess salt.

Microwave the sliced bittergourds with little water and turmeric, for 3 minutes.

Heat 3-4 tsps of oil add the MW’d bittergourd slices & slit green chilles. Saute until the edges turn brown ,

like 7-8 mins. Add the grounded masala along with little water, curry leaves, tamarind paste and salt.

Cook for a few minutes untill gravy thicks.

In another pan add 3-4 tsps of oil, (adding a little more oil adds to the taste) add mustard, when it pops add the gravy & saute for few more minutes.

Serve Hot.