Happy Navarathri

Wish you all a very Happy Navarathri! I am very excited about my third Navarathri golu and I have put in a lot of effort into doing things differently this year. :) I will post all the pictures of my golu after Navarathri.

Traditionally we are supposed to make one variety of sundal every day and I try and do a different one everyday but by far my most favourite is the Kabuli Chana sundal and the Kala Chana sundal. These two will be repeated atleast once during these nine days. Sundal is very healthy (if made the right way) dish high in protein. So I enjoy it immensely and even make it regularly on other ocassions.

I will be updating this blog with pictures of all the sundals I made over the span of 9 days.

Kabuli Chana/Konda Kadalai Sundal


Kala Chana / Karuppu Konda Kadalai Sundal


Moong Dal / Payatham Paruppu Sundal


Lobiya Sundal / Karamani Sundal



The rest of the days I ended up repeating some. My mom also made Soybean sundal but I forgot to take the pic. I soaked the soybean assuming it is yellow peas but when I looked at it the next day, it had grown oblong:D But this was a good one too.

General ingredients and directions for any type of sundal are -

Ingredients:

1. Pulses or beans - 2 cups soaked and cooked until a little soft but still retain a little bite
2. Grated coconut - 3 tbsps
3. Dried red chillies - 8
4. Curry Leaves - 10
5. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
6. Urad dal - 2 tsps
7. Hing - 1/2 tsp
8. Gingelly oil or any vegetable oil - 1 tbsp
9. Salt
   

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once they have popped add the urad dal and stir until golden brown.
2. Add the red chillies and curry leaves and sautee until you can smell the aroma.
3. Add the hing, salt and beans and coconut and mix well.
4. Place a lid and steam until done and enjoy hot!
   

Vegetable Cheese Toast

This recipe was inspired by Nupur's (of One Hot Stove) Cheese Toast Recipe. I came home after an evening of shopping and had to think of something quick to finish the bread that was going to expire in two days and without too many ingredients and I thought of this. I changed the way the veggies were made although the basic idea is the same as Nupur's recipe. It is a really quick and easy snack or meal when you have bread on your hand and some frozen veggies.


Ingredients:

1. Potatoes - 2 small cut into small cubes
2. Frozen or fresh mixed vegetables
3. Kitchen king masala - 1 tsp
4. Garam masala - 1/2 tsps
5. Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
6. Curry leaves - 5
7. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
8. Jeera - 1/2 tsp
9. Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
10. Salt
11. Oil - 1 tsp
12. Whole wheat bread slices - 8
13. Mozzarella or any low fat cheese - 1 cup grated
14. Red chilli flakes
15. Dried oregano
    
16. Tomato ketchup
    

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add jeera, mustard, turmeric, curry leaves and let the mustard seeds sputter.
2. Add the potato cubes and let them turn a little brown at the edges.
3. Now add the frozen vegetables, kitchen king masala, chilliw powder, garam masala, salt and about a half cup of water and steam it all until it is well blended and well done.
4. Toast slices of bread until well done. Apply a layer of ketchup and then a layer of the cooked veggies.
   
5. Top with some cheese and red chilli flakes and oregano and broil it until the cheese melts. Serve hot with ketchup or any chutney and enjoy!

Spicy & Healthy Palak Pulao

I came up with this recipe based on several that I read online and also used part of my mom's recipe for cauliflower pulao. I was also inspired by Sindhu's methi pulao to try and make something different with palak. The trick is to add as much palak as you can and make people eat it without knowing that it is healthy:)

Ingredients:

1. Red Onion - 1 large chopped finely


2. Garlic - 4-5 pods


3. Ginger - 2 inch piece


4. Green chillies - 7/8


5. Palak - 2 packs of fresh of 1 pack frozen (thawed)


6. Potato - 1 cubed


7. Carrots - 2 big roughly chopped


8. Beans - 1 cup chopped
   


9. Peas - 1 cup


10. Olive oil - 2tsps


11. Cardomom whole - 5/6


12. Cloves - 5/6


13. Bay Leaf - 1


14. Jeera Dhania powder - 1 tsp
    


15. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp


16. Curd - 1/2 cup beaten'


17. Basmati rice - 2 cups


18. Water - 4 cups
    


19. Salt
    

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil and add the bay leaf, cardomom and cloves and let them turn a little brown


2. Add the onions and sautee until they turn brown


3. Make a paste out of the ginger, garlic, green chillies and salt


4. Add this paste to the onions and sautee until the raw smell goes away


5. Add the potatoes, carrot and beans and sautee until the edges brown


6. Add the peas and palak and let the palak wilt down


7. Add the rice and mix it up well with the veggies


8. Add the jeera dhania powder, red chilli powder and curd and mix it well with the veggies and rice


9. Add the water and let the whole thing cook until rice is soft. Or just dump it all in a rice cooker and let it cook. Enjoy hot with raita!
   

Cabbage Kootu

This is a very healthy version of cabbage kootu as I do not use any coconut and very little oil for the tempering. Its a yummy dish of its own to be had with hot steaming rice and a simple way of making the boring cabbage exciting. Again, I don't have a picture yet but will try to click one soon. The proportions here make a big potful.

Ingredients:

1. Cabbage - 1 small or 3/4th medium sized
2. Moong dal - 2 cups
3. Curry Leaves - 8
4. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
5. Red chillies - 3
6. Oil - 1tbsp
7. Salt
   

For the masala:

1. Chana dal - 3 tbsp
2. Black pepper - 3 tbsp
3. Red chillies - 8
4. Urad Dal - 3 tbsp
5. Grated coconut - 1 tbsp

Directions:

1. Heat the oil and temper the mustard seeds
2. Add roughly chopped cabbage and saute for 10 mins
3. Add the moong dal and roast for 10 mins
4. Add enough water to soak the moong dal and cabbage, salt to taste and let it cook until soft.
5. Dry roast all the ingredients for the masala until the aroma comes out and grind in a mixer to a fine powder.
6. Once the cabbage and dal is cooked, turn off the heat and add enough masala to make it spicy and stir it in. Enjoy hot with rice:)
   

Peerkangai Thogayal

This is a really simply and yummy tamilian recipe for ridge gourd chutney. I do not have a picture at the moment but will update once I have it. It should be eaten with hot rice and ghee to really understand the full extent of its taste:).

Ingredients:

1. Ridge Gourd or Peerkangai(Tamil) or Beerakai9Telugu) or Dodka(Marathi) - 5, medium sized
2. Tamarind - 1.5 inch piece
3. Black pepper - 1 tbsp
4. Dried red chillies -10
5. Salt 1/2tsp
6. Urad dal - 3 tbsps
7. Hing - 1/2 tsp
8. Sesame seed oil or any vegetable oil - 1.5 tbsp
9. Curry Leaves - 8
10. Mustard seeds - 1tbsp
    

Directions:

1. In a pan heat 1/2 tbsp of oil and saute the black pepper, red chillies(7) and urad dal(only 2 tbsps) separately until well roasted and keep aside.
2. Peel the ridge gourd a little to remove some rough edges but not all the peel and chop into small pieces. The smaller you chop, the faster this will get done.
3. Saute the ridge gourd in the same pan until it is soft and cooked.
4. In a mixer grind together the roasted spices, ridge gourd (after cooling), salt, hing and tamarind until it is a smooth paste.
5. Heat the rest of the oil and temper mustard seeds, remaining red chillies and urad dal and curry leaves.
6. Garnish the chutney with the tempered mixture and enjoy!