Mixed vegetable Korma - South Indian Style

          Korma in general is a very popular side dish in South Indian Cuisine. But it differs from one region to the other. At few places it is cooked, adding yoghurt and in others, coconut-cashew paste is used. 

          Whatever the version, it is a delectable dish to be relished either with rice or chapatti. In the south, it is best enjoyed as an accompaniment along with appam, idiappam or Biryani. So check out the step-by-step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 1 big bowl (5-6 cups) mixed veggies
• (raw papaya, french beans, broad beans, potato, yam, carrots, eggplants, bottle gourd, red pumpkin)
• 2-3 tbsp. oil
• 1-2 dry red chilies
• 2 star anise
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 5-6 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-2 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp. tomato paste
• 1 tbsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp./ garam masala powder
• salt to taste
• 2-3 tbsp. fresh coconut, grated
• 1-2 fresh green chilies
• 5-6 cashew nuts
• coriander leaves to garnish

          Grind together coconut, green chilies and the cashews into a paste. Keep aside. Make a paste with the ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste and all the powdered spices (except salt) mixed with 1/4 cup water. Keep aside. 

          Heat oil and temper with dry red chilies, bay leaves, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and cumin seeds. After it stops spluttering, add the onion and curry leaves. Sauté till light brown.

          Now add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté on a low flame till the oil separates. Now add the chopped veggies and salt and mix well.

          Add 2 cups water and simmer, covered for 12-15 minutes till the veggies turns soft. Add the coconut paste and 1 cup water and continue to simmer till the gravy slightly thickens. 


  

                     Heat oil & temper with bay leaves, cumin seeds, star anise, cardamoms, 
                     cloves, cinnamon & dry red chilies.

                       
                                  Add onion & curry leaves. Sauté till light brown.

                  Add ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste & all dry spices (except water) mixed
                  with some water.

                                 Add chopped veggies & water. Cook till veggies turns soft.

                    Add coconut paste & some more water. Simmer till gravy slightly thickens.

                                 Serve, garnished with coriander leaves.











      

Whole Moong & Whole Urad Dal Dosa / Uttapam (Green Gram & Black Gram Pancakes)

          These healthy and nutritious breakfast are just perfect to start your day. They are made of whole moong dal, whole urad dal and brown rice. Some coriander stalks, ginger and green chilies are ground along with the lentils & rice to add some intense flavor to the dosa. Chopped onions and idli podi (gun powder) too, can be sprinkled over the dosa while frying to make onion dosa / uttapams. Relish them hot with some coconut chutney and sambar.

• 1/4 cup whole moong dal (green gram)
• 1/4 cup whole urad dal (black gram)
• 1/4 cup brown rice
• 1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds 
• handful of coriander stalks, chopped
• 1" ginger, chopped
• 2 green chilies
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• salt to taste
• oil to shallow fry
• coconut chutney & sambar to serve

          Soak the moong dal, urad dal, rice and fenugreek seeds overnight. Drain. Add ginger, green chilies, asafoetida, coriander stalks, salt and required quantity of water.

           Grind to a paste and the batter should be of pouring consistency. Keep aside. There is no need to ferment.

          Heat a non-stick tawa (griddle) and add few drops of oil. Spread evenly and then sprinkle some water. After it sizzles off, wipe clean with a tissue paper. 

          Drop a ladleful of the batter and spread it in a circular motion with the back of the ladle into a round pancake. Drizzle some oil around the edges and over it.

          Cook on one side for a minute till it is lightly browned. Flip it over and cook the other side too. 

          Remove on a plate and continue making similar dosas with the remaining batter. Serve them hot with chutney and sambar.

                      Soak moong dal, urad dal, rice & fenugreek seeds overnight. Drain.

                         Add ginger, green chilies, asafoetida, coriander stalks, salt & required 

                         quantity of water. Grind to a paste & the batter should be of pouring 

                         consistency. Keep aside. There is no need to ferment.

                     Heat a non-stick tawa & add few drops of oil. Spread evenly & sprinkle

                        some water. After it sizzles off, wipe clean with a tissue paper. Drop a 

                        ladleful of the batter & spread it in a circular motion with the back of 

                        the ladle into a round pancake. Drizzle some oil around the edges & on it.

                              Cook on one side for a minute till it is lightly browned. Flip it

                              over and cook the other side too. 

                                  Serve them hot with chutney and sambar.

                         Chopped onions & idli podi can be sprinkled over the dosa while

                         frying to make onion dosa / uttapams. 

                                   Flip it over and cook the other side too till done. 

                                  Relish them hot with some coconut chutney and sambar.

Whole Black Gram Sprouts Sundal - South Indian Style

          Sundal is a healthy and nutritious snack preparation, generally made out of boiled white chickpeas (kabuli chana) or boiled peanuts. They are very popular in South India, especially Tamilnadu. 

          They are served in temples and often can be found being sold in parks and beaches. So I decided to prepare my version of the same with some whole black gram sprouts. The end result was simply delicious and worth a try.

• 1 cup whole urad dal sprouts (black gram)
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 1 tsp. split urad dal (black gram)
• 1 sprig curry leaves 
• salt to taste
• 2-3 tbsp. grated fresh coconut
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with the mustard seeds. after it stops spluttering, add the green chilies, urad dal and curry leaves.

          Saute for a few seconds or till the dal changes colour. Add the sprouts and salt. Saute on high flame for a minute. 

          Switch off the flame and add the coconut. Give it a stir and serve, garnished with coriander leaves.  

Shahi Chicken Kasundi (Chicken in Creamy Mustard Gravy)

          A real shahi dish to go with your pulao, jeera rice, plain Biryani, tandoori roti, naan or any fried Indian bread. In this recipe I have added paste of some dry fruits like cashew, almonds, raisins and pista to make the consistency more rich and creamy. So you have an easy and a yummy chicken curry. I used the bottled kasundi, but in case of non-availability, you can use some homemade ground mustard paste. 

        

            I marinated the chicken with yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste, kasundi and other dry spices prior to the cooking process. The end result was simply awesome with a hint of mustard flavour and the creaminess coming from the ground paste of dry fruits. So go ahead and try this delectable dish and relish with any form of rice preparation or Indian bread. 

• 1 whole chicken, curry cut
• 2-3 tbsp. kasundi paste
• salt to taste
• 1 cup yogurt, beaten
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tbsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
• 3 tbsp. mustard oil
• 3 onions, chopped
• 1-2 green chillies, slit
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. whole garam masala (cardamoms, cinnamon & cloves)
• 2 tbsp. paste (of almonds, cashews, pistachios & raisins)
• 1/2 cup coriander leaves, chopped

          Marinate the chicken with ginger-garlic paste, salt, yoghurt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander-cumin powder and kasundi for 2-3 hours.

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with bay leaves and whole garam masalas. Saute for a few seconds. Add the onion and saute on a medium flame till light brown.

          Now add the marinated chicken and continue to simmer, covered till almost dry. Add 1 cup water, slit green chilies and cashew paste. Cook till the gravy is slightly thick.

          Adjust water according to the consistency desired. When done and the chicken turns soft, add the coriander leaves and mix well.

          Serve hot either with plain Biryani, jeera rice, pulao, tandoori roti, naan or any fried Indian bread.           

Sauteed Chicken with Whole Black Gram

          A great side dish of stir fried chicken, which can be relished with any Indian bread, baked or deep fried. I gave a twist to the usual dish by adding some soaked whole black gram, so you get the goodness of both fibre and proteins at the same time. 

          A very good combination for a quick frankie or paratha roll. Try having it on a toasted bread and layered with some mayo, green chutney, tomato sauce or kasundi / English mustard. The options are plenty.

• 500 gms, boneless chicken cubes, boiled & shredded
• 1/2 cup sabut urad dal (whole black gram lentil), soaked overnight
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1" ginger, finely chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1/2 ts. garam masala powder
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• tomato slices, green chilies, onion slices & coriander leaves to garnish (opt)

          Heat oil and saute the onion, ginger, garlic and green chilies till they turn slightly light brown in colour.

          Add the chicken, soaked urad dal and all the powdered spices. Continue to fry on a medium flame for 2-3 minutes.

          Now add the tomatoes and the coriander leaves and saute for another minute or two. Take off the flame and garnish. Serve as a side dish with phulkas, parathas or any deep fried Indian bread.

          

Okra Stir Fry with Chickpeas - A side Dish - Andhra Style

          Okra as a side dish is very easy to prepare as it hardly takes any time to prepare. I added some boiled chickpeas to make it more wholesome. This delicious and simple stir fry can be enjoyed with chapattis, parathas or curd-rice / sambar-rice / dal-chawal. To add some zing and to make it spicy, I added the flavourful Andhra spice - Nalla Karam Podi (Gun Powder). You can always substitute it with some sambar / rasam powder.

• 1/2 kg. okra, chopped into 1/2" thick roundels
• 1/2 cup kabuli chana (white chickpeas), boiled
• 2-3 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. urad dal (split back gram)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3-4 garlic, chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp. Nalla karam powder / sambar powder
• sliced onion to garnish (opt)

          Heat oil in a non-stick pan and temper with the mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter and then add the urad dal. Sauté till it changes colour.

          Now add the okra, onion, garlic, curry leaves, salt, chili powder and turmeric powder. Sauté on a low flame till it turns soft and gets cooked.

          Add the boiled chickpeas and the nalla karam podi and give it a mix. Serve as a side dish with either rice or chapattis.

Cucumber Raita (Spiced Yoghurt with Cucumber)

          This is a very refreshing raita which can be had as a dip too. In fact, raita in general is a traditional Indian dip. The cucumber can be either chopped finely or grated. It gives a very cooling effect to our system, especially during summers. 

          There are many variations to it. You can simply add coriander leaves, mint leaves, onion, tomato or anything interesting and appetizing along with some powdered spices like pepper, red chili powder, black salt, roasted cumin powder, etc. They are best enjoyed with biryani, either veg. or non-veg or as an accompaniment with some grilled delicacies. 

• 1/2 cucumber, chopped finely
• 1 cup yoghurt, beaten
• salt to taste
• pinch of red chili powder / flakes
• 1 fresh red chili, chopped
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp. fine sev (deep fried vermicelli made from gram flour)

             In a bowl, mix together yoghurt, cucumber, salt and red chili powder. Just before serving, garnish with the coriander leaves, chopped fresh chili and sev. 

             Relish as a dip or as a side dish along with Biryani or any Indian bread. 

Raw Banana Curry with Green Peas - (A Perfect Side Dish - Andhra Style)

          Turn this humble veggie into an absolutely delicious and appetizing curry. I kept it dry to be had with any Indian bread. The addition of the aromatic Andhra spice (kura karam podi) adds a distinct flavour to the preparation. 

          Substitute it with sambar / rasam powder. That will give a punch to the dish. It can also be relished as a side dish with either curd-rice, sambar-rice or a simple dal/kadhi-chawal. Do add some lime juice for a tangy flavour. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 2 raw plantain, skinned & chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas
• 2-3 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• 1" ginger, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1 tbsp. roasted coriander powder
• 1 & 1/2 tbsp. kura karam powder / sambar powder
• coriander leaves & sliced onion to garnish

          Grind the onion, ginger, garlic and tomatoes to a smooth paste. Keep aside. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a non-stick pan and fry the chopped banana till light brown. Drain and keep aside. 

          Heat remaining oil and temper with mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter. Then add the ground paste and curry leaves. Sauté till the oil separates from the sides of the pan.

          Now add all the dry spices and mix well. Add the fried banana, green peas and 1/2 cup water. Cover and simmer on low flame till the gravy thickens. 

          Serve, garnished with coriander leaves and sliced onion. Relish with either chapattis or rice.

                                Heat 1 tbsp. oil & fry bananas till light brown. keep aside.

                     Heat remaining oil & temper with mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter.

                            Add ground onion paste & curry leaves. Sauté till oil separates.

                                Add all the dry spices & mix well.

                  Add fried banana, green peas & 1/2 cup water. Simmer, covered till the
                  gravy is thick.

                   Serve, garnished with coriander leaves & sliced onion. Enjoy as a side dish                                         with chapattis or rice.

Kaali Dal Pakoras ( Black Gram Fritters)

          These are some yummy lentil fritters to lighten up your evenings. Relish them as a tea-time snack or as appetizers along with some green chutney or ketchup. Made from soaked kaali dal / urad dal (split black gram lentils with skin), they just turn out soft and delicious. Any leftover pakoras can be dipped into spiced yoghurt gravy and made into kadhi pakoras, which can be had either with any Indian bread or rice.

• 1/2 cup split kaali / urad dal with skin (black gram lentils), soaked for 2 hours
• salt to taste
• 2 dry red chilies
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 1/2 tsp. kalonji (nigella seeds)
• oil to deep fry

          Grind together the soaked dal (lentil) along with dry red chilies and ginger with very little water. Add salt and kalonji and mix well.

          Heat oil and drop spoonful of the batter and deep dry till golden. Drain on a paper napkin and serve them hot with any chutney or sauce.

Eggplant Stir Fry with Chickpeas

          Eggplants generally have very low calories and also contains vitamin K and iron. Kabuli Chana or Chickpeas on the other hand is also considered very nutritious as it has the goodness of fibre, vitamins and proteins. Hence, I combined both to prepare a simple, healthy and a delicious side dish to be relished with either chapattis or rice. 

          I tempered it with mustard seeds, some sliced garlic, green chilies and few curry leaves. I finished the same with a sprinkle of some sambar powder for an appetizing South Indian flavour. The latter can be altered according to individual taste by adding a different spice like, garam masala, chaat masala or any other aromatic spices. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 6-7 long eggplants, chopped
• 1/2 cup  of boiled chickpeas
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 2-3 garlic, sliced
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 tsp. sambar powder

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds. After it stops spluttering, add the garlic, curry leaves and green chilies. Sauté for a few seconds.

          Add the eggplants, followed by salt and turmeric powder. Sauté on a medium flame till they turn soft.

          Add the tomatoes and chickpeas and continue to fry for 2-3 minutes. When done, add the sambar powder and give it a stir. Serve hot as a side dish with either chapattis or rice.

                                  Temper oil with mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter.

                                  Add garlic, green chilies & curry leaves. Sauté few seconds.

                                   Add chopped eggplants, followed by .......

                               ........salt & turmeric powder. Fry till they turn slightly soft.

                      Add boiled chickpeas & tomatoes. Sauté on medium flame for 2-3 minutes.

                                 When done, add sambar powder & give it a stir. 

                                Serve as a side dish with either chapattis or rice.