Channa vathakhuzhambu/kondakadalai vathakuzhambu

Sounds different but I bet it's a tasty treat. When it comes to kuzhambu ,we simple add some vegetables such as onion, tomatoes ,methi leaves or even add appalams but what it's like to add Channa in vathakuzhambu?i had the same doubt when I saw making this in my in-laws house , but I bet, it was very very yummy. Not only it contains high protein but it was hmmmm... Before it gets over I thought I need to pen down this recipe.

Ingredients:

Big lemon-sized tamarind(puli)
1 spn Mustard seeds
1 spn Channa dal
1 spn Urad dal
1 spn Toor Dal
1 cup of Channa / chole , soaked in water overnight and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles
4-5 Methi seeds
4-5 Red Chillies
2 heep spn Sambar powder
6-7 Curry Leaves
5 Spoon Gingely Oil


Method:


* Take a kadai, Pour Gingely oil
** Add Mustard Seeds
** Add Channa Dal
** Add Urad Dal
** Add Toor Dal
** Add Methi Seeds
** Add Red Chillies
** Add Channa/chole

* Then add the pulp of Tamarind Juice

* Add Sambar powder and Salt

*Let it boil for 15- 20 minutes till it becomes semi-fluid consistency.

Sweet Corn Pulav

Recipe will follow soon....

Lunch Box Menu- Tomato Pulav and Brocolli Curry

I always wonder, how bloggers make the food and take pictures at the same time.The best part is post the pictures the same day. I have always tried but in vain. Last week, I made tomato pulav and Brocolli Curry for the box and kept the same for us. The box was so colorful with Bright red and Green for the side box. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

Rice - 3/4 cup
Onions- 1/2 cup ,Sliced long
Tomatoes- 2 small or 1 Big ,
GInger- Garlic- 1 tsp
Green-Chillies- 2 slit long
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
Cuming Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
PattaiCinnamon stick - a small piece
Cloves/Krambu- 2 pieces
Elaichi - 1
Bay Leaves- 1
Curry leaves and Coriander leaves for garnishing.
Oil and salt as needed.


Method
1) Wash the rice and soak in water for 10 minutes.
2) Take a pan with oil and add Cinnamon Stick,Cloves,Elaichi,Bay leaves ,Then add sliced onions and green chillies and let it fry for couple of minutes. You can add little bit of salt to onion, so that it will fasten up the frying.
3)Grind "Ginger-Garlick-Tomatoes" in a mixie and pour it in the pan .Fry for some time.
4) Add Masala powders - Turmeric powder- Cumin powder - Coriander Powder and salt.Add Curry leaves which will enhance the flavor.
5) Now add rice-without soaked water and fry for 1 minute. Let it marry all the flavours and add salt.
6) Now add the water. For 1 cup of rice: we can add two cups of water. For this 3/4the cup of rice 1.5 cups of water and salt and keep in electric cooker or just pressure cook it.
Tada..Its ready.

Now comes Brocolli Curry: This is the simplest veggie of all.

Ingredients:

Brocolli - 10 florets
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urad dal- 1tsp
Long red Chillies - 1
Asafoetids- 1 tsp
Curry Powder- 2 tsp
Oil and salt.


Method: 1) Boil Brocolli in water for 10 minutes and keep it aside.
2) In a pan with oil, add mustard - wait till it splutters and add urad dal,Long red chillies.
3) Add Boiled Brocolli with salt and fry for 5 - 10 minutes . Add Curry powder and asafoetida.


Tomato Pulav with Brocolli goes well together.

Spinach with buttermilk gravy/Keera Morkootu

After I came here to US, It seems am losing my hair daily. Without vitamin supply, I cant survive here.We can't just rely on tablets alone, so I started including spinach in our diet.Atleast 2-3 times a week is a must to have greens.Since spinach is much cheaper in US than India, I get it often. Spinach is a good source of iron.I love 'kootus' and my hubby is dead against coconut-greenchillies combination. So, I always make him 'porichakootu ' which is 'coconut-uraddal-daniya-milagavathal' combination. So for a change with "vethakuzhambu' , I did this spinach with buttermilk gravy /Keera Morkootu.


Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

Spinach - 1 or 2 bunch ,Chopped finely, Washed

Coconut- 1/2 cup

Greenchillies- 2

Jeera- 1 tsp

Curd/Yogurt- 1 cup

Mustard-1 tsp

Long red Chillies/Milagavathal - 1



Method:-

1) Grind Coconut,greenchillies,jeera and make in to paste

2) In a kadai with oil, put mustard and wait till splutter. Put urad dal and Long Red Chillies and add spinach/Keera and fry till it cooks well.

3)Add the paste in to that Keera and let it cook for couple of minutes.

After switching off the fire and keep it on the side.Add Yogurt/Thick Buttermilk over the top and mix it. Serve it hot.

Ta..Da Spinach with buttermilk gravy is ready.