Palakoora pappu or Indian spinach gravy

Quick, easy and tasty approach to make palakoora pappu or spinach thavve

Ingredients -

1. Frozen spinach 2 cups ( washed and ready to use)
2. Toor dal / khandhi pappu - 3/4 cup
3. Onion - 1/2 chopped
4. Green chillies - 2 or 3 depending on spice level (finely chopped)
5. Tamarind paste - 1 tablespoon
6. Ginger - 1/2 inch finely chopped
7. Garlic cloves - 2 finely chopped
8. Cilantro - 1/4 bunch
9. Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
10. Salt as needed
11. Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
12. Ghee - 2 tablespoons
13. Asofaetida - pinch
14. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
15. Cumin/Jeera - 1 teaspoon
16. Curry leaves - 6
17. Water - 2 cups

Method -

1. Clean toor dal thoroughly with water.
2. In a pressure cooker, add toor dal, water, spinach, onions, green chillies, ginger,galic,tamarind paste,turmeric, salt,red chilli powder and cilantro. Mix well and add 2 drops of ghee before the lid is closed.
3. Place the cooker on the stove and cook for 3 whistles.
4. Once the steam has evaporated, add the seasoning.
5. For seasoning, heat the ghee, add asofaetida,mustard,cumin,curry leaves and as they splutter, add the seasoning to the pappu in the cooker.

Enjoy the quick and easy pappu with rice or roti !

Bendakaya vepudu / Bhindi Fry / Bendekaayi Palya

Ingredients -

1. Okra - 1 Kg
2. Onion - 1 small
3. Olive Oil - 2 table spoons
4. Mustard - 1 tea spoon
5. Cumin/Jeera - 1 tea spoon
6. Cilantro/Coriander leaves - 1/4 bunch
7. Curry leaves - 6
8. Red chilli powder - 1 tea spoon
9. Turmeric - a pinch or 1/4 tea spoon
10. Salt as needed
11. Asofaetida - a pinch

Method -

1. Heat the oil in a wide non-stick pan ( I emphasize on a wide pan as the taste and texture varies with the steam and moisture)
2. Add asofaetida, mustard, cumin and as they splutter, add curry leaves
3. Ensure that the spices do not get charred. Add finely chopped onions.
4. Once the onions turn brown, add the cut okra to the mixture.
5. Using a spatula, keep frying the vegetable to remove the sticky nature of the okra pieces.
6. After 5 minutes, close the lid of the pan and let it cook for 15 minutes. Keep stirring in between every 5 minutes to avoid charring. Closing the lid is important to retain the moisture of the okra pieces.
7. Once the okra pieces are well fried and cooked, add turmeric, salt, chilli powder and coriander leaves, mix thoroughly and close the lid for 5 minutes.
8. Stir the mixture again and close the lid for 5 more minutes.
9. Switch off the heat and let it remain closed for 10 minutes before you serve.

The perfect taste of this curry is achieved by balancing the frying and cooking methods.
Okra is rich in Vitamin K and is known to be essential for the synthesis of the sphingolipids, and therefore proper brain and nervous function.

Serves taste and nutrition !

Spinach fry

Ingredients:

1. Organic triple-washed baby spinach leaves - 2 cups
2. Extra virgin olive oil - 2 table spoons
3. Garlic Cloves - 4(nicely chopped)
4. Salt - a pinch
5. Green chillies - 1(nicely chopped0

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan
2. Add green chillies and Garlic and fry till the garlic pieces turn golden brown
3. Add spinach and fry in the mixture for 2 minutes..
4. Close the lid of the pan, reduce the heat and let the spinach cook for 3-5 minutes.
5. Ensure to stir the spinach fry to prevent burning.
6. Add a pinch of salt and a tea spoon of lemon juice(optional)

Enjoy the healthy spinach fry with hot rice or bread.

Indo-American salad

Owing to my husband's taste in Lemon, cilantro and mint , I thought of preparing a yummy yet healthy dinner tonight. Outcome is this delicious salad which I thought would post on my blog.

Needed:
1. Beetroot - 1
2. Shredded carrot - 1/4 cup
3. Spinach - 1/2 cup
4. Bean sprouts - 1/2 cup
5. Red capsicum - 1/2
6. Cashew - 6
7. Raisins - 6
8. Onion -1/2
9. Mint leaves - 4
10. Cilantro / Coriander - 2 strands
11. Lemon juice - 2 tablespoons
12. Salt - 1/2 tablespoon
13. Sugar - 1/2 tablespoon
14. Thousand island ranch - 2 tablespoons
15. Olive oil - 1 tablespoon

Method:
1. Fry cashew, raisins, onion and red capsicum in olive oil till they turn brown.
2. Boil spinach in 1/4 cup water for ten minutes, drain and keep it aside.
3. Cut beet root into small cubes and boil in 1/2 cup water mixed with salt and sugar till the beet gets soft.
4. Add roasted capsicum, spinach, beet, onions, cashews and raisins to a big bowl. To this mixture add shredded carrots, sprouts, chopped Ming leaves, cilantro, lemon juice and ranch, mix all the contents gently without smashing to retain salad texture.
5. Add salt and pepper as desired to get the required taste.

I served the above salad with some boiled eggs and there goes my healthy recipe.

Jowar Roti or Joladha rotti

Ingredients

1. Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
2. Green chillies - 2 (finely chopped)
3. Ginger garlic paste - 1 table spoon
4. Cilantro or coriander - 1/2 bunch (coarsely chopped)
5. Butter - 2 table spoons
6. salt as needed
7. Jowar flour - 1 cup
8. Oil as needed.

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients in jowar flour and knead into dough.
2. Use milk, water and ghee to knead the dough
3. Make 4 balls out of the dough.
4. On a tawa, press the dough ball flat into a roti using your hands.
5. Immerse your hands in water to softly spread the dough ball. Make a hole in the center to facilitate equal heating of the roti.
6. Add half a tea spoon of oil around the roti and place the tawa on the stove with closed lid.
7. After a minute, turn the roti and heat it without the lid.
8. Switch off the stove after a minute or two, let the tawa cool down and repeat the process for other dough balls.
9. Serve rotis with curd.

Majjige huLi

    

Ingredients

1. Chana dal - 1/2 cup
2. Coriander seeds - 5 table spoons
3. Cumin seeds - 1 table spoon
4. Ginger - 1/4" piece
5. Coriander or Cilantro - 5 strands
6. Coconut - 1/4 cup
7. Green chillies - 3
8. Chayote Squash or seeme badnekai - 1
9. Butter milk - 1 cup
10. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
11. Asafoetida - a pinch
12. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon
13. oil - 1 table spoon
14. Salt - 1/2 table spoon or as needed

Method

1. Soak chana dal in water for 30 minutes
2. After 30 minutes, drain the chana dal, add coriander seeds, cumin, ginger, cilantro, coconut, green chillies and chana dal into a blender and grind into a fine paste
3. Cut chayote squash into tiny cubes and boil them in water.
4. Add turmeric and 1/4 tablespoon salt to the boiling vegetable.
5. Once cooked, add the grinded paste to the vegetable, keep stirring.
6. Add another 1/4 tablespoon salt and churned buttermilk.
7. Keep stirring for 5 minutes while it cooks.
8. Switch off the stove.
9. In a saucepan, take oil and add mustard seeds, as they splutter, add asafoetida.
10. Add this seasoning to the dish and close the lid.
11. Leave it with closed lid for 15 minutes to enjoy the flavors.

Badam Kheer, Almond payasam

Ingredients

1. Almonds or Badam - 1 cup
2. Milk - 4 cups
3. Sugar - 1 to 2  cups as needed
4. Saffron - 1/2 tea spoon
5. Water - 2 cups

Method

1. Soak saffron in cold milk and keep it aside.
2. Boil the water, turn off the stove, soak almonds in hot water for 1 hour.
3. Drain the almonds from hot water, peel the skin and grind into a fine paste using 1 cup of milk
4. Measure the almond paste and keep the same amount of sugar aside.
5. Cook the almond paste for 5 - 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. As the flavor comes out, add the rest of the milk, sugar, saffron milk and stir for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly.
7. Switch off the stove and place in the refrigerator.
8. Serve it cold to enjoy the flavors.

Masala buttermilk, Masala majjiga, masala majjige

Ingredients

1. Buttermilk - 2 cups
2. Lemon juice - 1 table spoon
3. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
4. Curry leaves - 4
5. Coriander or cilantro - 2 strands
6. Green chilli - 1
7. Asafoetida - a pinch
8. Salt - 1/4 tea spoon or as needed
9. Oil - 1 table spoon

Method

1. Take buttermilk, lemon juice, salt and coriander in a blender and blend it for 30 seconds
2. Take oil in a small sauce pan
3. Add mustard seeds and as they splutter, add asafoetida,curry leaves and finely chopped green chilli.
4. Strictly ensure that mustard seeds do not get charred.
5. As they fry add them to the blended buttermilk.
6. Let the flavor sink in a for a minute by closing the lid.
7. Enjoy the masala buttermilk post lunch or dinner.

Lemon rice, Pulihora, chitraanna

Ingredients

1. Boiled Rice - 2 cups
2. Lemon - 1/2 (juice squeezed)
3. Curry leaves - 10
4. Green chillies - 3
5. Asafoetida - a pinch
6. Oil - 2 table spoons
7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
8. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
9. Chana dal - 1/2 tea spoon
10. Urad dal - 1/2 tea spoon
11. Cashew - 10
12. Ground nuts - 10 (skin peeled)
13. Coriander or cilantro - 1/4 bunch
14. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon
15. Onion - 1 (medium sized)
16. Ginger - 1/4" (Finely chopped)
17. Salt - 1 tea spoon or as needed

Method

1. Cook rice and keep it aside.
2. Take oil in a saucepan.
3. Add mustard,cumin, chana dal, urad dal and as they splutter, add asafoetida and curry leaves.
4. Keep stirring for a minute, add ginger, green chillies, ground nut, cashew and fry for a minute
5. Add finely chopped onions and stir till the onions turn brown.
6. Add turmeric powder and coriander, stir the entire mixture for 2 minutes.
7. Switch off the flame, add the mixture to boiled rice and mix the rice gently without spoiling the coarse texture of the rice grains.
8. Add salt and lemon juice as needed.
9. Close the lid and serve after 10 minutes to enjoy the flavors.

Spinach soup or Palak soup

Ingredients

1. Spinach - 1/2 bunch
2. Green chillies - 2
3. Potato - 1
4. Cinnamon stick - 1 small piece
5. Nutmeg powder - 1/2 tea spoon
6. Garlic cloves - 2
7. Onion - 1
8. Celery - 1/2 stalk chopped
9. Ginger - 1/4 " piece finely chopped
10. Butter - 2 table spoons
11. Milk - 1 cup
12. Salt - 1/2 tablespoon or as needed
13. Cumin seeds - 1 tablespoon
14. Pepper - 1/2 tea spoon or as needed
15. Lemon juice - 1 table spoon (Optional)

Method

1. Boil the potato, peel the skin off and keep it aside.
2. Heat butter in a sauce pan. Add cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, celery and onion.
3. As the onions turn brown, add green chillies and fry for a minute.
4. Add chopped spinach and fry for 5 minutes, adding a little water if needed.
5. Take the spinach mixture in a blender, add boiled potato, add salt and blend into a puree.
6. Transfer the puree into a sauce pan, add 1 cup of milk, keep stirring.
7. Add a small piece of cinnamon and nutmeg powder, heat the mixture while stirring continuously for 2 minutes.
8. Optional is a tablespoon of lemon juice in the end before serving to get the tangy taste.
9. Serve hot with pepper as needed.

Beerakaya pachadi or Ridge Gourd churney or Heerekayi chutney

Needed

1. Ridge gourd or beerekaya or heerekaayi - 1
2. Oil - 1 table spoon
3. Urad dal - 1 table spoon
4. Tamarind paste - 1 tea spoon
5. Coconut - 1/2 cup
6. Green chillies - 2
7. Asafoetida - a pinch
8. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
9. Salt - 1 tea spoon or as needed

Method

1. Without peeling the skin, wash the ridge gourd thorouhly and cut into small cubes.
2. Add 1/2 table spoon oil to the saucepan and fry the green chillies and ridgegourd pieces.
3. Once they become tender, transfer hem to another plate and keep them aside.
4. In the same saucepan, fry 1 tablespoon of urad dal till they turn brown.
5. To the blender, add fried urad dal, green chillies,coconut, tamarind,salt and grind to a coarse paste.
6. Now, add the fried ridge gourd pieces and grind again into coarse paste.
7. Heat 1/2 table spoon oil, add mustard seeds and asafoetida and as they splutter, add the seasoning to the coarse paste.
8. Close the lid and let the flavors sink in for 10 minutes, serve the cutney with hot rice.

Ginger Chutney

Ingredients

1. Ginger - 1" piece
2. Onions - 1
3. Red chillies - 3
4. Grated Jaggery - 1 tea spoon
5. Cilantro or Coriander - 3 strands
6. Oil - 1 table spoon
7. Salt - 1 tea spoon or as needed

Method

1. Heat 1 table spoon of oil in a saucepan
2. Add ginger,onion,red chillies and fry them till the onions turn brown
3. Switch off the stove, let them cool to room temperature for 2 minutes before adding them into a blender. (Saves the blender blades from heat and improves the taste)
4. Add salt, grated jaggery, coriander and the above mixture to the blender and grind to a coarse paste.

Pesarattu or Moong dal dosa

Ingredients

1. Whole Moong dal - 2 cups
2. Salt - 1 tea spoon or as needed
3. Onion - 1
4. Cilantro or Coriander - 1/2 bunch
5. Cumin seeds - 1 tablespoon
6. Green chillies - 2
7. Oil as needed

Method

1. Soak moongdal overnight in 4 cups of water
2. In the morning, drain the water and grind them into coarse paste.
3. Add salt as needed.
4. Coarse filling for these dosas are made by grinding cumin, green chillies, coriander and onion into a coarse paste.
5. Take 4 drops of oil and coat the tava.
6. Pour 1/2 cup of batter onto the tava and spread it in anti-clockwise direction
7. Place the tava on stove on medium heat with a closed lid.
8. After a minute, open the lid, add 2 table spoons of coarse filling in the center of the dosa, close the lid and cook it for 1 minute.
9. Open the lid, fold the dosa and serve it hot with ginger chutney.

Potato Curry - Kerala Style

Ingredients

1. Medium sized Potatoes - 3 
2. Tomato - 1 (finely chopped)
3. Onion - 1 (finely sliced)
4. Green chilli - 2 (cut into small pieces)
5. Ginger - 1/4" piece (finely chopped)
6. Butter - 2 table spoons
7. Cumin seed - 1 tea spoon
8. Asafoetida - a pinch
9. Cilantro/Coriander - 4 strands of leaves finely chopped
10. Cumin powder - 1 tea spoon
11. Coriander powder - 1 tea spoon
12. Turmeric - 1/4 tea spoon
13. Red chilli powder - 1/2 tea spoon
14. Salt - 1 tea spoon or as needed
15. Water - 2 1/2 cups
16. Lemon juice - 2 tablespoon

Method :

1. Wash and cut the potatoes into cubes and boil them in 2 cups of water till they get cooked.
2. Peel the skin off the boiled potatoes.
3. In a saucepan, take 2 tablespoons of butter, add asafoetida,cumin seeds and let them splutter.
4. Add onions ginger,green chillies and fry till the onions turn brown
5. Add tomatoes and fry them for 2 minutes.
6. Add boiled potatoes,1/2 cup of water to this mixture and let it boil for a minute with closed lid.
7. Add turmeric, salt, cumin,coriander and red chilli powders, mix and cook with the closed lid for 1 minute.
8. Add cilantro and lemon juice to the cooked mixture, switch off the stove and let it cook with the closed lid.
9. Wait for 10 minutes and then serve with rotis to enjoy the flavors.

Beet root Curry / Beet root Palya / Beet root Koora

Needed

1. Beet root - 3
2. Red chillies - 2
3. Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
4. Turmeric - 1 tea spoon
5. Salt as needed
6. Chana dal - 1/2 tea spoon
7. Urad dal - 1/2 tea spoon
8. Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
9. Cumin Seeds  - 1/2 tea spoon
10. Oil - 2 table spoons
11. Red chilli powder - 1/2 tablespoon

Method

1. Cut the beet roots into tiny cubes.
2. Chop red chillies into halves.
3. Heat the 1 table spoon of oil in a sauce pan
4. Add mustard, cumin, chana dal and urad dal.
5. As they splutter, add chopped red chillies..
6. Fry ensuring that red chillies do not turn brown.
7. Add beet root pieces, add another tablespoon of oil and fry them.
8. Keep the lid closed and keep stirring the mixture to avoid the vegetable getting charred.
9. Add 1/4 cup water or 1 table spoon oil to prevent charring.
10. As the beet roots get cooked, add chilli powder, turmeric and salt.
11. Fry for a minute, add coconut, stir the mixture, close the lid and let it cook for two minutes.
12. Coconut adds a fresh flavor to the curry.
13. Serve it with rice/roti.

Carrot Curry / Carrot Palya / Carrot Koora

Needed

1. Carrots - 5
2. Peas - 1/2 cup
3. Onion - 1 
4. Small Green chillies - 4
5. Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
6. Turmeric - 1 tea spoon
7. Salt as needed
8. Chana dal - 1/2 tea spoon
9. Urad dal - 1/2 tea spoon
10. Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
11. Cumin Seeds  - 1/2 tea spoon
12. Oil - 2 table spoons

Method

1. Cut the carrots into tiny cubes.
2. Chop green chillies and onions into small pieces.
3. Heat the 1 table spoon of oil in a sauce pan
4. Add mustard, cumin, chana dal and urad dal.
5. As they splutter, add chopped green chillies and onions.
6. Fry till the onions turn brown.
7. Add carrots and peas, add another tablespoon of oil and fry them with onion mixture.
8. Keep the lid closed and keep stirring the mixture to avoid the vegetable getting charred.
9. As the carrots get cooked, add turmeric and salt.
10. Fry for a minute, add coconut, stir the mixture, close the lid and let it cook for two minutes.
11. Coconut adds a fresh flavor to the curry.
12. Serve it with rice/roti.
    

Tomato Rasam / Tomato Chaaru

Needed

1. Tomatoes - 2
2. Green chillies - 3
3. Onion - 1/2
4. Curry leaves - 1 strand
5. Coriander - 1/4 bunch
6. Toor dal/ Red lenthils - 1 cup
7. Water - 1 1/2 cup
8. Rasam Powder - 2 table spoons ( heap)
9. Asofaetida - a pinch
10. Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon
11. Cumin Seeds - 1 tea spoon
12. Ghee- 1 tablespoon
13. Jaggery - 2 tablespoons
14. Salt as needed
15. Turmeric Powder - 1 tea spoon
16. Tamarind paste - 1 tablespoon

Method

1. Wash and chop tomatoes into quarter pieces.
2. Cut the half onion vertically into thin slices.
3. Chop the green chillies into tiny bits.
4. Wash the toor dal and place it with tomatoes, onion, green chillies and curry leaves in a pressure cooker.
5. Add 1 1/2 cup water for 1 cup of toor dal.
6. Heat the mixture and let the cooker whistle for 3 times.
7. Instead of pressure cooker, you can also directly boil the ingredients in 1 1/2 cup of water in a vessel on medium flame.
8. Once the tomatoes and dal are cooked, place the mixture again on low flame.
9. Add rasam powder, salt, tamarind paste, turmeric, jaggery and let it boil for about 10 minutes.
10. Now add coriander and boil for another 10 minutes.
11. Switch off the burner.
12. Place a small sauce pan on another burner on low flame, add the ghee.
13. Once the oil gets heated up, add mustard and cumin seeds.
14. As they splutter, add asofaetida and as the aroma spreads, put the mixture into the rasam prepared.
15. Close the lid of the rasam mixture immediately so that the aroma sinks in.
16. Serve this rasam after half an hour to enjoy the mouth-watering flavors.

Rasam Powder

Needed

1. Coriander seeds - 1 cup
2. Guntur Red chillies - 1 fistful
3. Byadige Red chillies - 1 fistful
4. Cumin Seeds - 1/4 cup
5. Fenugreek seeds - 1/8 cup
6. Pepper - 1/8 cup
7. Mustard seeds - 2 tablespoon
8. Curry Leaves - 4 strands

Method

1. Fry each of the above ingredients in a sauce pan independently without oil.
2. Ensure that the items are fried only till the raw smell vanishes.
3. The chillies should not turn black and none of the ingredients should get charred.
4. Combine all the fried ingredients in a grinder and grind to a coarse powder.
5. Place the Rasam powder in an air tight container to preserve the aroma.

Carrot and Fruit Raitha

I would highly recommend packing this for lunch every other day.
Its rich in beta-carotene, probiotics,vitamin C and antioxidants.

Needed

1. Yoghurt/Curd - 5 table spoons
2. Pomegranate - 1/4 fruit
3. Seedless Green Grapes - 10
4. Grated Carrot - 1
5. Sugar - 1/2 tablespoon
6. Salt - 1 tea spoon or as needed
7. Green chillies - 2
8. Cilantro/Coriander - about 2 few strands

Method

• Chop the green chillies, cilantro, grapes into tiny pieces.
• Mix all the ingredients together and pack it in a small box for lunch.
• This is one of the easiest ways to get the daily dose of fruit, carrot and yogurt to your family.

Bendekaayi Chutney / Ladysfinger chutney / Bendakaaya Chutney

Needed 

1. Okra/ Ladysfinger - 10 to 15
2. Green chillies - 5
3. Coriander - 1/2 bunch
4. Asofaetida - a teaspoon
5. Coriander powder - 2 tablespoons
6. Oil - a tablespoon
7. Tamarind paste - 1 table spoon
8. Salt as needed
9. Coconut - 1/4 coconut

Method

1. Fry in tablespoon , green chillies and okra.
2. Grind with coriander powder, tamarind,salt,coriander,asofaetida and coconut to make into coarse paste.