Black Eye Beans Masala / Black Eye Beans in Tomato Gravy

To go with the colourful green spinach parathas, I made this spicy, tangy Black Eye Beans Masala in tomato gravy. Its a very good combo with green and dark orange food items. I should have made this combo on our Independence day with a side of white raita too. Try this out in your kitchen and enjoy...

 

Ingredients

Black Eye Beans - 2 Cups

White Potato - 1 ( Optional )

Ripe Tomato - 4 or 5 Medium

Red Onion - 1 Medium

Green Chili - 1 Medium

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp

Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1 tsp

Kasoor Methi - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp

Dhana Jeera Powder - 1 tsp ( Coriander Cumin Powder )

Sugar - 1 pinch

Salt - To Taste

Water - As required for the gravy

Oil - 1 tbsp

Butter or melted ghee - 1 tsp ( OPTIONAL )

Coriander Leaves - To Garnish

Method

• Soak the Black Eye Beans in water for an hour and pressure cook them for 4-5 whistles. Peel the potato skin and cut them into medium size squares. Cook them in a microwave and keep the potato cubes ready too. Make the tomato puree by grinding five tomatoes and the green chili using a mixer grinder. Cut the onion into small pieces and keep them ready.
• In the frying pan / kadai, add oil first. When its heated, add the cumin seeds, ginger garlic paste, onion into the pan. Fry them on a medium flame till the raw smell goes off.
• Add all the powders into the pan and fry them for a minute. Pour the tomato puree into the pan and mix everything well and allow them to cook for 2-3 minutes with the lid closed.
• Add some water if you notice thickness in the tomato gravy. Adjust the gravy consistency as you wish.
• Then, add the Black Eye Beans, cooked potato squares and the Kasoor methi into the pan along with salt and a pinch of sugar. Mix the contents thoroughly in the pan and allow them to set properly in the gravy by cooking them on a medium flame for another 3-4 minutes.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with your nutritious green parathas. Add a tsp of melted butter or ghee on its top just before serving.

Tips / Variations

Don't overcook the Black Eye Beans in the pressure cooker. It should be well cooked and visible separately.

Spinach Chappathi / Spinach Paratha / Palak Paratha / Green Chappathi

 

School is getting started and my mind is thinking of various school lunch options, healthy dinners for the kids. Whole bag of spinach was sitting in the refrigerator and I decided to make some different variety out of it. Though Palak Paneer is our all time favourite, spinach paratha won my mind. With a tangy, spicy side dish, its a very good combination for dinner. I made Black eye beans masala in a tangy,spicy tomato gravy which makes the dinner more colourful.

Ingredients

 

For Grinding :

Spinach Leaves - 3 Cups

Green Chili - 1 Medium

Jeera / Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

For the Dough :

Wheat Flour - 4 Cups

Sugar - 1 Pinch

Salt - To Taste

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Ajwain Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Thick Curd - 1 tbsp

Grounded Paste - Add fully.

Water - Little as required for making the paratha dough.

Oil - As required.

 

 

 

Method 

• Wash the spinach leaves thoroughly and steam cook them along with green chili and cumin seeds in the kadai / pan with the lid on. No need to add water. When it gets cooked and reduced in size, grind them in a mixer grinder smoothly with no water added. Keep the green paste ready.
• In a big mixing bowl, add all the other ingredients for making the dough and the green paste too and make a smooth paste. Knead the dough well with little oil to make it more softer. Keep it aside for few minutes.
• Heat the frying pan on medium flame. Take a small ball of the paratha dough and spread the ball into a thin round paratta.
• Fry them uniformly on the heated frying pan on both sides. Apply little ghee on its top while serving for kids.
• An excellent healthy paratha for breakfast, colourful lunch for kids and delicious dinner along with a good side dish. Can be eaten at all times and loved by all ages.

 

Tips / Variations

• While kneading the dough, care should be taken while adding water. Green paste and curd should be added first while making the dough and then water should be added slowly till you get a desired consistency.
• I prefer not to add so many powders while making the dough as I wish to retain its original flavour and make it more simpler.

 

Chocolate Kalakand / Chocolate Milk Cake - Using Ricotta Cheese

I made this special "Chocolate Kalakand" for our sweet Krishna in our house, my son. My kids were so excited to see the Chocolate version of kalakand and they enjoyed this sweet happily. Preparation of this Kalakand was exactly the same as the regular Kalakand except that I added a packet of Cocoa to the mixture before microwaving them.

 

Please see the link as below for the preparation...

 

Kalakand - Regular version

Kalakand / Milk Cake - Using Ricotta Cheese

I made this milk based sweet Kalakand during the festival "Krishna Jeyanthi".  Using Ricotta cheese, the process was made simpler and quicker.  I adopted the microwave method for making this sweet as it reduces the preparation time.

Ingredients

Part Skim Ricotta Cheese - 3 Cups

Milk Powder - 1.5 Cups ( I used Fat Free Milk Powder )

Sugar - 1.5 Cups

Melted Butter - Between 3/4 to 1 Cup

Rose Essence - 2 Drops ( For Good flavour but its optional ).

Shredded Nuts - 1/2 cup ( To decorate the kalakand on its top ).

Cardamom Powder - 1 tsp

( Shredded Nuts include Cashew nuts, Almonds, Pistachios.)

Method

Mix all the ingredients in a microwaveable glass bowl except the cardamom powder, rose essence and shredded nuts. Cook them in a microwave for nearly 10-15 minutes till the contents get little thicker and comes to a semi solid consistency. Add the cardamom powder, rose essence at the end of the process and mix them well. Pour them over a ghee coated plate uniformly. Before the Kalakand mixture gets cold, make squares or any shapes you desire. Once it gets completely cold, take out the kalakand squares and enjoy. While cooking them in a microwave, take out and stir them constantly and continue the process.

 

Tips / Variations

You can adjust the amount of sugar and ghee according to your taste.

Kalakand texture would be little softer if the amount of ghee is less. So, adjust the ghee level according to the texture you want.

Vendaikkai Thayir Pachidi / Bendakaya Perugu Pachidi / Okra in Yogurt Gravy / Bindi in curd gravy

Okra / Bindi / Ladies Finger is always liked by all ages. Instead of making the regular Okra fry, I wanted to make this vendakkai Thayir Pachidi as its mostly preferable during summer. It goes well with any spicy, tangy Kuzhambu like Kara Kuzhambu, Vethakuzhambu, spicy tomato rice, or any mixed rice variety..

Decided to make use of my home grown Bindi / Okra, I had been collecting them since a week. Once it came upto a decent count, I finally made my favourite Vendakaya Thayir Pachidi.

Ingredients

Okra Plant in our Home Garden

For Making Okra Fry
Fresh Tender Okra - 25 to 30
Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash
Sambar Powder - 3 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 4 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp
Urad Dal / Ulutham Paruppu - 2 tsp
Curry Leaves - 1 Stem
Dry Red Chillies - 2 Medium

For the Curd Gravy
Fresh Curd / Plain Yogurt - 2 Cups
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - To Taste
Hing / Asafoetida - Little
Grounded Paste - Fully ( Make a paste of 1 medium size green chilli, 1 inch of Ginger, 1 tsp of cumin seeds / jeera in a mixer grinder and add it to the fresh curd ).

Method

• Wash the Okra / Ladies finger thoroughly and cut them into small size. In a kadai / frying pan, add the oil first and finish the tempering first by adding mustard seeds, urad dal, dry red chillies, curry leaves. When its done, add the cut Okra into the pan along with all powders and required amount of salt. Mix them well and cover the lid for the Okra to get cooked with the steam inside. No need to add water while making Okra fry.
• During this time, make the curd gravy ready. Add all the required things to the fresh curd and whisk them properly and keep the curd gravy ready. Curd Gravy itself would taste good with a flavour of fresh ginger and jeera.
• When its cooked, open the lid and allow them to get fried on a medium flame slowly. Stir the Okra fry in the middle and let them get fried nicely. I prefer to use Non-Stick pan to fry the Okra with less oil. Its somehow easier for me, as it does not stick to the bottom and also it gets fried nicely with very less oil.
• Just before serving, add the Okra fry into the curd gravy. Garnish with coriander leaves on its top.

Tips / Variations

You can add some thick Buttermilk to dilute the curd gravy if the curd is too thick.

You can add a stem of fresh coriander leaves while grinding the paste for the Yogurt / curd gravy.

Instead of adding the powders to the curd gravy, I prefer to add to the Okra while frying as it gives a nice aroma.

Cauliflower Manchurian / Gobi Manchurian / Gobi 65

Ever since i stepped into Bangalore after my college days, I fell in love deeply with this yummy appetizer or snack..Due to my great love towards this manchurian, I tasted this yummy dish in street side, mediocre hotel, good restaurants and in five star hotels. Out of all, my love looks beautiful and tastes terrible in one small fast food joint in Jayanagar, Bangalore. Its my tendency to try out things which I love so much at home since my childhood. Likewise, I tried and made some manchurian in my kitchen too. With trial and error, initial versions were ok...but not satisfactory. After trying out different versions, I arrived at one final recipe which is simpler and tastier. My friends and dear bloggers, try this version in your kitchen and enjoy this mouthwatering appetizer along with some Chinese veg fried rice / noodles and a suitable side dish.

There are two methods to make this Manchurian. You can either fry the Gobi / Cauliflower florets or bake them in the oven. In both the cases, coat every cauliflower florets with the batter and fry or bake them as you like. I made Manchurians using both the methods earlier and they tasted equally good in both the cases. If you are deciding to fry, please follow the method as described below.

I will append the Baking Method version at the end of this post very soon with corresponding pictures.

Ingredients

Gobi / Cauliflower - 1 Big

Oil - To Fry the Manchurian

For the Batter :
All Purpose Flour - 3/4 cup

Corn Flour - 2 tbsp

Salt - Little

Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp

Food colour ( Orange or Red Orange) - 1 pinch ( Optional )

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

 

Gobi Manchurian - Final Process

Red Onion shredded - 1/2 cup

Spring Onion - 3

Garlic Pods finely shredded - 5 or 6
Spicy Tomato Ketchup / Tomato Sauce - 1 tbsp

Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp

Salt - To Taste

Black Pepper Powder - 3 tsp

Green Chilli shredded finely - 1 tbsp

 

 Method

 

• Take out the cauliflower florets and wash them thoroughly. Drain the water completely and cook the cauliflower florets in a microwave and keep them ready.
• Meantime, make a batter using the ingredients as mentioned above ( just like bajji batter) and keep the batter ready.
• In a frying pan, add oil and heat the pan. When you see light fumes emerging out of the oil surface, take a cooked cauliflower floret and coat the floret with the manchurian batter on all sides and gently drop the floret into the heated oil.
• Fry them to golden brown and fry all the other florets using the same method and finish the entire process. Keep all the fried cauliflower florets on a flat plate openly.
• In a cooking pan / vessel, add oil first. When its heated, add finely shredded garlic, red onion pieces into the vessel and fry them for a minute.
• Then, add the tomato ketchup, soy sauce, black pepper powder, shredded green chilli, required amount of salt into the cooking vessel / pan and stir them nicely for nearly 3-4 minutes on a medium flame.
• Add all the fried manchurian into the manchurian sauce and fry them gently. Add the spring onion into the vessel and stir them again for a minute and switch off the flame.
• Transfer the Gobi Manchurian into a serving plate and place small toothpicks on the side or on top of the Manchurian pieces individually.

Mushroom Soy Chunks Biryani / Protein Rich Biryani / Soy Chunks Mushroom Biryani

Both Mushrooms and Soy Chunks are powerhouse of good protein, their individual powers vary. Mushrooms are used in many cuisines in the world now due to its flavour and health benefits. Its an idealistic food option for many weight watchers due to their high water content and low calorie value. They are an excellent source of Potassium and helps in reducing blood pressure, boosts the immune system, help prevent cancer. Soy Chunks are vegetable protein which contain no fat when compared to animal protein.Also they are rich in fiber, Omega 3 fatty acids, iron and calcium. Nowadays, they are widely added in the preparation of many food items. Though I add Soy Chunks in many of my recipes, the combination of Mushroom and Soy Chunks is unbeatable due to its exclusive aroma. This biryani is a very good option for parties, lunch with a side of a simple raita. Try this out in your kitchen and enjoy.

Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 2 Cups
Red Onion Sliced - 1/2 Cup
Mushrooms Sliced - 2 Cups
Soy Chunks - 1 Cup
Peas - 1 Handful
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Melted Ghee - 3 tsp ( For Good Flavour )
Bay Leaves - 3 or 4
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tbsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Green Chillies shredded - 1
Green chillies slit - 1
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
For Tadka / Tempering :
Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 2 tsp
Cinnamon Sticks - 2-3 Medium
Lavang / Cloves - 5 or 6
Cardamom - 3
Somfu / Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp
Star Anise - A small piece

Method

• Soak the Basmati Rice in water. Meantime, cut the onion, mushroom and keep them ready.
• In the cooking pan / vessel, add oil and ghee together. Finish the tempering process by adding the ingredients mentioned as above.
• Once its done, add the ginger garlic paste on medium flame. Fry them till the raw smell completely takes off.
• Fry the red onion slices next till they become translucent. Add the green chillies,mushrooms, soy chunks and peas next to the cooking pan and fry them for 4-5 minutes.
• Add the powders into the pan now and stir them well. Add the sona masoori rice which is completely drained from water into the cooking vessel and fry them for a minute. Add the Bay leaves too into the pan now.
• Add 3.75 cups of water and required amount of salt into the cooking pan and allow them to cook on a low flame.
• Once its done, serve this nutritious, protein rich biryani loaded with flavours with a side of cool raita and your favourite side dish.

Aloo Palak / Palak Aloo / Spinach Potato Gravy

Aloo Palak is one of the quickest side dish for rotis and pulao and its easier to make it. I prepare aloo palak in two different ways. In the simpler version, to the cooked spinach and potato cubes the tadka would be added along with some spice powders. In this version, the preparation is little elaborate and tried in restaurant style. This version is best suited for special occasions whereas the first simpler version is for regular day cooking.

Ingredients
Spinach Leaves - 10 to 12 Cups packed.
Potato - 2 Medium ( cut into medium cubes )
Green Chilli - 1 Medium ( shredded )
Oil - 1 tbsp
Melted Ghee - 2 tsp
Jeera / Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Cinnamon Sticks - 1
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/4 tsp
Red Onion shredded - 1/2 cup
Ripe tomato - 1 big
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Dhana Jeera Powder / Coriander Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - To Taste
Sugar - 1 pinch
Water - As desired.

Method

• Wash the spinach and chop them nicely and keep ready. Cut the onion, tomato, potato, green chilli into desired size and keep them ready. Microwave the potato cubes and keep the cooked potato cubes ready.
• In the cooking pan / kadai, add oil and melted ghee. When its heated, add the cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks followed by ginger garlic paste. Fry them till the raw smell goes off.
• Then add the onion, shredded green chilli, tomato and fry them till they get cooked and look mashy.
• Add the finely chopped spinach leaves into the pan and cook them till the quantity gets reduced considerably and cooked to your satisfaction. No need to water to the pan at this stage. Close the lid in the middle and allow the spinach to get cooked with the steam itself.
• Add all the powders into the pan now and mix them well.  Add the cooked potato cubes into the pan and mix them all.
• Add required amount of salt and a pinch of sugar into the pan and fry them for 2-3 minutes. If they get very thick, add little water and make the gravy consistency perfect.
• Switch off the flame and add a tsp of ghee or little butter on its top just before serving. Its totally optional and I generally do this topping if its made for a special occasion.

Variations / Tips

Potato cubes can be substituted with fried Tofu cubes to make it more healthier.

Maavilakku / Mavilakku / Maa Vilakku

 

Maa vilakku poojai is performed during Adi month mostly on Fridays. Tradition of putting Maa Vilakku differs from family to family but the basic concept behind this tradition remains the same. We chant prayers and offer Maa Vilakku to our respective Goddesses like Mariamman, Family deity or the main deity of that region. Being a native of Thanjavur, we dedicate this pooja to our main goddess Bangaru Kamakshi Amman.

Maa Vilakku means vilakku made out of "Maa/ Maavu ". We make two special lamps on this auspicious day using a mix of rice flour, jaggery and ghee and put them on a silver plate or on a plantain leaf spread over the silver plate. Some people light a single Maa Vilakku as per their family tradition.

During my childhood, my mom used to perform this pooja in the kamakshi amman temple on Adi friday. I and my sisters used to wait patiently in the temple for her to finish off the pooja and distribute a small ball of Maa Vilakku sweet to us. Until then, we would not move out of the temple. Being a sweet lover, I love this sweet and also this poojai.

Maavilakku poojai at my Mom's Home, chennai in 2011

Ingredients 

Rice Flour - 2 Cups ( Homemade Rice Flour )
Powdered Jaggery - 1.5 Cups
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Cardamom Powder - 3 tsp

Method

• Soak the raw rice in water for half an hour. Filter the water and spread the wet rice uniformly on a thin cloth or tissue paper for sometime till all the water gets evaporated.
• When its dried completely, grind them finely using a mixer grinder. Meantime, powder the jaggery and cardamom powder and keep them ready.
• Mix the powdered jaggery, cardamom powder and ghee into the rice flour thoroughly till you are able to form a small ball out of it.
• Make two rounds of uniform size and place them over the silver plate or on the plantain leaf if its available. Make two deep small rounds at the centre of each sweet balls.
• Fill the small rounds with melted ghee and put a nice thread into it.
• Decorate the plate with thamboolam, flowers as per your tradition and interests. Before offering the Maa Vilakku to the Goddess, light them at the centre. Chant the prayers and do the neivedhyam. During this pooja, its good to recite Kamakshi Stothram.

Sarva Mangala Mangalye Shive Sarvaartha Sadhikey
Sharanye Trayambakey Gowri Narayani Namostutey

 

Manathakkali Keerai Poriyal / Manathakkali Keerai Sundal / Manathakkali Keerai Curry

Manathakkali Plant is very common in South India and I think I saw this plant in every household and they make different food items using its leaves, green berries, flowers, black ripe berries.  Its a medicinal plant and used widely in Ayurvedic medicine. Leaves of this plant are believed to cure stomach related problems and liver problems. We make Manathakkali Vathal Kuzhambu, Manathakkali Keerai Kootu / curry / paruppu usili / Usiliyal etc., This item I tried Manathakkali Keerai Usiliyal / Poriyal which my mom prepared almost weekly. I loved to pluck the good leaves from the plant during my childhood and we had few plants in our backyard during that time. My mom tried to make different varieties using this Manathakkali Keerai and one of the varieties is this simple usiliyal. Its an excellent and healthy side dish in any healthy meal. I am very proud to present this in my blog as I have used our home grown manathakkali leaves in my preparation.

Ingredients
Fresh Manathakkali Leaves - Between 2 to 3 cups packed.
Moong Dal / Payatham Paruppu / Pesara Pappu - 1 Handful
Salt - To Taste
Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash
Oil - 3 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera / Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Urad Dal / Ulutham Paruppu - 1 tsp
Dry Red Chillies - 2 Medium
Fresh Coconut Flakes - 1/2 cup
Method

• Pluck the good manathakkali leaves from the plant. Wash them thoroughly and chop them nicely.
• Soak the Payatham Paruppu in water and cook them separately and keep the cooked dal ready.
• In a kadai / pan, add oil first. Finish the tempering process by adding hing, mustard seeds, urad dal , dry red chillies into the pan.
• Add the chopped leaves into the pan. Sprinkle some water and allow them to cook for 2-3 minutes with the lid closed.
• When its cooked, add the cooked Moong Dal, required amount of salt into the pan and fry for another 2 minutes.
• Switch off the flame and garnish with some fresh coconut flakes on its top. A healthy side dish is ready to be served.