Rina's Recipes

Yet another recipe from Grandma Bhanu's collection, is this Potals Tamato Curry. Don't know about rest of the family but I use to ardently love this curry whenever she made. No doubt I use to experience the warmth in her serving. Regular readers of my blog would know how I brag about her in some of my posts which are straight from her kitchen. Well, can't help it..she is that dearly special person to me. The memory of her cooking is so fresh in my mind that I got to let it out now and then. Okay, before I side track to emotion, let my focus return to the recipe.

For those who have missed my first post of this vegetable, here is the sneak peek. The best part with this dish is it doesn't need a stew or a condiment to be served along, just enjoy it with plain rice or roti, pita bread or tortilla. Unlike the sleek cut that we give to this when stir frying, here we just have to cut each potal into four or six pieces depending upon the size. The recipe is pretty much simple.
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Ingredients:
1 lb Potals/Parval
1 Tsp Oil
1 big Onion cut length wise
2 large Tomatoes or 1 cup Tomato puree
3 Green chillies slit
8-10 Curry leaves
1 tsp Red chilly powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
Salt to taste
Finely chopped Coriander leaves
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Method :
Heat oil in a Pot/Skillet and add sliced onions, green chillies, curry leaves and saute till onions are cooked.
Add cut vegetable pieces, give it a stir.
Add chilly and coriander powders, salt, and mix well to evenly coat the potals
Sprinkle some water and cook covered in steam till potals became soft, say about 15-20mins
Occasionally open the lid and mix.
Sprinkle more water if needed.
Once the vegetable is soft add the tomato puree or mashed tomatoes, mix well.
Cook for another 5-7 minutes or till all the tomato is absorbed by the vegetable and the raw smell is gone.
Add coriander leaves, mix and remove from heat.

Serve this with hot rice or chapathi.
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AKA Menthukura Pulusu / Venthaya Keerai Kuzhambu.....
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Regular calls to Amma(mom) back home, are not complete without an exchange of a recipe or what was the menu that day, how my Father liked it, or how my visiting brothers enjoyed her dishes. So much so that the making of this dish is totally inspired by her. Nearly every time she cooked it and my call came in, she would say how good it turned out and that I should give it a try.

Well, this is a common gravy/pulusu in Andhra, but somehow I always throw methi into dal to makes things easier rather than cooking it separately. But honestly this is one gravy you would really want to try if you havent' yet especially if hail from Desh and love the combination of sour and sweet. The flavour is enhanced by adding fenugreek seeds and to the tangy tamarind gravy a hint of sweet is added to balance the taste that your taste buds will remember. Too bad that I end up eating extra rice when this is on my menu :(

Ingredients :
1 Bunch Fenugreek leaves /Methi
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
3-4 Garlic cloves, cut thin.
1 medium onion
2-3 Green & Red chillies each
8-10 curry leaves
1 smal lemon size Tamarind ball
2 Tbsp tomato puree
1/2 tsp each of chilly, coriander (CC)powders
1 tbsp crushed jaggery, you can substitute with sugar too
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves to garnish

Directions:
Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water for about 1/2 hour. Squeeze the juice into 2 cups of water. Keep aside.
Separate the fenugreek leaves from their stems, wash and chop them . Keep aside.
Heat oil in a wide pan/kadai, allow mustard to splutter, add fenugreek seeds, wait for a few seconds till a little color change and roasted fenugreek aroma comes out.
Add garlic and saute' till color changes slightly.
Add both the chillies, curry leaves, saute'
Add onions, and fry till translucent.
Now add the tomato puree, and cook till raw tomato smell is gone.
Add the CC powders and mix well and cook for 2 minutes
Add the chopped methi(fenugreek leaves), saute' for a minute, add salt and cook till greens are almost done.
Now add the tamarind juice, and bring it to boil.
Add the jaggery or sugar to the boiling gravy.
Here is the step by pictorial demo.
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Once the gravy is thick enough like the last picture in the above grid, you can remove the gravy from heat.
Add coriander leaves if desired.
Serve with hot plain rice, biryani, roti, paratha or chapathi.
Don't forget to include crunchy papadams when eating with rice.

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P.S. If you are unable to make egg plant gravy as a side dish to Biryani, I found out that this gravy goes too good with any type of biryani.

--AKA Sambar Vengayam kuzhambu/Chinna Ullipaya Pulusu--

Continuing the `Pulusu` special..this shallot gravy is yet another creation from my mom, which she use to frequent in my childhood. As a practise, I usually add shallots when I make sambar, but once in a while for a change I manage to make this spicy tangy onion gravy. The sweetness of tendorly caramalized shallots is complimented by spice of red chilly powder and sour of tamarind juice. The result one aromatic gravy that you can`t wait but to gobble with rice.

I must mention though, that the best sides for this gravy with plain rice are Boiled Stir fried Eggs, Fried dried salt Fish or if you don`t have them handy, our keeper papads/appalam would do. So friends and readers who have not yet attempted this south Indian, Andhra special gravy, don`t forget to pick a small bag of shallots when you grocer next, in an Indian/Asian store and try it for a change.

The recipe is no different from a regular tamarind gravy/pulusu/kuzhambu recipe. It more an idea of making the gravy with the main ingredient as the whole shallots.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb or a small pkt of Shallots/sambar vengayam/chinna ullipayalu
1 Tbsp - oil
1/2 Tsp - Onion seeds/Kalonji
3-4 Green Chillies
10-12 Curry leaves
2 Tbsp -Tomato Puree
1 tsp - Red Chilly powder
1 tsp - Cumin powder
1 tsp - Coriander powder
Soak Lemon size Tamarind/Puli/Chintapandu ball in 2 cups hot water
Finely chopped coriander leaves - a small bunch

Method :
In a pan or kadai, add oil, when heated add Onion seeds.
Fry a little and then add the green chillies, shallots, curry leaves and keep stirring till onions turn their color.
Now add the tomato puree and cook for about 1 - 2 minutes.
Add all the masala powders, mix and cook another 2 minutes or till the mixture leaves the container.
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Now squeeze the Tamarind/Puli juice from the soaked tamarind & water into the cooking mixture.
Mix this well and bring it boil,
Once the gravy seems to attain a good consistency add the coriander leaves and remove from heat.

Migrating from Pulusu(Stew/gravy) to Pachadi(Chutney/Dip) this Fried onion chutney is a wonderful condiment for South Indian tiffins. Be it Idli, Dosa, Medu Vada, Punukulu, you simply can't stop eating them when they are accompanied by this simple yet tasty treat.

I have blogged about raw onion chutney and how my mom and grand mom always used raw onion to make the onion chutney. But one of my fav Aunt J, used to always fry the chopped onions to make onion chutney which I think most of our south Indians do.

Though for ease of making i regular raw onion chutney, but it amazes to see how just by frying the onion gives a new texture and taste and takes it to level you can't give up.

Ingredients :
1 tsp Oil
2 Medium sized Onions chopped
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
5-6 red chillies cracked
1 big marble size tamarind ball( increase if you like tanginess like me, which actually enhances the taste of this chutney)
1 Tbsp sugar
Salt to taste
A few drops of water to grind these into a smooth paste

Method:
In a kadai heat oil and add cumin seeds to saute for a few seconds, add red chillies, followed by chopped onions and fry the ingredients till onions change color slightly and give nice aroma.
Remove from heat and transfer into a bowl and keep aside till the mixture cools.
Now add salt, sugar and soaked tamarind to the fried onion mixture and blend them to a smooth paste in a blender.
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Transfer to serving bowl and enjoy with hot soft fluffy idlies, Dosa or Vada
You can preserve the left over for 2-3 days if refrigerated.

While it may feel like winter will go on forever, we know the thaw is coming. Just a few more days to spring forward and good that it starts with a March break so kids and parents can adjust to the day light saving time.. For now spicing up our meals with an array of condiments definitely keeps us warm. Thanks to my after Worship fellowship time in Church on Sundays which make me go that extra mile to come out with a range of chutneys to keep variety alive. Times when I buy idlies in bulk for this purpose I usually make home made Sambar with different veggies and accompany it with variance of chutneys each time.

Coconut Coriander Chutney is served as a second variety to tiffins like idlies, dosa, vada in south India. I never tasted whenever it was on my plate, but sure food blogging transforms your perception of tasting & cooking. So here I am with my own home made version of Coconut Coriander Chutney.

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Ingredients :
To Grind:
1 cup grated fresh/frozen coconut
2 cups Coriander leaves
4 Green Chillies (increase or decrease accordingly)
A small piece of Ginger (about 1/4 inch)
1 tsp Cumin seeds (optional)
1 Big marble size tamarind ball or use a juice of 1 small lime
Salt to taste
Enough water to grind these into a smooth paste

For Tempering:
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dhal
2-3 red chillies cracked
8-10 curry leaves
1 pinch of Asafoetida/Hing/Inguva/Perumgayam

Method:
In a grinder, put all the ingredients in the grinding list and grind them thoroughly to a smooth paste/chutney.
Transfer to a serving container.
Allow mustard to splutter in 1 tsp of hot oil and add the rest of ingredients in tempering list, fry for a few seconds and spread on the prepared chutney.

Happy March Break for kids!!!!

----AKA Allam Pachadi / Ingi Thuvayal----

Sickness has come a full circle in my house with kids taking turns twice already..It is a challenge to keep up with our daily schedule with sickness at home..But there is always a reason to rejoice..At least we are not rocked by an earth quake or swept away by a Tsunami or living in scare of any radiation from a Nuclear plant blast...By all means our hearts go to all the victims of our beautiful island "Japan"..Our prayers that the loss be minimal and the country will bounce back at the earliest...Though we know that these calamities will only increase day by day and this is just the beginning of destruction. As sensible human beings we are called to practice a great life style, choose right things, live in harmony and spread the good news, so when it comes we have no regrets...As christian I have a blessed hope of ever lasting life..Praise God!!!..

Good life style definitely includes healthy food choices and talking about health one herbal root that tops the nutrition list is "'Ginger".Ginger is so versatile that it can be added in to most of the foods in assortment. Desserts, Cookies, Soups, Condiments, Curries, Beverages, Medicines, you name it...It is very helpful to reduce indigestion, inflammation, chronic pain, quite effective in treating cold and flu, believed to have anti-cancer properties and also taken as a supplement,

Ginger is available in different forms, as fresh ginger root, dried ginger, ginger powder, ginger pills, granulated or crystallized ginger, or as a ginger drink... the list goes on..With such a wide range of ginger products available and with the ever increasing benefits of ginger being discovered ginger or a product of ginger is something that everyone should have in their homes.

For me ginger is a daily affair..starting from my morning cup of chai tea..I use it so extensively in my cooking..and one of my favourite recipe with ginger is this Chutney that I learnt from an Aunt Friend in my early marriage days.

This is only one of the methods that can be used to make Ginger Chutney.
Fresh ginger root is cut into small cubes and gently stir fried till it emits that outstanding aroma that ginger is known for..then some roasted spices are ground, to which the fried ginger is added along with salt, tamarind pulp and to make the taste irresistible a hint of sweet is added with a piece of jaggery. All these ingredients made into a paste results in an aromatic chutney that can be as a side for most of the Indian breakfast items or just with plain rice with some drops of gingely oil and a raw onion on side.

Ingredients :
1 Big Ginger root about 3-4 inches (cut into small pieces)
1 tbsp - oil
1 tbsp - Channa dhal
1 tbsp - Urad dhal
1 tsp - Cumin seeds
1 tsp - Coriander seeds
3-5 - Red chillies
4 -5 Garlic cloves
Tamarind - A big marble size soaked in little water to soften.
Jaggery - a small block
Salt to taste
Water enough to grind into chutney.
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Procedure :
Stir Fry the ginger pieces in oil for 2 - 3 mins and keep aside.
In the same vessel, now fry the all the remaining dry ingredients.
Remove from heat and let cool.
Once the fried ingredients are cooled grind them to a coarse powder.
Now add the fried ginger , soaked tamarind, salt and enough water and grind thoroughly till all the ingredients mix well and chutney is almost smooth.
Adjust salt.
Serve with any idly, dosa, vada or have it as a side for rice

-----aka Kothimira Karam Pachadi/Hara Dhaniya aur Hari Mirch Chutney-----

Spring has officially sprung 2 days back, but for us here, we are having a snow storm blast. Chill weather definitely calls for something spicy. Somehow the first few weeks of March I have been posting different kinds of chutney recipes, so thought might as well dedicate the month for chutneys. Its nice to follow a theme like this which inspires to try more variations.
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Wanted to actually blog the traditional Coriander Chutney, but at the last moment decided to make this with some twists. Thanks to the versatility of dips and chutneys! Its great how little additions and deletions to the ingredients can result in a unique taste that is only more aromatic and comes out with a burst of flavour. Adding generous amount of green chillies definitely gives a punch to this condiment. Also adding a bit of sugar gives the finishing touch.
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So here is another flavourful chutney made by gently frying the spices and then coriander leaves and grinding them together. This chutney is more for tiffins or breakfast items rather than rice.

Ingredients :
1 tbsp - oil
2 tbsp - Urad dhal
1 tsp - Cumin seeds
1 tsp - Coriander seeds
5-8 - Green Chillies
4-5 thinnly sliced Ginger
2 cups Coriander Leaves
Tamarind - A big marble size
1/2 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
Water enough to grind into chutney.

Procedure :
Heat oil in a kadai, add urad dhall, roast and then add all other ingredients except coriander leaves and tamarind and fry them.
Now add the coriander leaves too and fry till leaves shrink in size and emit nice aroma.

Transfer this to a bowl along with tamarind and let cool.

Now grind all the ingredients in the bowl adding enough water and salt and sugar to a smooth paste.

Check and adjust salt.
Serve with South Indian idly, dosa, vada or use as dip to suited Western food .

---Karivepaku Pachadi/Karivepaillai Thuvayal---

Goodbye Pak, Hello Lanka!!! If there is one thing on the minds of Indians in-house and off-shore, its "Cricket WC 2011". As a typical Indian, I grew up along with my two younger brothers enjoying, watching and cheering India, all the way till now. And even now we make those triangular calls after each victory. With all eyes set on the final for Saturday, we join, billion Indian hearts beating for 11 boys in blue to make India proud!..Men in blue, its high time and its right time to go for it!!!

Much like the home game cricket, Curry leaves is a home story for me, as I grew up with one big Curry leaves tree in our back yard. I'll rant about that in my next post of Curry leaves, when I publish the recipe for Curry Leaves Powder. For now I want to proceed with my streaming with this traditional Curry Leaves Chutney, just right to eat with plain rice with a hint of ghee and raw onion.
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Ingredients.

2 cups Curry Leaves
1 tbsp - oil
1 tbsp - Channa dhal
1 tbsp - Urad dhal
1 tsp - Cumin seeds
1 tsp - Coriander seeds
3-5 - Red chillies
4 -5 Garlic pods
Tamarind - A big marble size soaked in little water to soften.
Salt to taste
Water enough to grind into chutney.
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Procedure :
Stir Fry the curry leaves in oil for 2 - 3 mins and keep aside.
In the same vessel, now fry the all the remaining dry ingredients except tamarind.
Remove from heat and let cool.
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Once the fried ingredients are cooled grind them to a coarse powder.
Now add the fried leaves, soaked tamarind, salt and enough water and grind thoroughly till all the ingredients mix well and chutney is almost smooth.
Adjust salt.
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Serve with any plain rice, ghee or gingely oil and raw onion.
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--aka Bendakaya Miriyalu Vepudu/Vendakkai Milagu Poriyal/Bhindi Kala Mirch Masala--

And we did it!!! Cheers to Indians all over the world. Oh!! what a win it was!!! From a losing state at one point to a stylish unbeaten finish showing the world that we are champions and proving that dedication and determination along with God's will can always give us success with dignity. India, you earned and deserved this Victory. Yes it was not an ordinary win as it comes with a morale "No matter how tough the situation is, though you may have to face a storm, "Never give up", keep trying till you reach your goal" As NDTV says we will be celebrating this happiness not a week or a month but may be for the whole year and perhaps be talking about it till the next world cup. LOL!!!
Well! though we may not want our world cup fever to fade, IPL is round the corner to take us cricket fans to a next swing.

Coming to the recipe today, inspired by my cousin in US who suggested me to blog veg recipes for the Lenten days, I'm going vegan for this month. And my very first one is this Special Masala Okra.

For those of us who subscribe or stream Sun TV Tamil, must be regular viewers of Guinness record holder Chef Jacob's "Aha Enna Rusi" program, which airs Saturday afternoons. This recipe is a courtesy from their local kitchen segment. They actually called it Okra Pepper Masala Fry.

Different spices like, garlic, red chillies, black pepper, coriander along with channa dhal are ground coarse to make a special masala for this green veggie packed with nutrients. Then it is add to the tempered okra and cooked till done.

Special masala : Grind the following into a smooth powder
1 Tbsp Channa dhal
1 Tbsp - Coriander seeds
1 Tbsp - black pepper seeds/powder
4-5 Red chillies
4-5 Garlic cloves

Others :
1 Tbsp - Gingely/Sesame/Vegetable Oil
1 Lb - Okra/Ladies Finger, Mustard seeds
1/2 Tsp - Turmeric powder
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Procedure :
Wash okra and pat them dry with a towel.
Remove ends and cut into one and a quarter inch pieces.
Keep aside.
Heat oil in a kadai/wok/pan and allow oil, mustard seeds to splutter.
Now add cut okra, fry a little.
Add turmeric powder and mix.
Now add salt and the special masala and fry till okra is cooked but still crunchy.
Enjoy with hot rice and sambar or roti.

Somehow couldn't push myself to post in the last two weeks. It has been a roller coaster ride of events, some good and some not so. My childhood best friend made a surprise visit to Toronto from California, during her east coast vacation. It was such a treat meeting her after more than decade making old memories come afresh.

Coming to the present, it seems Christmas just went and now Good Friday is already gone and Easter in a day..It is true that in a Christian's life all these three events must have tremendous meaning every single day..but I'm thankful that we observe them outwardly also to proclaim and to seal the truth of Jesus Christ coming into this world. Especially the message of Good Friday helps me to revive, re-commit and re-dedicate myself to follow our Lord to re-fill the gratitude in me for what He has done and Easter re-assures us the power of salvation with the Resurrection of our Lord. Thinking about Easter also makes me so nostalgic about the childhood days when my family used to attend the early morning 4.30 worship service and yes those Easter Saturdays where special too. Preparing for Easter Sunday, threadling the fresh jasmine flowers into garlands to decorate our braids, new set of clothes, waking up at 3.00am midnight to get ready to go church and checking into some star hotel restaurant for after service breakfast with family. Amma, Nanagaru thanks for giving me those precious moments which I will always treasure down the lane. Happy Easter to you and to all our family.

So, celebrating the occassion with a sweet treat. I know, I know, I said I will post more vegan recipes this month, but since i didn't publish last two weeks, guess will have to do a pattern now. Recently one of our friend from our building send some home made Carrot halwa for us. It tasted so good that I was inspired me to try my own. I went a step ahead to make Carrot Fudge/kova or Gajar Peda by adding dry milk or khoya to the regular gajar halwa and making pedas from it which really helps in portion control too. You can freshly prepare khoya from scratch or use store bought or like me use the instant mix.

Ingredients :
1 lb carrots
5 tbsp ghee
1 cup sugar
1 can Evaporated milk
1 pkt Carrot halwa Khoya mix
Nuts of choice.
Here is the step by step making of it:
Shred 1 lb carrots around 3 big ones.

Heat 1 Tbsp of Ghee to a wide pan and then roast the crated carrots for a minute or two.

Now add 1 cup of sugar and cook till the sugar is dissolved into the carrots.

Add 1 can evaporated milk and cook till it is fully absorbed into the carrot mixture.

Once the milk is evaporated, add 2 tbsp of ghee and choice of cashew or pista a handful.

Cook till the mixture leaves ghee.

At this stage carrot halwa is ready, if you want to continue to carrot kova add the sweetened dry milk powder or khoya.

I used the instant khoya mix. Here is how it looks after adding and mixing it thoroughly.

After the khoya mix is totally incorporated into the halwa, add another tbsp of ghee mix and transfer to a greased bowl.

Now grease hand with ghee and take small lemon size balls and press them into pedas and decorate with almond in the middle.

---AKA Cabbage kobari Vepudu/ Cabbage Thenga Poriyal---

This dish is one among the first few in my after marriage culinary journey. Learnt it from an Aunt friend. No doubt I'm a big fan of this veggie.The ease in cooking and the pleasure in tasting makes this variety of cabbage preparation noticeable than ignored.

Shredded cabbage is cooked in a mixture of ground coconut, fennel seeds, garlic and our very own king of spices "green chilly". The aroma that emits when cabbage is cooking in this fashion is so enticing. I feel this is one the best methods to flavour up cabbage which otherwise has a raw pungent smell.
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Makes a perfect side dish for roti along with any type of dhal or with plain rice and sambar.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Veg or sesame Oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 Tsp Urad Dhall (optional)
1/2 Tsp cumin seeds (optional)
A few curry leaves

1/2 Cabbage shredded
1/4 cup crated Coconut

To grind coarsely :

1/2 cup crated Coconut
1 Tbsp Fennel Seeds
4-5 Garlic cloves
4-5 Green Chillies
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Method :
Grind the coconut mixture and keep it ready.
Heat oil in a non stick wide pan, allow mustard to splutter and then add urad dhall, after it browns a little add cumin, curry leaves and fry.
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Now add the ground coconut mixture and fry till aroma is emitted.
Add cabbage and mix well till it is nicely coated with the coconut mixture.
Cover and steam roast till done.
Once the cabbage is cooked garnish with fresh grated coconut and remove from oven.
Serve with rice or roti and dhall.

---AKA Kakarakaya belam pulla Kura/ Pavakka Vellam Puli Kuttu---
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It's been a wet spring so far. But thanks for the change that is about to stay. Environment Canada is predicting above average summer temperatures from coast to coast and an increase of a couple degrees here in Toronto. We mothers are fortunate to have been bestowed with a warmer and dry Mother's day weekend. Happy Mothers days to all mothers!!!!

Thinking of mothers sure puts food they cooked for us on the top of the list. We can't be grateful enough for all the delicacies they showered on us. Mother's cooking is in itself a comfort and name one comfort food for me, is this sweet and sour bitter gourd curry. Yes, off course Bitter gourd is one of my fav veggies. For those whom this vegetable is an introduction or who shy away from this veggie, I encourage them to give this recipe a try, you won't be disappointed.

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Ingredients:
3-4 Medium Size Bitter Gourd (5-6 if small)
Oil - 1 tbsp
1/2 tsp Mustard
1 small Onion
3-4 Green Chillies slit
6-8 Curry leaves
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
1 small lemon Size tamarind ball soaked in enough water
1 Tbsp crushed jaggery
Salt - to taste
Coriander leaves - a small bunch

Procedure:
Scrape, Wash and slit Bitter Gourd into four parts and then further cut those four sides into small pieces.
Now soak the pieces in salt water to remove excess bitterness.
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Allow mustard to splutter in a kadai/pot after the added oil is hot.
Then add cut onions, green chillies, curry leaves and saute till onions turn slightly brown.
Add Tomato paste and fry for a minute or till raw smell is gone.
Add chilly and coriander powder and mix
Add Bitter Gourd pieces, salt, and mix well.
Sprinkle some water and cover with lid to cook the Bitter Gourd in steam for about 20minutes.
Keep mixing periodically and add more water if required.
Once the Bitter Gourd is almost cooked add the squeeze the tamarind juice into it and mix well.
Add jaggery and mix till dissolved.
Cook for another 5-7 minutes or till karela is soft.
Add finely chopped coriander leaves and remove from heat.
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Toronto ranks as the second-best city among the world's "metro powerhouses" in areas of business opportunities, culture, livability and innovation, only beat out for the top spot by New York City and followed closely by surprise contender San Francisco a new report claims. As for me, I will tag Toronto as an cultural Icon. I'm always impressed by the feast of cultures its got to offer. And sure different cultures bring exotic flavours of different foods, Western, Mexican, Italian&Spanish, South Asian, Greek& other Mediterranean, Chinese, Japanese, Thai&Malai & other Oriental, Pakistani, Srilankan you name it...With all these captivating culinary skills we have a perfect gastronomic treat right here.

Today I'm blogging one of my favorite Srilankan Tamil curry made with Srilankan raw curry powder which is usually on the menu in most of the Srilankan Tamil take outs and their gatherings and special occasions. Somehow took a liking towards this vegan preparation that I gave it a try at home. Some of the Srilankan Tamil dishes follow the method to deep fry the vegetable and then add it to the sauce/gravy, which definitely grades high in taste if you comprise on health. Well once in a while is ok, but not on regular basis. I completely cooked in steam and it still turned out tasty.

Ingredients:
1 full bunch of Long beans, broken into 1 inch pieces
1 or 1/2 Can Kidney beans
1 Tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 medium onion sliced
3 small green chillies
8-10 curry leaves
2 Tbsp Srilankan Curry power or use the Spice powder mix(below)
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
Salt to taste
For the Spice powder mix:
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp fennel powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp fenugreek powder
1/4 tsp Mustard powder
1 tsp Chilly powder
1/4 tsp Black pepper powder
1/2 tsp Dhal powder

Preparation:
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In a kadai, heat oil and allow mustard to mustard.
Add sliced onions, slit green chillies & Curry leaves and saute till onions are translucent.
If not deep frying, then add the broken long beans, salt and saute' .
Now add the Srilankan Masala powder and mix thoroughly.
Add tomato paste and mix again.
If required sprinkle some water and cook covered for 15- 20 min or till the beans are soft.
If you deep fried the beans, then before adding the fried beans add the spice powder to the sauteed onions and fry well.
Then tomato paste and a little water and cook till the sauce thickens, and then add the beans to the tomato spice mix gravy.
Cook for 5 to 6 mins till the beans absorb the sauce into them.
Now add the kidney beans and mix well to coat them evenly with all the masala, taking care not to mash them.
Simmer for another 2 mins and remove from heat.
Makes a hearty side dish for rice, idiyappam or parota.

Was on a vegan spree for the last few months and yes still have a couple of vegan recipes in drafts to post...but I think my blog needs a non-vegan recipe feeds..Most of all June being my hubby's b'day month it would be appropriate to go with his favorite "seafood" theme. And guess what this is - his own creation too, with which he surprised me one evening when I returned Home late from work.

So all for you seafood lovers this is a must try...Salmon fish just blends with all the flavours of this recipe. You can't ask for more.

Ingredients :
4 large Salmon, fillets or steaks(Frozen or fresh)
2 Tbsp Oil
2 Medium Onions
2 Tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
4-5 Green Chillies Slit
A hand full of Curry leaves
Half a Tsp Turmeric powder/Haldi
1 Tsp Chilly Powder
Half a tsp Garam Masala powder
A tinge of black pepper
Salt to taste.

Procedure:
Oops!!! let me check it with my husband first..
Okay..got it..
Heat oil in a wok, add onions, slit green chillies and curry leaves and cook till onions are caramelized.
Add Ginger garlic paste and fry till raw smell is gone.
Now add turmeric powder, fry.
Add chilly powder and salt and fry well.
Now add the fish pieces and to watch them scramble as we mix and fry it with the onion masala.
Keep roasting for about 10-12 mins mixing regularly till the fish is done.
When the fish is almost cooked, add garam masala powder and sprinkle black pepper powder just before taking the wok off from the oven top.
Add coriander chopped if desired..
Serve with hot rice and sambar or mixed fried rice.

India's version of Academy Awards is about to roll out its the red carpet here in Toronto. The stage is all set for the North American debut of the annual IIFA awards at the Rogers Centre.
With Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez hosting the Much Music Video Awards, Sunday last and the Bollywood much hyped IIFA this Saturday, its a star studded week here in the City.

My recipe this week is also a Signature Star Dish in Seafood mostly in my home state Andhra. Adherently cherished in my childhood days. In fact his was one of the best Seafood delicacy my mom(Amma) used to cook. The unusual way of preparing the seafood in this variety used to draw attention and a curious me was totally taken for a suprise the with the exceptional taste of this delightful recipe.
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I completely duplicated her version here. We in Toronto Area are fortunate enough to get fresh shark in most of the Asian Stores. So once in a while I make this fish scramble curry, famously known as Sura puttu in Tamil and Sorra pittu in Telugu.
This is one main course dish to accompany with hot Andhra masoori rice and Sambar(Pappu pulusu). For those who follow low carb diet, skip the rice and make a milder version of this scramble to eat with steamed or stir fry veggies.

Ingredients :
1 lb Shark piece w/ or w/o skin
2 Tbsp oil
2 large Onions diced
6-8 hot Green Chillies
10 - 15 Curry leaves
2 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Freshly chopped coriander to garnish.

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Procedure:
Bring 3/4 saucepan of water to boil and add the Shark Chunk along with half of the turmeric powder and some salt.
With closed lid, steam the fish till it is fully cooked.
Remove from water and take of skin if necessary.
Now scramble the fish log into small pieces. Reserve the bones too.
Keep aside.
Mean while, in a wide pan, heat oil and add onions, green chillies, curry leaves and saute' till the onions are translucent.
Now add ginger garlic paste and fry till rawness is gone.
Add turmeric powder and salt and fry.
Now add the scrambled fish and mix thoroughly till all the fish is coated with the masala.
Cover and let the spice flavours be induced into the fish, and the fishy smell gone and the delectable aroma of dish sets in.
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and remove form heat.
Serve with rice and sambar.

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With kids school closing today, families are looking forward for the long weekend of US & Canada Day celebrations..Stores are flooded with new BBQ equipments and Summer camping and outdoor activity supplies. Truly you can smell the vacation spirit in the air. And all is well if weather co-operates without those thunder storms and gusty winds. We managed one outdoor BBQ in the past two weeks, but the second one was ruined with an un-invited stormy rain. Hopefully the Canada day fireworks won't face that.

Before we march into a new month, I have to stick to the theme of June "Seafood", in particularly "Fish" I posted different varieties of preparations of fish on my space. Today's recipe is yet another fish gravy..not much different from a regular one in procedure wise but quiet different in the sense of fish used. Red Snipper or yerra para(Telugu) or Shankara(Tamil) is a commonly available fish in South India and hence the traditional gravy recipe is used here too.
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Ingredients:
3-4 Medium sized Red Snipper Fish, scales removed & cleaned from internal organs, cut into two parts
2 Tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Fenu greek
4 Garlic cloves crashed or chopped
1Medium size Onion,
4-5 Green Chillies
10- 12 Curry Leaves
1 tsp Ginger paste (optional)
3 Tbsp Tomato puree or 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1/2 Turmeric powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp Chilly powder
1 lemon size tamarind ball soaked in 2 cups of warm water and juice squeezed.
1/2 cup Coconut Milk(fresh or canned)
Salt to taste
Coriander to garnish

Procedure:
Heat a skillet, add oil and then allow Mustard to splutter and add fenugreek seeds, and once the seeds emit smell add the chopped garlic and saute'
Add Onions, green chillies, curry leaves and cook until the onions turn translucent and fully cooked.
Add ginger paste if desired and fry
Add tomato pureeor paste, and mix well till raw smell is gone.
Add all the masala powders and fry well.
Now add Tamarind pulp and salt.
Bring this boil and add the Red snipper fish pieces.
Once the fish is almost cooked add coconut milk and allow it to boil on high heat for a minute or two.
Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves
Remove from heat.
Served with hot Rice/Roti or Parota.
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Happy Summer!!!!!

My schedule just got busier with enrollment into a new program..Kids summer vacation is going fab..sure it deserves more time of attention from parents..so that explains my absence for a few weeks on my space. Nevertheless here is another delectable Manchurian recipe which I churned out.

More than eating, kids love watching live crabs in the store or I have fun when I break open one frozen crab box and try to scare them with the claws..

When I lived in Chennai, there was this cute restaurant close to my place which served amazing Crab Manchurian made with dragon crabs..Ever since I wanted to duplicate it in my kitchen too..

Ingredients:
1 Box of Ceylon Crabs or Dragon variety (say around 2 lbs, cleaned)
To deep fry crabs:
2 tbsp Corn Flour
2 Tbsp cup All Purpose Flour (optional)
A pinch of black pepper
1 tsp each of ginger garlic powder or paste
Salt to taste
Enough oil to deep fry

Sauces:2 Tbsp Soya Sauce

2 Chilli Garlic Sauce

1 Tsp Worchester sauce
2 Tbsp Tomato sauce or ketchup

Others:1 Tbsp Oil
5 big Garlic pods chopped finely
1/2 cup Green Onions chopped
5 Green Chillies cut diagonally
1 Sweet Green Peppers

Procedure:Make a batter in a bowl with all the to fry list ingredients. Add crab pieces to it and mix well to coat them evenly.
Deep fry the crab in batches for 5-7 minutes and keep them aside.
Heat oil in a pan, add garlic, fry till slightly brown. Add green chillies and fry.
Add sweet peppers and stir fry till edges turn brown on high heat..
Remove the sweet peppers alone and keep aside.
Now add all the sauces, one by one and mix.
Add a little water to make a sauce gravy.

Add salt

Now add deep-fried grab, and carefully mix to coat the crab evenly with the Manchurian gravy sauce.
Cook for another 5 minutes till the gravy is sticking to the crab pieces, mix regularly.
Add water while stirring, if necessary.
Now add the stir fried green peppers and chopped green onions and mix again.
Remove from heat and serve with veg fried rice.(Will post the fried rice in my next post)

We in Greater Toronto Area(GTA) are experiencing a heat wave, with temperatures poised to hit record highs we are under an extreme heat alert as dangerous heat invades ON & QC...kind of living Andhra summer here... So here is another signature dish of Andhra Pradesh, that we Telugu people celebrate.

A week ago I had this chance to make a much longed and missed leafy item dish called Gongura in Telugu(Andhra) which refers to Sorrel leaves in English. Give me this dish all through the year and I wouldn't say no to it. Then you can imagine how much I missed it over these years in Canada. We in east coast are not so fortunate enough to find Sorrel leaves in any grocery store, except someone gets the imported seeds and grow the leaves in summer in their farm or back yard. I think in west coast these are readily available thru farmers market..

A few weeks back a dear friend of us gifted me with this gongura which she purchased whole sale from an import vendor. My joy knew no bounds.
Though I have eaten and cooked Gongura in many varieties like Gongura dhal, Gongura Pachadi, Gongura tadka, Gongura Prawns..etc..the most relished combo for me with Gongura is Gongura Mutton.

Both my grand mothers and mother use to frequent this dish especially for me so passionately. Its like they use to dedicate this dish on my name.
So with that profound history lets see the making of it.
Good that I typed out the recipe long ago when my SIL asked for it, not withstanding the pestering my Bro gave her to make Gongura Mutton like my granny. Little did I believe that I will cook this dish my own in this part of the world.

Ingredients :
To Cook Gongura leaves:
1 bunch Gongura (Sorrel leaves)
4-5 Green chillies slit
1/2 of Small onion sliced
2 Big Garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 tsp home made Chilly made( andhra karam) - ( Use regular one if not available)
1 tsp oil
Rock salt to taste
Enough water to boil and cook the leaves thoroughly.

For the Mutton Curry:

1 to 1.5 lbs Goat or Lamb meat with bones cut into medium to small pieces
1 Tbsp Oil
2 Big or 4 Medium sized Onions chopped
4 Green chillies slit
6-8 Curry leaves if desired
2 Tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
1 Medium Tomato squeezed

1/2 Tsp Tumeric pwdr

1 Tsp Chilly power
1 Tsp Coriander pwdr
1 Tsp Home Made Garam Masala Pwdr
Salt to taste

Procedure:
Separate leaves from gongura stems ..do remember to add the small pods..which adds to the sourness.
Cook the sorrel leaves with all the rest of the ingredients in the "Cooking Gongura" list..till the leaves are fully cooked.

Remove from heat.

Mash the gongura thoroughly into a smooth paste and keep aside.

Now cook mutton the regular way...
Heat oil and saute' onions, green chillies, curry leaves.
Now add ginger garlic paste fry,
Add Squeezed Tomato and saute'
Add mutton, (usually 1/2 kg- for 1 bunch of sorrel leaves),
Add salt, karam, garam masala powder
Mix and fry for sometime..
Add a little water to cook mutton, or you can pressure cook it too.
Once the mutton is cooked almost, add the cooked mashed cooked gongura and mix well

Allow the gravy to cook for 7 - 10 so that the mutton absorbs the gongura .. and vice versa.

Once the gravy is thick remove from heat.
Serve with Hot rice.

One terrific combo for most of the Indo-Chinese dishes is a fried Rice..be it Chicken, Seafood, Mixed, Veg or if you are an eggetarian, you mind the addition of egg in your version of Veg fried rice..Adding egg sure enhances the flavour of the dish. I made this fried rice go with my crab Manchurian for which I posted recipe earlier.

Ingredients:
4 - 6 Cups Cooked Rice(Preferably Basmati)
1 Egg -optional(omit if u are strict Vegetarian)
2 tsp cooking oil
5 Thai or regular Green Chillies Chopped.
1 big Onion cut length wise
2 Tbsp fresh ginger garlic paste or use freshly chopped

2 Cups choice of chopped veggies (Carrots, Cabbage, Green Beans, Broccoli, Cauliflower)

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
A pinch of Ajinomoto(optional)
Salt to taste
Spring onions chopped, one half to add while frying and the other for garnishing.

Procedure:

In a wide pan, heat oil, sizzle green chillies.
Add Onions and cook till Onions are little cooked and crispy
Add ginger garlic paste and saute'
Add half of spring onions and saute'
Now add the Chopped veggies, some salt and stir the veggies till crispy and cooked, for 5 -7 mins or so,
Now make space in the pan to beat an and make it into scramble, adding enough salt for the egg.
Once the scramble egg is fried mix it with the rest of veggies.
Add ajinomoto if using.

Now add the cooked plain rice along with soy sauce.

Add enough salt again and mix well.
Garnish with spring onions if desired and remove from heat.

Enjoy with any Chinese preparation delicacy..

AKA Cabbage Pakodi /Pakoda

Got introduced to these fritters during my MCA days when our neighbour made these and passed it to us. I was actually stunned to see the ingredient inside these pakoras was cabbage..Because those days we are only used to onion pakoras..Wanted to include this snack in my kitchen menu too..Since it is deep fried I haven't made it once or twice say in these 12-13years..

The other day specially made these to blog on my space..Honestly is this one unhinged snack - guilty of course..You are consuming the nature's most nutritious vegetable in not so healthy form..but once in a while you got to have a treat!!! so enjoy sparingly with portion control!!!

Ingredients:Cabbage - 2 Cups
Channa Dhal Pwdr- 1 Cup
Green Chillies - 2 (chopped)
Baking Soda - A pinch
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Pwdr - A pinch
Chat masala Pdwr - 1/2 tsp ( for extra flavour)

A pinch of Amchur pwdr

Curry leaves - 8-10

Coriander leaves chopped - a few

Salt - to Taste

Enough Water

Oil for deep frying

Procedure:
1. Chop cabbage as shown in the pic and place it in a mixing bowl
2. Add the rest of the ingredients with water to make the batter thick enough to gather everything together. Adding excess water will make the Pakoras very oily. Food Pics7

3. Now drop small amounts of the mixed batter into the oil for deep frying.
Once the pakoras turn dark yellow or orange color strain them from oil onto a plate with issue paper to drain all the excess oil.
Arrange the Pakoras on a serving plate and enjoy with array of chutneys or sauces

Potals Tomato Curry / Tamatar wale Parval

Methi Masala / Fenugreek Leaves Gravy

Shallots in Tangy Stew or Small Onion Gravy

Fried Onion Chutney

Coconut Coriander Chutney

Ginger Chutney with a hint of sweet

Coriander Chilly Chutney

Curry Leaves Chutney - South Traditional

Okra in Special Masala

Gajar Peda / Carrot Fudge - Step by Step

Cabbage with Ground Coconut and Spices

Karela Khatta Meetha / Bitter gourd Sour & Sweet

Curried Long and Kidney Beans - Srilankan Style

Curried Salmon Fish Masala- Jara Hatke!!

Curried Shark Scramble or Sura Puttu or Sorra Pidupu

Red Snipper Fish Gravy

Crab Manchurian

Gongura Mutton or Mutton curry w/ Sorrel Leaves

Veg Fried Rice

Cabbage Fritters or Pakoras