Chilli curry with sesame powder

Sesame seeds are powerhouses of nutrition. It is the oldest known condiment to the mankind. Blogosphere is full of information on the beneficial effects of using this seed. Toast them lightly, cool and powder and use it to spike up the nutrition and the taste factor in any vegetable saute.

Delicious and Colorful - Sprouts, Kale and Tomatoes

Stir fried masoor sprouts with some packaged kale salad. Topped with a thousand island dressing. Sliced a tomatoes and sprinkled some salt and pepper. Added a slice of toast on the side for a delicious brunch.

Instant Tomato Pickle

When you need something to perk up your lunch or dinner with a spicy pickle without laboring too much, I make this instant pickle which comes together in 15 minutes

Colorful and Healthy Sandwich Meal

Stir fried on high heat with a tea spoon of olive oil, cheery(cherry) tomatoes garnished with basil and seasoned with salt and pepper are the star of this sandwich meal. The sandwich itself is simple, spread with some corriander chutney and onions and grilled till crisp and brown.

The tomatoes were bursting with flavor and perfectly complemented the spicy sandwich.

Masoor Sprouts Dahi Papdi Chaat

Tangy Imli chutney, spicy green chutney, crunchy papdi and the cold dahi - this is a dish which has several nuances in every bite. I had a few masoor sprouts which have been quickly boiled for 5 minutes and added in the place of potatoes. The resulting dish was as tasty as the original with the addition of sprouts for the health factor. No one would refuse sprouts if served like this.

Pepper Roasted Cauliflower

How can a simple dish be so tasty? That was the question I had when I put the cauliflower in my mouth. All it needs is some time  and an absolutely hands off one at that. This is one of those dishes that are best forgotten once on the stove. Constant intervention only spoils it. My cauliflower is golden brown only because I added some turmeric like in everything else I cook.

Dosa MakeOver : Brinjal Dosa with Basil Tomato Chutney

Dosa topped with thinly sliced brinjal and roasted on both sides is a favorite of my son. Occasionally I also top it with some tomato sauce and shredded cheese for a tasty and finger licking experience. It is a complete meal with dosa providing the carbs and protein and the brinjal adding the v factor. Serve this with a tomato chutney flavored with few basil leaves instead of corriander for a completely different flavor. This is a dosa makeover with the purple brinjal and the green chutney adding the oomph factor.

Dosa's should be slightly thicker to hold on the brinjal. Second thing to remember is to roast the dosa after flipping for the brinjal to cook. If the brinjal's are fresh and organic they cook very fast. This is my son's most loved breakfast/dinner/any time snack.

Spring on my plate - Snow Peas Saute

A quick saute of snow peas with some EVOO and salt and spring does not taste any better than that. Slightly sweet, with a little bit of crunch and melt in the mouth peas in the pod, this is a favorite in our family during the spring time when the peas are available. Make the most of this when in season. Serve as a side dish with rice or with pasta or eat on its own. Everyone will be asking for you to get more of these green pods.

Rustic Garlic chutney

A  rustic garlic chutney from the land renowned for the spicy food  - Andhra Pradesh. Made with just four ingredients, including salt, this one was introduced to me by my maternal grand mother. She was from the area where the spiciest red chillies - Guntur chillies were grown. When there was no  coconut or peanut chutney to go with the soft idlies, she would rustle up this in few minutes. All it took was some garlic cloves, chilli powder, salt and oil. Few poundings with the pestle and oil mixed in, the whole kitchen smelled delicious. 

This is for lovers of garlic. The smell will envelope you for a long time. Ammama, this is for you.

Easy moong dal recipe, Under 15 minutes

Dal is a must in many homes for the protein quotient especially on the vegetarian plate. It can be made plan with minimal garnishing an elaborate preparation which can take some time and effort. Some days we want to have it easy and have a dish that can go from stove to the plate in the least possible time. This moong dal is one such recipe. 

Split moong dal cooks very quickly as is and if it is done in a pressure cooker, the cooking time is reduced by one third. I had the seasoning done and then added the washed moong dal to be pressure cooked. So it was really ready in 10 minutes. 

Nutty Broccoli Saute, Super foods on my plate

Broccoli is considered one of the world's healthiest foods. The health benefits are so many that it would require a separate post. Sesame  seeds are an excellent source of copper and manganese. They also contain beneficial fibers called lignans having a cholesterol-lowering effect in humans and helps preventing high blood pressure. Two super foods in one dish and quite tasty too. We usually have it as a side dish with rice and dal. Sesame seeds add a nice taste and texture to this dish. 

Ridgegourd peel chutney, When nothing goes waste

An absolutely delightful chutney with peels of Ridgegourd or Beerakaya as we call in Telugu, with onion and of course green chilli. It is a very rustic chutney where the peel leftover from making the curry transforms itself into a side dish. Grounded with green chillies and onion and then sauteed in oil for couple of minutes, this is one dish that will not be found in any restaurant menu. The sweetness of the barely cooked onions complement the spicy chilli and the peel itself gives a nice bite when mixed in rice.

Chapati and no onion, garlic vegetable curry with coconut and corriander, lip smacking

Peas, carrots , potato and add to it corriander and turmeric, the resulting dish has many hues. Not lacking in flavor and nutrition too. With frozen peas in the pantry, the side dish comes together in matter of minutes, literally.

Zuchini sauteed and seasoned with salt and pepper, Side dish in 5 minutes

Season a pan with oil. Turn it to high heat. Add sliced zuchini in one layer. After 2 to 3 minutes flip them on to another side. Another 2-3 minutes of frying. Sprinkle salt and pepper, eat. That is it, there is absolutely no recipe to this dish. The only thing you need to keep in mind is to slice them as evenly as possible and as thin as you can. The thinner the slices, the faster they cook. Can be served as a  side dish with rice, roti, pasta or just as is. It is absolutely tasty any way.

Spinach Dal with Sauteed Brinjal and Banana Peppers, Simple and Comforting

Simple spinach dal flavored with garlic with a side of brinjal/eggplant and banana peppers. I could not resist placing the fresh bunch in the picture.

I try and soak the dals and rice for at least 2 hours before cooking. In addition to reducing cooking time, saving fuel, it also has health benefits. I know I keep repeating the concept of soaking, but saving fuel in any which way is something I sincerely believe.

Recipe for the Thali

3 medium servings or 2 healthy servings

For the spinach dal: 

Toor Dal/Arhar Dal	1/2 cup
Spinach/Palak	3 cups - more or less depends on your preference. I generally use the stems here, saving the leaves for other preparations
Green Chilli	2 diced Optional (We are a chilli loving family)
Tamrind	Small lime sized soaked
Garlic	3-4 medium cloves optional
Curry Leaves	1 strand
Oil or Ghee	1 tsp
Cumin, mustard seeds	¼ tsp each

Directions

• If soaking the dal, wash it clean and soak in one and half times water (anytime between 10 mins to 2 hours). I usually soak in the pressure cooker directly so that there is no need to transfer between vessels. We use a small 2 litre cooker, especially for dal.
• Add the turmeric into the dal and cook on medium for 1 whistle if you like some bite or two if you want your dal to turn mushy. Cooking times will vary based on the cooker used and also if the dal is pre soaked
• Heat a pan with oil, add the cumin and mustard seeds. Add the curry leaves, sliced green chilli and garlic. Saute for few seconds for the garlic to be cooked.
• Add in the spinach leaves, squeezed tamarind water, salt. Cover and cook on medium for 3-5 minutes. The time taken to cook will depend on the quality and tenderness of the spinach.
• Add the mashed dal, mix and cook through on just a minute and serve.

The recipe for the brinjal slices is here in a previous blog post. Banana peppers are deseeded and sauteed in a little oil for 4-5 minutes on high heat. 

The spinach dal or lasooni palak dal with the freshest of the organic spinach is the highlight of this meal.

Stuffed Karela, Making the bitter gourd palatable

We love bitter gourd. At least once a week it is on the menu in one shape or the other. This dish should ideally be prepared with the small ones, which can then be stuffed in one go without cutting them up. Big or small, this dish will have what it takes to those who love bitter gourd to another level. This dish takes time during roasting, so make it only when you have at least one hour to spare. 

Salad Upma, South Indian Upma with vegetables and sprouts

Chomping on vegetables is good for you. Yes, all of us know that. But eating raw vegetables is boring after a while, especially for the tongue used to the Indian palate. So came up with this dish, which is made with cabbage, carrot and urad dal sprouts, quickly stir fried with upma seasoning.

Marinated and Sauteed Tofu slices

Try this easy marinated tofu slices and I guarantee that you will look tofu differently. Very simple dish to make, the only caveat is the time it takes to marinate - around 15 minutes. 

Langerwali Daal or Maa Ki Daal

Langar is a beautiful concept in the Sikh Religion. Langar is a common kitchen/canteen where food is served in a Gurdwara to all everyone for free. At the langar, only vegetarian food is served, to ensure that all people, regardless of their dietary restrictions, can all eat. I have heard and read enough about the slowly cooked Daal that is served there.

When I chanced upon this recipe in Veg Recipes of India, I had to try it out. Like all her recipes, this one too hit the bull's eye. I tried to mostly stick to her recipe with a few minor modifications which makes it easier.

Stuffed Banana Peppers/Chillies

Chillies are much loved in our home. We will run out of any vegetable, but chillies are always stocked. The stronger the flavor, the better it is for us. So as a first post, I will give you a side dish with Banana Peppers which is a favorite at home.  The dish turns spicy hot if the seeds are not scraped.