Brinjal Roast (Cooking At Home With Pedatha)

I have been trying out various recipes from this cookery book, Cooking At Home With Pedatha, and have had great success. This Brinjal Roast has been a favorite with everyone at home, I have just changed the recipe a little bit by adding sambar powder with the chilli powder, another variation I have made is, I use Japanese eggplants instead of the round variety as they are easily available in any supermarket, and then I steam these in the microwave for 5 minutes, and hence I use less oil and it cooks faster. These changes I have made are due to the fact that this is how I have always made Brinjal Roast or Fry as I call it by adding sambar powder before I got the cookbook.

5 Japanese Eggplants look for the slim thin ones

salt to taste

1/2 tsp red chilli pwd

1 tsp sambar powder

To Season:

2 tbsps oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp udad dal

1/4 tsp hing

1/4 tsp turmeric

a few curry leaves

Method:

Cut the brinjals into 2 inch pieces and then halve them in the middle.

Steam them in a microwave for 5 minutes.

Heat oil add seasoning ingredients once the mustard seeds splutter add the brinjals and let it brown on a medium flame.

Then add salt chilli pwd, and the sambar pwd.

Cook until done.

Serve with rice as a side dish.

Note:She used round brinjals, did not microwave it and did not use sambar powder. I also changed the quantities to suit my palate.

Beetroot Pachadi ( Asianet Cookery Show)

I saw this on Asianet TV, a Cookery Show on a Malayalam TV channel. I have always made Pachadi or Kichadi with tomatoes, white pumpkin and cucumbers, but never with beetroots. Pachadi is a good side dish with different Dal based curries or even as a Raita with a Pulao or Biryani.

1 small beetroot peeled

salt to taste

1/2 cup yogurt whisked

To Grind:

1/2 cup coconut

3 green chillies

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 cup water

To Season:

1 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp udad dal

1 red chilli

a few curry leaves

Method:

Steam beetroot and grate.

Simmer with salt and 1/4 cup water.

Meanwhile grind to a fine paste the masala and add to simmering beetroot.

Simmer for a few minutes.

Heat oil for seasoning add mustrad seeds, udad dal, and red chilli, once the mustard splutters add curry leaves and pour over the beetroot.

After it cools down add the whisked yogurt and serve.

Moru Kootan with Raw Mango (Yogurt Based Sauce)

Moru means buttermilk or thinned and whisked yogurt and kootan means a gravy or curry in Malyalam.

1 cup cubed white pumpkin

1/2 of a raw mango sliced lengthwise

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp chilli pwd

1 cup yogurt whisked

2 tbsp sour cream optional

Grind to a paste:

1 1/2 cup grated coconut

10 green chillies or according to your spice level

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Seasoning:

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 red chilli

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

a few curry leaves

Cook pumpkin and raw mango with salt, turmeric, and chilli pwd and 1 cup of water till tender.

Meanwhile grind the ingredients to a fine paste with 1 cup of water.

Once the vegetables are cooked add the ground paste and let it come to a simmer.

Remove from heat add the whisked yogurt, and sour cream.

Put it back on low heat, and let it come to a simmer. Remove right way do not let it boil as the yogurt could curdle. Check for salt add if required.

Heat oil for seasoning add mustard seeds, red chilli, fenugreek seeds once they splutter add curry leaves, and pour over Moru Kootan.

Enjoy with rice.

NOTE: I use sour cream to give it a little better consistency as I use homemade yogurt made with lowfat milk. This yogurt does not withsatand heat well, hence the sour cream. But if you are using store bought yogurt or whole milk yogurt you can eleminate the sour cream.

Sambar

1/2 cup Tuar Dal

Brinjal, Okra, Pumpkin, Drumsticks all together cubed about 2 cups

1/2 tsp turmeric

Salt to taste

1 tsp tamarind paste

1/2 tsp jaggery

2 tbsps chopped coriander leaves

Masala for grinding:

1 tsp oil

1 tsp fenugreek

1 tbsp coriander seeds

2 red chillies

1/2 tsp hing

1/2 cup grated coconut

2 tsp sambar powder( I use 777 Sambar Pwd)

Seasoning

1 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 red chilly

1/2 tsp hing

1 tbsp shallots minced

a few curry leaves

Cook the dal till tender, I use a pressure cooker.

Cook the vegetables with salt and turmeric and 1 cup of water, once cooked add tamarind paste.

Let it boil well.

Meanwhile make the ground masala, heat oil add fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, red chillies, and hing, stir till golden, do not burn.

Add coconut, stir for a few minutes add sambar powder, and remove from heat.

Grind to a fine paste with about 1/2 cup water.

Add this paste to the boiling vegetables.

Add the cooked dal, and about 1/2 cup water check the consistency add more water if required.

Remove from heat once the sambar comes together, add coriander leaves.

Heat oil for the seasoning, add the mustard seeds, red chilly, hing, curry leaves, and shallots.

Fry till golden brown, pour over sambar.

Serve with rice.