Kootu
Kootu is a nourishing vegetable preparation that goes well with both rice and chapati. There are many types of kootu
I Araichuvitta kootu This type is a combination of vegies, lentils and freshly ground masala
Ingredients
Vegetable : any one or combinations of your choice cut into medium size pieces ( total half kg). Ideally one or 2 vegetables combination
1. Dudi (Bottle guard) combine with one or two small potatoes
2. Pudalangai ( snake guard)
3. French Beans
4. Kothawarangai ( Cluster Beans)
5. Brinjal ( Egg plant )
6. Murungaikai (Drum stick ) generally few pieces combined with any of the above - totally optional
7. Any greens like Palak, Mulakkeerai ( rajgira), araikeerai ( chawli) etc.
8. 1 or 2 tbsp. peas, Soaked rajma may be added to veggies
Masala :
2 tbsp. Udid dal
1 or 2 red chilli
handful or less kadipatta ( curry leaves )
2 tsp Jeera
few black pepper
Grated coconut 3 tbsp or as per your choice
Hing powder ( 1 pinch)
Lentil ( Dal)
Moong or Tur or a mix of both ( 150 to 200 gms. cooked dal should be around 2 small cups )
Method
1.Cook dal in pressure cooker
2. Cook vegetables in a kadai or thick vessel
3. Roast all the masala ingrdients with little oil till a nice rich flavour emerges. Grind them coarsely ( wet or dry )
4. Mix all the above three, add salt, boil for few minutes till they have blended well
5. Season with mustard, jeera, hing, turmeric ( optional) , udid dal, red chilli. Garnish with corriander leaves and add few drops of coconut oil for a yummy flaver
II. Araikada Kootu : In this type there is no masala to be ground. This is an absolutely nourishing quickie type
Ingredients :
1. Ideally palak or dudi or pudalai ( snake guard) cleaned and chopped
2. 1 cup moong dal
3. Jeera, black pepper powder , salt
Method
Add all the ingredients in a vessle and presure cook
Mash and season with mustard, jeera, hing, 1 or 2 red chilli, few curry leaves.
This palak kootu goes well with hot rice .
It can be simply eaten with curds in a bowl without rice too
III. Chana dal Kootu
Yet a third kootu is just cook soaked chana dal with certain veggies like red pumpkin, white pumpkin, yam ( Senai ) etc. with salt. Season with mustard, jeera, red chilli , hing . Garnish with curry leaves and few drops coconut oil , grated coconut. Give the whole thing a good stir to blend the spice and coconut.
IV. Parangikai pal ( Milk ) kootu
This is a sweetened type and I just love it.
Cut yelow pumpkin into small pieces, cook . Add 1 cup milk ( or more ) and sugar ( as per taste) . Season with mustard, jeera, 1 red chilli , hing . Garnish with curry leaves and few drops coconut oil , grated coconut, raosted cashew ( optional) . Give the whole thing a good stir to blend the spice and coconut.
...mmmm... I love all of them They are nourishing as they have no harsh spice and have healthy ingrdients like veggies and lentils and greens.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Onion Tamato Chatney
The Indian Chatni ( dip or spred ) is a great dish. It can be made very tasty and nourishing. One can make such varieties with some imagination and creativity.
I make a special Onion Tamato Chatni which tastes absolutely heavenly with Dosa, idly, rice , chapati...
2 to 3 large onion cut into large pieces
2 to 3 tomato cut into big pieces
2 to 3 green chilly, 1 or 2 red chilly is optional
handful curry leaves
handful coriander leaves
few mint leaves if u have
1" piece ginger
Salt
Put little oil ( 1 tablespoon) in a frying pan, fry onion and green chilly first till golden. Then add all the other ingredients and roast together. Grind all together. Chatni is ready.
I make a special Onion Tamato Chatni which tastes absolutely heavenly with Dosa, idly, rice , chapati...
2 to 3 large onion cut into large pieces
2 to 3 tomato cut into big pieces
2 to 3 green chilly, 1 or 2 red chilly is optional
handful curry leaves
handful coriander leaves
few mint leaves if u have
1" piece ginger
Salt
Put little oil ( 1 tablespoon) in a frying pan, fry onion and green chilly first till golden. Then add all the other ingredients and roast together. Grind all together. Chatni is ready.
Adai
Adai is a tasty dosa type preparation. I have a particular recipe which I feel is very healthy as well as tasty
Grind coarsely together :
1 cupful curry or more leaves
4 cups soaked rice
1 or 2 cups of any lentil like
1 cup green broken moon with skin
1 cup mixed dals ( any would do even black gram with skin)
I use all that have been lying unused for long. Use as much lentils with skin as possible Even sprouts are ok
4 to 5 red chilli
1 large piece of ginger
1 or 2 green chilli
hing
Salt
You may ferment the mixture for a short period. Make thin crisp dosa ( spread thin on hot non stick surface )
Add-ons:
You may add finely chopped onion, drum stick leaves , finely chopped coriander
Yummy Tastes good
Grind coarsely together :
1 cupful curry or more leaves
4 cups soaked rice
1 or 2 cups of any lentil like
1 cup green broken moon with skin
1 cup mixed dals ( any would do even black gram with skin)
I use all that have been lying unused for long. Use as much lentils with skin as possible Even sprouts are ok
4 to 5 red chilli
1 large piece of ginger
1 or 2 green chilli
hing
Salt
You may ferment the mixture for a short period. Make thin crisp dosa ( spread thin on hot non stick surface )
Add-ons:
You may add finely chopped onion, drum stick leaves , finely chopped coriander
Yummy Tastes good
Molaghu (Black Pepper) Kozambhu
Molaghu Kozambhu is a black pepper gravy that is yummy and very healthy preparation.
Ingredients
1 cupful or more curry leaves
2 good firm red tomatoes
Tamarind (small lemon size quantity or as per taste) soaked
1 tablespoon black pepper ( may be more or less as per taste)
2 or 3 tablespoons tur dal
salt to taste
2 tablespoon oil (Til/sesame oil preferred)
Hing ( asephotida)
1 tsp jaggery ( more as per taste)
Method:
In a frying pan heat 1 tbsp oil.
Put turdal roast well. Add pepper, hing and roast till good flavor emerges. Add curry leaves and roast a bit
Add tomato pieces , salt and roast together
Coarse grind in a blender all the above along with soaked tamarind .
Put 1 to 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan and pour the ground mixture . Add little jaggery and mix well. Cook on low heat till a nice aroma emerges and the gravy looks well blended . Taste to check salt and sourness - you may add amchur (mango) powder or tamarind if you need it to be more sour . Add pepper powder or red chilli powder if you need it to be more spicy.
The Molaghu Kozhubu is ready. It is thick in consistency.
This gravy is very good for health if you are recovering from illness or overeating due to festivals or functions at home
Mix the gravy in hot rice with some ghee or til oil and eat. Can keep in fridge for 2 - 3 days .
Ingredients
1 cupful or more curry leaves
2 good firm red tomatoes
Tamarind (small lemon size quantity or as per taste) soaked
1 tablespoon black pepper ( may be more or less as per taste)
2 or 3 tablespoons tur dal
salt to taste
2 tablespoon oil (Til/sesame oil preferred)
Hing ( asephotida)
1 tsp jaggery ( more as per taste)
Method:
In a frying pan heat 1 tbsp oil.
Put turdal roast well. Add pepper, hing and roast till good flavor emerges. Add curry leaves and roast a bit
Add tomato pieces , salt and roast together
Coarse grind in a blender all the above along with soaked tamarind .
Put 1 to 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan and pour the ground mixture . Add little jaggery and mix well. Cook on low heat till a nice aroma emerges and the gravy looks well blended . Taste to check salt and sourness - you may add amchur (mango) powder or tamarind if you need it to be more sour . Add pepper powder or red chilli powder if you need it to be more spicy.
The Molaghu Kozhubu is ready. It is thick in consistency.
This gravy is very good for health if you are recovering from illness or overeating due to festivals or functions at home
Mix the gravy in hot rice with some ghee or til oil and eat. Can keep in fridge for 2 - 3 days .
Vegetable Stew
Stew is a tasty and healthy boiled vegetables preparation
Vegetables :
1/2 Potato ( Keep the skin) ( cut into pieces as u like )
1/2 Onion ( cut into rings)
some Dudi - bottle gourd( cut with skin)
1 Carrot ( remover skin and cut )
few french beans ( full - remove string)
some cabbage ( cut into long stripes as as u like )
2/3 cauliflower florets
2/3 tomato cleaned and cut into 4 pieces
1/half capsicum cut as u like
1 kakdi cucumber
Any other veg like palak,,,,
4/5 mint leaves , corriander , kadipatta - curry leaves if u like ,
4/5 garlic ( optional)
1 raw banana remove skin and cut into pieces if u have
some ginger thin slices
Take a large enough vessel put enough water put all the above. The water should soak all veg Add salt + venegar + pepper powder+ chat masala+ soya suace few drops + any other masala u like
Close with a lid and boil till veg are cooked . Stir . Eat hot in a large bowl the water and the veg.
Since this becomes a large quantity u can keep for 2 days in fridge
I am on to this diet these days and it helped me to recover form my illness
I love to Eat
Vegetables :
1/2 Potato ( Keep the skin) ( cut into pieces as u like )
1/2 Onion ( cut into rings)
some Dudi - bottle gourd( cut with skin)
1 Carrot ( remover skin and cut )
few french beans ( full - remove string)
some cabbage ( cut into long stripes as as u like )
2/3 cauliflower florets
2/3 tomato cleaned and cut into 4 pieces
1/half capsicum cut as u like
1 kakdi cucumber
Any other veg like palak,,,,
4/5 mint leaves , corriander , kadipatta - curry leaves if u like ,
4/5 garlic ( optional)
1 raw banana remove skin and cut into pieces if u have
some ginger thin slices
Take a large enough vessel put enough water put all the above. The water should soak all veg Add salt + venegar + pepper powder+ chat masala+ soya suace few drops + any other masala u like
Close with a lid and boil till veg are cooked . Stir . Eat hot in a large bowl the water and the veg.
Since this becomes a large quantity u can keep for 2 days in fridge
I am on to this diet these days and it helped me to recover form my illness
I love to Eat
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Mango Thokku
Thokku is a delicious pickle. We get a special mango in our garden for this - very huge in size and tasty . You have to prepare thokku with raw mangoes
Ingredients:
Raw Mango grated
Red chilli powder
oil ( Til oil is the best option)
Method:
Heat 1 cup oil in a pan
Put some mustard in the hot oil and let them split
Add little ( 1 tsp) methi ( funegreek) seeds, hing ( asefotida) powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and roast in the hot oil for 1 minute
Add the grated mango and salt to the hot oil above and mix thoroughly
Keep stirring on heat till the mango is cooked and oil comes out of thokku
Thokku is ready Cool and bottle
Add 2 spoons of vinegar as a preservative if u like.
Goes well with roti, dosa, rice etc...
Ingredients:
Raw Mango grated
Red chilli powder
oil ( Til oil is the best option)
Method:
Heat 1 cup oil in a pan
Put some mustard in the hot oil and let them split
Add little ( 1 tsp) methi ( funegreek) seeds, hing ( asefotida) powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and roast in the hot oil for 1 minute
Add the grated mango and salt to the hot oil above and mix thoroughly
Keep stirring on heat till the mango is cooked and oil comes out of thokku
Thokku is ready Cool and bottle
Add 2 spoons of vinegar as a preservative if u like.
Goes well with roti, dosa, rice etc...
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Capsicum Onion sabji
Tasty Capsicum - Onion Combo
I just created a original capsicum - onion combination y'day for dinner. Tasted yummy....
Ingredients
1 or 2 large capsicum ( I really had one giant sized one )
Onion 3 to 4
Green Chilli 2
1 or 2 red chilli whole or powder
Roasted groundnut 2 tbsp
Cashew nuts 3
Paneer 50g
Method
Cut onion and green chilli together and fry with 1 tbsp oil
Grind coarsely together roasted groundnut, cashew, paneer, red chilli , 1 tbsp of roasted onion with some water
Put cut capsicum to the fried onion, add salt, little water, cook for few minutes covered
Add the ground gravy to the capsicum onion mixture, add garam masala ( I add any available masala like sabji masala, chana masala, pav bhaji masala .....) , some pepperpowder , jeera powder ( I put this in all the veg. preparations)
Check the salt. If needed add some more
Simmer for few minutes
Garnish if u like
Serve hot with chapati, roti or whatever etc..
Tasted slightly sweet type gravy. My sister-in-law simply loved this with methi paratas
I just created a original capsicum - onion combination y'day for dinner. Tasted yummy....
Ingredients
1 or 2 large capsicum ( I really had one giant sized one )
Onion 3 to 4
Green Chilli 2
1 or 2 red chilli whole or powder
Roasted groundnut 2 tbsp
Cashew nuts 3
Paneer 50g
Method
Cut onion and green chilli together and fry with 1 tbsp oil
Grind coarsely together roasted groundnut, cashew, paneer, red chilli , 1 tbsp of roasted onion with some water
Put cut capsicum to the fried onion, add salt, little water, cook for few minutes covered
Add the ground gravy to the capsicum onion mixture, add garam masala ( I add any available masala like sabji masala, chana masala, pav bhaji masala .....) , some pepperpowder , jeera powder ( I put this in all the veg. preparations)
Check the salt. If needed add some more
Simmer for few minutes
Garnish if u like
Serve hot with chapati, roti or whatever etc..
Tasted slightly sweet type gravy. My sister-in-law simply loved this with methi paratas
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Mor Kuzambu
Mor kuzambu is a tasty gravy made with curd. It is light, low fat, low calories and nourishing also. It goes well with plain rice, fried rice or mixed rice or can be just had in a bowl.
All the ingredients we have used are good for health. I do not subscribe to the theory that coconut is bad for health. It has healthy fiber and protein and fat.
Ingredients: ( Quantity as per your wish)
Any of the following vegetables are ok and optional:
1 Cup Thick Curd
3 Table Spoon TurDal or how much ever you like
Green chillies as required for taste
Handful of Curry Leaves (Kadipatta)
1 cup scrapped or whatever type coconut
2 or 3 Tomatoes
Method:
1. Cut vegetables in any shape you like , cook with some salt. Not too soft. If using Okra ( Bindhi) then cut and roast with some oil and salt in a non stick pan over slow fire. Otherwise the whole stuff turns out slippery like and nobody will eat.
2. Soak dal if you remembered else grind direct ( I have done that and it turns out good)
3. Grind coarsely coconut, dal, green chilly, curry leaves with some water. Cut tomato into big pieces, add and grind together. Add the curd and grind together. Maintain a coarse consistency not too fine. Very coarse is ok.
4. In a kadai ( frying pan) put little oil, mustard seeds, After they splutter put jeera, 1 or 2 tsp. udid dal, 1 or 2 tsp. chana dal, hing ( asaphotida powder) in the hot oil. Add cooked vegetables, ground mixture, salt. Add some water if too thick. Heat to boil. Do not let the gravy actually boil. Heat only almost upto boiling point in slow fire. If you like add a small teaspoonful of coconut oil for flavor.
5. Serve with hot rice or whatever.
Note: NOne of the quatities are rigid. Go by your gut feeling.
Mor kuzambu Vadai:
We can soak udid vada in Mor kuzambu and it tasts yummy. The downside may be the calorie content has shot up. To get rid of oil as much as possible from fried vadas, you may first drop them as soon as fried in very dilute butter milk , drain and then drop them in Mor kuzambu.
You may have to make the Mor kuzambu very watery too as vadas absorb a lot of water and make the whole thing thick. I had done this on a mass scale for a party and everyone simply loved it.
All the ingredients we have used are good for health. I do not subscribe to the theory that coconut is bad for health. It has healthy fiber and protein and fat.
Ingredients: ( Quantity as per your wish)
Any of the following vegetables are ok and optional:
- White pumpkin (Pooshani)
- Red pumpkin (Parangi)
- Capsicum
- Ladies Finger ( Bindi or Okra)
- Colocasia ( Arbhi or Seppakelangu)
- Potato
- DrumStick ( Murungai kai)
1 Cup Thick Curd
3 Table Spoon TurDal or how much ever you like
Green chillies as required for taste
Handful of Curry Leaves (Kadipatta)
1 cup scrapped or whatever type coconut
2 or 3 Tomatoes
Method:
1. Cut vegetables in any shape you like , cook with some salt. Not too soft. If using Okra ( Bindhi) then cut and roast with some oil and salt in a non stick pan over slow fire. Otherwise the whole stuff turns out slippery like and nobody will eat.
2. Soak dal if you remembered else grind direct ( I have done that and it turns out good)
3. Grind coarsely coconut, dal, green chilly, curry leaves with some water. Cut tomato into big pieces, add and grind together. Add the curd and grind together. Maintain a coarse consistency not too fine. Very coarse is ok.
4. In a kadai ( frying pan) put little oil, mustard seeds, After they splutter put jeera, 1 or 2 tsp. udid dal, 1 or 2 tsp. chana dal, hing ( asaphotida powder) in the hot oil. Add cooked vegetables, ground mixture, salt. Add some water if too thick. Heat to boil. Do not let the gravy actually boil. Heat only almost upto boiling point in slow fire. If you like add a small teaspoonful of coconut oil for flavor.
5. Serve with hot rice or whatever.
Note: NOne of the quatities are rigid. Go by your gut feeling.
Mor kuzambu Vadai:
We can soak udid vada in Mor kuzambu and it tasts yummy. The downside may be the calorie content has shot up. To get rid of oil as much as possible from fried vadas, you may first drop them as soon as fried in very dilute butter milk , drain and then drop them in Mor kuzambu.
You may have to make the Mor kuzambu very watery too as vadas absorb a lot of water and make the whole thing thick. I had done this on a mass scale for a party and everyone simply loved it.
Healthy Cooking
After cooking for so many years I realize how important it is to be nutrition aware while cooking. Food in a family can achieve so many objectives the primary one of course is the appeasement of hunger. I have always been very nutritions conscious while cooking and serving to my family. But I just love food and hence tend to binge. Cooking and serving food in a happy atmosphere at home is such an easy way to bond with family members and friends.
My sons constantly warn me of dangers of gaining weight so all my cooking focuses on taste, low calories and nutrition. I am a pure vegetarian and south Indian . I just love the taste of our food.
Our food is light and with proper adaptations can be very nourishing too. Of course I am game to try all types of food ( except non_vegetarian stuffs )
My cooking is creative in the sense I do not follow rules. I just add whatever I feel like adding, any amount, going by a gut feeling about taste. Most important is to use all ingredients which are good for your health. Why waste time and money on unhealthy food? Sometimes things turn out so tasty, I admire myself. If I read somewhere something is good for health, surely I will try to use it in my cooking. You will find me using lots of Kadipatta ( Curry leaves) as I strongly believe it is so cheap and so good for health. Ditto Tomato.
We living in India are really blessed to get some of the things like ginger, garlic, tomatoes, almost all vegetables so cheap. (Forgive me TV channels who keep crying foul over rising prices and inflationa and all that) . A bunch of Kadipatta is just Rs. 2 and a Kg of tomato is Rs. 8
I consider myself a great cook ( and a great eater too) . Ya nobody stopped you from believing that about yourself. At the heart of the matter is the love you feel for yourself and the people whom you are going to be serving that food.
So here I shall be sharing my recipes with whoever cares to read and try out.
My sons constantly warn me of dangers of gaining weight so all my cooking focuses on taste, low calories and nutrition. I am a pure vegetarian and south Indian . I just love the taste of our food.
Our food is light and with proper adaptations can be very nourishing too. Of course I am game to try all types of food ( except non_vegetarian stuffs )
My cooking is creative in the sense I do not follow rules. I just add whatever I feel like adding, any amount, going by a gut feeling about taste. Most important is to use all ingredients which are good for your health. Why waste time and money on unhealthy food? Sometimes things turn out so tasty, I admire myself. If I read somewhere something is good for health, surely I will try to use it in my cooking. You will find me using lots of Kadipatta ( Curry leaves) as I strongly believe it is so cheap and so good for health. Ditto Tomato.
We living in India are really blessed to get some of the things like ginger, garlic, tomatoes, almost all vegetables so cheap. (Forgive me TV channels who keep crying foul over rising prices and inflationa and all that) . A bunch of Kadipatta is just Rs. 2 and a Kg of tomato is Rs. 8
I consider myself a great cook ( and a great eater too) . Ya nobody stopped you from believing that about yourself. At the heart of the matter is the love you feel for yourself and the people whom you are going to be serving that food.
So here I shall be sharing my recipes with whoever cares to read and try out.
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