Potato Poha

Potato Poha is a North Indian dish. I had it from Gujarat when i was a kid and it didnt go well for me. So i always refrained from cooking it. But lately Raj was insisting so much that i thought to give it a try. And to my surprise it was very tasty and i loved it. So now i will be cooking this more frequently.

Ingredients (Serves 2)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Green chilly - 2-3
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Peanuts - 2tbsp
Onion chopped - 2 tbspn
Salt
Potato chopped- a small one
Turmeric - a big pinch
Thick Rice flakes - 1 cup (washed and drained)
Cilantro leaves - few
Lime juice - 1/2 wedge (around 1 tbsp)

Wash the rice flakes in water and let it soak the water for 30 secs. Now drain and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard and cumin.
Now add curry leaves and add the urad dal, channa dal and peanuts and roast it well.
Now add the green chilly.
Now add the chopped onion, salt and saute it for a min, then add potato and close the pan with a lid. Once the potato cooks, add the turmeric and mix well.
Now add the soaked rice flakes and mix well.
Close the pan with a lid and let it cook (will take 4-5 mins)
Now add the chopped cilantro leaves and mix it very well.

Serve hot

You can substitute the potato with mashed potato if its available. I added mashed potato while cooking this time and it went well.

Enjoy!!!

Vendakka / Okra Upperi

This is a very nutritious dish. I love to have this with Rice and Chapati. It goes well with both.
Give it a try and let me know how you liked it.

Ingredients (Serves 2)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - few
Salt
Onion chopped - 1 medium
Okra sliced thinly - 200 gms
Turmeric pdr - a pinch
Chilly powder - 1 tsp

Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard
Add curry leaves and urad dal and let it brown a little
Now add the chopped onion and salt, saute for around a minute
Now add the chopped okra and sprinkle the turmeric pdr.
Close the pan with a lid and cook for 2-3 mins
Now open the lid and mix it well. Cook it till the stickiness vanishes (it will take some time).
Now add the chilly pdr and mix well. Let it cook for 2-3 mins till the rawness of chilly pdr vanishes.

Serve with hot rice

Enjoy!!!

Aloo Paratha

I have been thinking of making this for a long time. Its easy to make and also tasty to eat
When i was in Bangalore, me and my friend Anu used to go to a shop for parathas all the weekends.
They serve it with little curd but i was happy to eat it just as it is.
We can make different varities by varying the filling. This one is with Potato. Here goes the recipe

Ingredients Makes 9 Parathas
For Chapathi Dough
Atta - 1 1/2 cups
Water - 3/4 cup
Salt - a small pinch

For the filling
Potato - 2 medium ones
Salt
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Amchur - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala -  1/2 tsp
Cilantro - few chopped
Green chilli - 2 chopped as finely as possible
Turmeric pdr - a very small pinch

Atta Powder - 2-3 tbsp (For sprinkling while flattening the Paratha)
Oil/ Ghee  - For Drizzling while cooking the Paratha.

 Knead the dough and keep aside for some time. Mow make balls out of this. I got 9 of them

Pressure cook the potato in water (enough to cover it) for 2 whistles
Once it cools off, peel and mash the potato
Now add the remaining ingredients into this mashed potato and mix it very well. Make 9 balls out of this and keep aside





Now spread one dough ball a little and place the potato mixture ball into this

Now close this by bringing the edges to one side.










Now press the protruding side flat with your hands as seen in this picture

Now flat this out slowly just as you will do with a chapathi. I tend to use atta powder while flattening it
Heat a pan in high heat and place the paratha in it .
You can drizzle with Oil/ Ghee on both the sides while cooking.
Once its heated through, flip over and cook both the sides till its completely done




Serve with Curd and Pickle

The oil here is optional. I tend to use as little as possible. But i must admit that a generous amount of oil / ghee enhances the taste :-)
The amount of Spices used here can be varied based on your taste level.

Happy Eating!!!!

Ash Gourd / Kumbalanga Olan

Olan is a common dish in Sadya's in Kerala. There are different varieties and this one is made of Ash Gourd / Kumbalanga alone. Its a very simple curry to make and will take maybe 15 mins of your time.
The only trick in this is the way you cut the Vegetable. It should be very thin and due to this it gets cooked in 5-6 mins max.
It is not very spicy, so its best to have with rice and something spicy like Pickles or a spicy Upperi :-)

Ingredients (Serves 3)
Ash Gourd - 400 gms
Green Chilly - 2 nos
Water - 1/2 cup
Salt
Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 1 tspn

Chop ashguord in very thin slices
Cook the ashgourd pieces in water with the salt and green chilly. It took me 5 mins for it to get cooked.
Now increase the heat and let the water dry.
Switch off the heat and add the coconut milk and do a taste test
Add the curry leaves and drizzle the oil.

Serve over hot rice :-)

Happy Eating!!!

Chickpeas Sundal

Well to start off, i must say that till today morning i didn't know that this dish is known as Sundal. My mother used to make this for breakfast some days and i loved it. I never asked her what is this known as, neither did she tell me. I used to call it 'Kadala Upperi'
If something tastes good, seriously why do you want to know the name for? ;-)

Today morning when i was checking Facebook, i happened to see a photo posted by my friend with title 'Spicy Sundal'. It intrigued me. I did a Google search and was surprised to see that it is the same thing that i have been eating.

When i was working in Bangalore, me and my friend Anu used to go to a Ganapathy temple every weekend. Yes i did pray but the main intention was to eat the 'Prasadam' that we got there. We use to get this along with many other tasty items.

It serves as a breakfast or a snack.

Ingredients (Serves 3)
Chickpeas - 1 cup
Salt
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Green Chilly - 3 nos
Dry Red Chilly - 3 nos
Grated coconut - 4-5 tbsp

Soak the Chickpeas overnight I soaked it for 5-6 hours and it worked fine
Pressure cook chickpeas with water (just enough to reach a bit more than chickpeas) and salt for 3 -4 whistles
Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard. Now add the curry leaves, dry red chillies and green chilly and saute for 30 secs
Now add the cooked chickpeas and mix it well.
Let it cook for 1-2 mins till the spicy oil coats the chickpeas.
Now add the grated coconut and mix well.

Serve hot with a steaming cup of coffee :-)

Happy Snacking!!!

Parippum Neyyum / Dal with Ghee

Parippum Neeyum has an important place in Kerala Sadyas. It is not very spicy or anything but it really feels good in your mouth. I always keep thinking why they serve so little :-(
But now as i make it at my home, i can have it as much as i want Yay!!!!
Raj was not that much into this but yet he gave it a try and said it tastes like Baby Food. Well i dont know whether it was meant to be a compliment or comment, but i would love to take it as Compliment :-)

Ingredients (Serves 4)
Toor Dal - 1/2 cup
Water - 1 1/2 cup
Green Chilly - 1 small
Turmeric - a small pinch
Salt
Curry Leaves - few
Oil - 1 tsp
Ghee - 1 tsp

Pressure cook the Dal with water, green chilly, turmeric and salt for 4-5 whistles
If you have soaked dal before, then you wouldn't require these many whistles
Now add the curry leaves and drizzle the oil on top of it.
Now add the ghee and serve over Hot Rice

Happy Eating!!!