Meal haven

Watermelon Rind Kootu/Lentils with Watermelon Rind

There are many dishes which you can make with watermelon rind, ie, poriyals/thorans or yogurt based curry (morekozhumbu/kalans) but this one is my favourite. The ingredients in this dish marry well and work in harmony to make this dish a nutritious and a tasty one.

The same recipe can also be made with squash, ridge gourd, cabbage, snake gourd or white pumpkin.

Ingredients:

Moong Dal (small yellow lentils) OR Chana dal (bengal gram dal) – 1/2 cup

Watermelon Rinds chopped – 1 1/4 cups (see note below)

Water – 1 cup + 1 cup

Green chillies – 2

Onion – 1 small chopped

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp + 1/4 tsp

Jeera/cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp

Red chillies – 2

Saunf /aniseed – 1/4 tsp

Shredded or Grated Coconut – 1/4 cup + 1/2 tsp for garnishing

Salt to taste

For seasoning:

Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Udad dal – 1/4 tsp

Red chillies – 2

Curry leaf – 1 sprig

Oil – 1 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

Note : Wash and cut the watermelon rind without the green outerpart, into small pieces. Remove all the red portions inside and the outer green skin and chop only the white portion inside.

Grind jeera, saunf, red chillies and 1/4 cup grated coconut coarsely, in a mixer and keep it aside.

Boil the watermelon rind in 1 cup of water alongwith 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, slit green chillies, chopped onions and salt. Close the lid and let it cook. Once cooked, keep it aside.

In another vessel, wash the yellow moong dal and cook it in a kadai or pan with salt and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. Cook it with 1 cup of water and keep it aside. Once cooked, add the cooked watermelon rind and mix it well. Add the ground coconut and boil it once and put off the flame.

Season it with the ingredients mentioned under ‘seasoning’ and mix it well. Garnish with grated coconut and serve with rice or chapathis.

Pesarattu/Green Gram Dosa/Savoury Lentils Crepe

Breakfast

A protein packed breakfast from the cuisine of Andhra Pradesh in India, pesarattu is best served with a spicy chutney like ginger chutney or capsicum chutney (check out chutneys in the recipe’s section).

Soak moong dal/green gram dal & rice in water overnight

Ingredients:

Green dam dal – 1 cup

Raw Rice – 2 tbsp

Green chillies – 2

Jeera/cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Ginger – 1/2 inch piece

Toppings for pesarattu:

Onions -2 (finely chopped)

Green chillies – 2 deseeded and finely chopped

Jeera/cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Preparation:

Clean and soak the green gram dal and rice with lots of water in a vessel, overnight.

Next, drain the water and add the dal and rice to a pulser alongwith the green chillies, cumin seeds, salt and ginger with little water to make a dosa like batter. Grind it smoothly and the consistency should be of a pouring batter but thick.

Heat a tawa and grease it with oil. Pour a spoonful of batter like a dosa and sprinkle with the toppings. Add a little oil on the edges of the dosa to make it crispy. When it starts getting a golden colour, flip it to the other side, fold and remove. Serve it with any chutney of your choice.

To make the next pesarattu, sprinkle little water on the pan as the pan would have turned very hot. Rub it with oil, after the water evaporates.

Capsicum Chutney

Chutneys

Bored of the same chutneys…Try this one with bell peppers and tomatoes. An everyday chutney, which is a perfect match for dosas or idlis. The mild sweetness of the capsicum and the tanginess of the tamarind makes this special.

Saute the dals and red chillies in little oil

Ingredients:

Capsicum – 1 big

Tomato – 1 small

Onion – 1 small

Red chillies – 4

Udad dal – 1 1/2 tbsp

Bengal gram dal/Chana dal – 1 1/2 tbsp

Tamarind – a small piece

Shredded Fresh Coconut – 2 tbsp

Salt

Seasoning:

Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Udad dal – 1/4 tsp

Red chillies – 2

Asafoetida/Hing – a pinch

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan. Add the chana dal and udad dal and fry until it turns golden. Then add the red chillies to it. Next add the chopped onion and saute and then the chopped capscium and tomatoes and saute till it turns slightly mushy. Remove and set aside.

When it cools down, grind it alongwith coconut, tamarind and salt in a mixie. Season with the items mentioned under ‘seasoning’.

Cabbage and Peas Curry/Patha Gobi Mattar Subzi

Vegetarian

This simple dry vegetable curry can be served with rice or chapathis. The combination of cabbage with peas alongwith the crushed coriander seeds gives it a different flavour.

Ingredients :

Chopped Cabbage – 1 1/2 cups

Peas – 1 cup

Chopped Tomato – 1/2 cup

Ginger – 1/2 tsp chopped

Onions – 2

Bengal Gram dal/chana dal – 1 tsp

Coriander seeds – 1 tsp

Jeera – 1 tsp

Grated coconut – 1/4 cup

Chopped Green chillies – 1

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Red chillie powder – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

Coriander leaves – 1 sprig

Oil – 1 tbsp

Preparation:

Crush the coriander seeds coarsely and keep it aside. Chop onions fine.

Heat oil in a pan. When it starts spluttering, add jeera and the crushed coriander seeds, bengal gram dal, curry leaves and onions. Saute them well. Then add the chopped ginger, green chillies, red chillie powder and the turmeric powder and saute them. You can add a tsp of water so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Next, add the tomatoes and saute it. When it is slightly mushy, add the peas and toss again. Lastly add the chopped cabbage, salt. Close with a lid and let it cook for 3- 4 minutes. You can sprinkle a little water if it is too dry. This is a dry vegetarian curry so you need not add more water to it. Just before you put off the flame, add the grated coconut and stir once. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Garlic curry/Poondu Kuzhambu

Vegetarian

A tangy and healthy recipe made of garlic and tamarind which can be served with rice. I have seasoned the curry using vadavam (vadouvan), french derivative for this masala. The spice blend is thought to have originated from the colonial influence of the French in the Pondicherry region of India. (Pictured below)

The spice blend contains pounded onion, garlic, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds which are sun dried, then crushed and mixed with castor oil, rolled into balls and dried for several more days.

If you do not have vadavam, you could use the items mentioned “under seasoning” which would be readily available in your pantry.

Ingredients:

Peeled garlic pods – a handful

Onion – 2 small chopped

Tomatoes – 4

Milk – 1/2 cup

Tamarind – a small ball

Chillie powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Oil – 1 tbsp (Gingeley oil preferred)

Water – 1 cup

Salt- as required

For seasoning:

Vadavam : 1 tsp optional (see picture below)

Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

Udad dal – 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Preparation:

Soak the tamarind ( lime sized ball) in water for 10 minutes and make it pulpy.

Take a wide bottomed pan or kadai. Heat it and add oil. Add the onions and garlic and saute it well until the onions becomes slightly brown. Next, add the tomatoes and saute again. Add milk and cook the tomatoes. Take it off the heat and keep it aside.

When it turns cool, grind it in a mixer and keep it aside.

Heat oil in another pan, add the vadavam or the items listed under “seasonings”. Now add the ground paste to this and add the chillie powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder and mix it well. Next, add the tamarind paste or juice, discarding the flesh. Add a cup of water and salt and let it boil for 5 minutes. When it thickens a bit, take it off the flame and serve it with rice.

Chocolate Cobbler

Desserts

A crunchy topping on the hot fudge pudding cake makes it outrageously yum…..A simple batter spooned to the bottom of the pan, a dry cocoa mixture sprinkled on top of it and hot water poured on top if it and baked and voila….. a yum dessert ready to be served.

8 – 10 servings

Ingredients:

All purpose Flour or Maida – 2 cups

Salt – 1 tsp

Sugar – 1 cup sugar

Baking powder – 4 tsp

Cocoa – 3 tbsp

Melted butter – 4 tbsp

Milk – 1 cup

Vanilla essence – 2 tsp

Chopped Walnuts – 3/4 cup (optional)

For Topping:

Sugar – 1/4 cup

Brown sugar – 1 cup

Salt – 1/4 tsp

Cocoa – 1 tbsp

Boiling Water – 1 cup

Preparation:

In a mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa.

In another bowl, add sugar, melted butter, milk, vanilla essence and beat it well using a electric hand mixer.

Now add the flour mixture and walnuts (optional) and beat it at low while mixing the flour. You can use a spatula to mix it gently.

Grease a 9 inch glass pyrex baking dish and spread this mixture into it and set aside.

In another mixing bowl, combine the toppings (sugar, brown sugar, salt and cocoa). Mix it well and sprinkle it on top of the batter. Do not stir/mix it into the batter.

Pour the boiling water on top and do not stir.

Preheat oven to 180 C or 350 deg F . Place the baking dish inside the oven and bake for 80 minutes or until it is set. The cake will rise and you will see a pudding form at the bottom of the dish.

It is recommended to serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

Bisi Bela Baath with Oats

Rice

A healthy alternative to the traditional dish from Karnataka, made with oats, lentils and veggies. This dish has to be eaten hot and if left to become cold, will not taste good.

Ingredients:

Oats – 1 1/4 cup

Tur dal – 1 cup

Water – 4 cups

Peas – 6 to 7 pods

Carrot – 1 small

Beans – 4 to 5

Shallots – 5

Potato – 1 small

Ghee – 2 to 3 tablespoon

Tamarind water – 1/4 cup

Bisi bela powder – 4 tbsp or more if you want spicier

Jaggery – 1/4 tablespoon

Cashews – 10 – 12 pieces

Salt to taste

Seasoning:

Red chillies – 2

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1/2 tsp

Home made powder

Oil – 1 tsp

Coriander seeds – 3 tsp

Urad dal – 2 tsp

Bengal gram/Channa Dal – 1 tsp

Cinnamon – 2 inch stick

Cloves – 2

Dry red chillies – 7 or 8

Khus khus – 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds/Jeera – 1/4 tsp

Pepper – 1/4 tsp

Dry coconut (Copra) – 1 or coconut – 1/2

Add dal with 4 cups of water in pressure cooker and cook

Pulse the ingredients for the powder finely in a mixie.

Bisi bela baath powder:

Heat 1 tsp of oil and saute coriander seeds, jeera, pepper, bengal gram dal, urad dal, fenugreek seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and red chillies.

Saute until dal starts to change color. Add khus khus and saute for few seconds on low heat.

Add the dry coconut and saute for few minutes on low heat, stirring continuously. Or if coconut is used, it is to be roasted slightly and then powdered alongwith the other ingredients.

Turn off the heat and leave it to cool and powder it coarsely.

Preparation:

Wash dal first and cook it in pressure cooker with water for 2 whistles and keep it on low flame for 10 minutes. Put off the flame and then, open the cooker after it is cooled, mash it a little and close and keep it aside, once the dal is cooked.

Heat 1 tsp ghee. Add shallots, beans cut into 1/4 inch pieces, peas and carrot sliced small and saute for some time. When it is cooked, add tamarind water and jaggery powder.

Let it boil until raw smell leaves. Add bisi bele bath powder (I use home made powder).

Let it boil for 2 minutes. Add the mashed dal and stir well. Then add the oats and cook it well. Make sure to stir as it may turn lumpy. Keep it on slow fire for about 3 -4 minutes. You may add 1/4 cup hot water if it becomes too thick.

Heat a tbsp of ghee and fry cashews until golden, remove. In the same kadai, add the seasonings listed under ‘seasoning’ and let it splutter.Add the seasonings also to the rice and dal. Mix well and serve hot with a tsp of ghee. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Maharashtrian Sabudana/Sago/Tapoica Pearls Kichdi

Breakfast

For the uninitiated, Sabudana kichdi is a popular breakfast item in Maharastra. It is mostly prepared on the days of fasting. Made with potatoes, coarsely ground peanuts and tapoica pearls, this recipe is one you would want to try…The tricky part is to prevent the sabudana from getting all clumped together but getting separate pearls after it is cooked.

Ingredients:

Sabudana/Sago – 1 1/2 cups

Potatoes – 2 medium diced

Cumin seeds/Jeera – 1 tsp

Roasted peanuts coarsely ground – 1/4 cup

Green chillies – 2 finely chopped

Coriander leaves – 2 sprigs chopped

Curry leaves – 6 to 7 (optional)

Lemon juice – 1/2 tsp

Salt as needed

Water – as needed

Grated coconut – 1 tbsp (optional)

Oil – 2 tbsp

Preparation:

Rinse the sabudana using a strainer two to three times until all the starch has been washed away.

Soak the sabudana with just enough water so as to submerge it, around 3/4th cup for every 1 cup of sabudana. Soak it for 3 to 4 hours. (Some types of sabudana are delicate and therefore, you may have to soak it for just an hour or so).

After 3 to 4 hours, check the sabudana and see if it is soft, if not leave it for some more time. The soaked sabudana should be soft when you press it and there should not be any water left for absorption in the vessel. Remove the excess water, if there is any.

Dice the potatoes and cook them with little salt till they are soft but not mushy. Keep them aside.

Heat a non stick pan (I prefer a non stick pan to a cast iron kadai as the sabudana tends to stick to the kadai due to the high heat). Add oil. When it turns hot, add the cumin seeds and curry leaves. When it starts to crackle, add the finely chopped green chillies and saute well. Add the cooked potatoes and mix it once. Then, add the drained sabudana pearls and mix well. Stir it to avoid sticking to the bottom. If it is too dry, just sprinkle a little water and stir again. Add salt and close and keep so that it cooks and becomes glossy. When done, add lime juice, coriander leaves and lastly coarsely ground peanuts. Mix well again and serve. You can add grated coconut at the end, if you wish.

Instant Red Aval/Poha Idlis(Flattened Rice Steam Cakes)

Breakfast

These red aval idlis require no fermentation and can be prepared when you want quick idlis. Fluffy and light, these are easy to digest and makes for a light meal.

Makes 20 idlis.

Ingredients:

Urad dal – 4 tbsp

White or Red Poha/Aval – 1 cup

Rice flour – 1 cup

Sour curds – 1/2 cup

Water – 1 cup or as required

Salt – 1/2 tsp or to taste

Eno’s Fruit Salt – 1 tsp

Oil – for applying on the steamer plates

Preparation:

Heat a pan. When it is hot, lower the heat and add the urad dal and fry for 2 minutes. Then add the Poha/Aval and stir for another 2-3 minutes. Remove and let it cool down.

Pulse it to a fine powder in a grinder. Sieve this flour and keep it aside.

To the sieved flour, add rice flour, salt and mix well. Then add the curds, water and with a whisk , make sure that there are no lumps. If you require more water, add another 1/4 cup. The consistency should not be too thick or too flowing or thin.

Next, to steam the idlis, grease the idli moulds with little oil and add water to the idli cooker for steaming.

Before the batter is poured into the pans, add eno’s fruit salt into the batter. The batter will start bubbling up a little. Mix it well or else, you may end up with light orange colours in the idlis. You should add the eno salt only before pouring the idlis into the moulds or else, the idlis will become hard.

Pour the batter into the idli moulds and keep it on the steamer. Cover and steam for 10-12 minutes. Let it cool a bit and then remove the cover and check if it is cooked. When a toothpick is inserted, it should come out clean. Once cooked, remove the idlis with a tablespoon dipped in water.

Serve with peanut chutney or any chutney of your choice.

Srilankan Pol Roti

Baking

These are rustic flatbreads native to Srilanka which are made of coconut milk, chillies and shredded coconut. As Srilanka is a coastal island, their cuisine is mostly tropical flavoured.

Delicious in every bite, you can serve this with any curries or gravies.

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour – 1 cup

Maida – 1 cup

Onion – 1 finely sliced

Curry leaves – 10 leaves finely chopped

Red chillie flakes – 1 tsp

Green chillies – 3 finely chopped

Coconut grated – 1 cup

Thick Coconut milk – 1/2 cup

Oil – 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Water – 1/4 cup or as needed

Preparation:

In a big mixing bowl, add the grated coconut, finely chopped green chillies, onions, chopped curry leaves, red chillie flakes and mix well. In another bowl, mix both the flours separately and add it to the coconut. Add the oil, salt, coconut milk, water and knead it well.

The texture of the roti will change depending on the amount of grated coconut you add. The more you add, the more softer it will be but you may find it difficult to roll them out.

Incorporate all the items together and knead into a soft pliable dough. Apply oil to your hands, knead it again and keep it for an hour to rest.

After an hour, separate it into 10 balls and keep it aside. On a lightly oiled surface, take a ball and shape the dough into circles. You may use a roller pin to shape it into a roti. If it sticks to the surface, dust a little flour and try rolling it into the shape.

Heat a skillet/tava. When it is really hot, place the rolled roti on the skillet and allow to cook on one side. Smear a little oil on it and flip it to cook the other side. Apply a little oil again and cook until it is golden in colour.

Serve it with any of your favourite gravy.