Cauliflower Masala Kootu

Cauliflower again! How many times do we get stuck with cauliflower and the same old recipe of cauliflower fry or cauliflower with potatoes or something like that? I used to struggle with it,until  I had this kootu in a thali at a resturant in India.. Since I knew the people at the resturant I had to ask them what are the ingredients in it and they were very glad to help... and indeed it is a very unique recipe and it tastes extremely good with rice& rotis.Now don't get alarmed with Masala in it and think it may be very spicy or heavy... infact anything with saunf in it has to be called Masala..as its part of our garam masala ingredient... but truely this small spice can work wonders in this simple dish! Being addicted to this I had to share it with all my blog friends ofcourse. herez cauliflower masala kootu....

Cauliflower Masala Kootu

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower diced into bite size pieces

2 tomatoes  roughly chopped

1 onion  small diced

1/2tsp tumeric powder

4-5green chillies slited

2tbsp coconut grated

1 tsp sambhar powder

1/2 cup cooked and mashed toovar dal

salt to taste

1tsp sugar

Oil 2tsp

for tempering

Ghee 2tsps

Cumin seeds 1tsp

saunf 1/2tsp

cloves 2

cinnamon 1

curry leaves 3-4

corriander leaves for garnish

Method

grind into a thick paste coconut,green chillies and sambhar powder and keep aside.

Heat oil and fry the onions until translucent

next add the tomatoes and cauliflower & tumeric powder and saute until the vegetable is slightly soft.

now add the cooked dal and add some water to adjust the consitency of the gravy and season with salt and sugar. allow it to cook for about 5mins. once the vegetables are fully cooked add the ground coconut mixture. mix everything well and simmer for about 5mins.

Now heat ghee and add the tempering ingredients and pour over the kootu.garnish with corriander.

serve hot with steamed rice or rotis.

Stuffed Katrikai Karakozhombu (Spicy Stuffed Baby Eggplant in Tamrind Gravy)

Katrikai or Eggplants are the kinda vegetable that has its own fan club. But I know many who don't enjoy its taste. I make a various number of things with eggplants ranging from Indian to Italian. Baingan/Katrikai/eggplant/aubergine.... whatever they are called is very versatile ..there are .numerous famous Indian recipes just to name a few :

 Bharwan Baingan,Baingan da Bhurta,Bhagara Baingan,Ennai Katrikai etc etc  ...But one of my all time favourites is this one. Its a tamil version curry&Its very simple to make and its spicy.... and can be eaten with steamed rice with some potato fry with a dallop of ghee on it..I make mine with a stuffing which later on thickens the gravy giving it a curry like consistency..

 Stuffed Katrikai Karakozhombu (Spicy Stuffed Baby Eggplant in Tamrind Gravy)

Ingredients:
Small Baby eggplants 8-10 (will serve 3-4)
Tamrind pulp 2tbsp
salt
oil
curry leaves 10leaves
Mustard seeds for tempering1/2tsp

For the stuffing:
fry in 1/2tsp of oil the following.
2 tsp of channa dal and urad dal
5-6 dried red chillies ( more for more heat)
4tsp corriander seeds
3-4 small onions or shallots
cool and grind into a thick paste without much of a moisture in them.Add some salt for the stuffing.

Method
Slit the eggplants and stuff them with the above prepared stuffing
Heat oil in a pan,add mustard seeds and curryleaves
once they have spluttered place the stuffed eggplants one by one carefully.
now fry them on both sides to get them a nice golden color and to seal the stuffing inside.
now add water along with the tamrind pulp and season the gravy with salt .(remember the stuffing masala has salt already)
allow it to boil and until the eggplants are cooked through and the oil starts floating on the top
adjust the consistency of the gravy by adding more water if required.

serve with steamed rice with a dallop of ghee.

Comfort food 101-Kadhi& Chawal (yougurt curry with steamed rice)

Kadhi is again a one of the comfort food that good make u feel good and warm. Its simple and very easy and mostly cooked in almost all the Indian houses. Ofcourse there are various versions and techniques of this simple recipe. In the southern part of India its called the MoorKhozumbu,nothing else but buttermilk gravy,again somewhat similar version of the Kadhi expect for the technique of making it.In the northern Indian version of this Kadhi,a deep fried fritter called Pakodi's are added. Its makes the Kadhi even more special when Pakodi's are made and allowed to soak in the yummy gravy.For me, I love simple kadhi with steaming hot chawal with some chopped onions and lemons... this meal makes me feel so good that I could even climb the everest!!

Kadhi

You will need,


1/2 cup Thick sour yogurt
1/4 cup besan
water
salt and green chilli paste. to taste
a pinch of Heeng
onion sliced 1/2 cup
garlic paste 1/2tsp
a little bit of minced ginger
a few curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric
oil 2tsp for tempering:
mustard seeds1/4 tsp.
jeera seeds 1tsp
Methi or fenugreek seeds 1/4tsp
dried whole red chillies 2-3
whole dhaniya seeds 1/2tsp

Method:

mix the besan for the kadhi with the yogurt(mix through so that there are no lumps).
Add  ginger, garlic,sliced onions ,tumeric and chilli paste.to the same
so that they mix thoroughly as well.
now heat up the oil . Add the Tempering ingredients to the hot oil and allow it to splutter.
pour in the liquid. Add the water and let the whole thing simmer till the raw taste of besan is gone about 20mins .If the water has evaporated add some more .after the curry has thickened to the right consistency almost like a sauce,add the salt & hing and season well. serve hot with steamed rice.