Bitter Gourd Curry/ Pavakkai kuzhambu

Most so us know the goodness of this vegetable yet we do not consume it for obvious reasons. Well, the most basic benefit is the bitterness in it helps reduce glucose levels in our body which works great if you are a diabetic patient. You don't have to avoid this vegetable if you follow few steps. My Mother cooks this curry every now and then at home. I remember her every time I cook it. My husband has never tried this curry before; I convinced him to try it just once and promised that I wouldn't force him if he doesn't like it :p Well he never complains when I make bitter gourd curry now.

Ingredients

• Bitter Gourd -2-3 (light green tastes less bitter)
• Onion - 2 Large
• Tomato - 2 big
• Garlic - 10 cloves
• Tamarind - 1/2 lemon size or 1/2 cup juice extracted
• Jaggery - 1 tsp (optional)
• Coriander leaves - 4 stems (optional)
• Oil - 3-4 tbsp
• Mustard - 1tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Sambar powder - 1 1/2 tbsp full scoop
• Turmeric powder - 1/4th tsp
• Salt - as required

Preparation

• Take the bitter gourd and slice both ends. Slit it open lengthwise and take away the seeds. Cut the dark green outer ridges to avoid over bitterness. Now give it a quick wash. Cut it into small edible pieces.
• Pour oil in a deep frying pan and when hot add mustard and let it splutter. Add curry leaves. Now thrown in the chopped bitter gourd and start frying it on medium flame.
• Close the lid and cook it until it is 50% done without adding water. Give it a stir every now and then to make sure it doesn't charr. When it is half cooked, add the chopped onion and garlic and fry it until the onion is translucent.
• Now add the chopped tomatoes and salt and close cook it for 2 minutes. Add Sambar powder, turmeric powder and mix well. Pour the tamarind juice and cook closing lid until the oil floats up or until the quantity reduces a little.
• Finally open and taste the curry. By this time the curry will not taste bitter but if you still feel the curry is bitter,powder the jaggery and cook it for 2 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with hot rice, pappadam and/ potato side dish and yogurt.

Note : 

• Dark green bitter gourd usually taste very bitter. Go for lighter ones. If there are dark green ridges outside, you could remove them.
• Cook bitter gourd on low medium to medium flame. Close lid and cook.
• Bitter gourd requires a little more oil when compared to other dishes.

Thank you for visiting. Feel free to comment, I would love to know your opinion on the recipe. Visit my Facebook page for other recipes.

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Chettinad Mushroom Curry

When I was at Louisville, KY, my favourite lunch joint was Bombay Grill. I love their chettinad curries and always wanted to learn the Veg chettinad curry; a substitute to Chicken Chettinad. I tried recipes from various sites but nothing came close to the one at Bombay Grill. Finally I managed to make this recipe; a veg version of Solai Kitchen's Chicken Chettinad. I tweaked it just a little and made it Mushroom based for vegetarians like me. The curry tasted awesome!! For people who avoid non-veg for various reasons and would like to try something similar to Chicken Chettinad, try this recipe and you'll be glad you did.

Ingredients

• Mushroom - 200gms
• Onion - 1 Large
• Tomato - 1 large
• Coriander leaves - 4 stems finely chopped.
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp or Garlic - 5 finely chopped
• Turmeric powder - 1/4th tsp
• Salt - as required

Seasoning

• Cinnamon stick - 3/4th stick
• Cloves - 2
• Cardamom - 1
• Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Mint leaves - 3 stem leaves
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Oil - 1 tbsp

To Grind
Set 1

• Ginger - 1/2 inch
• Pearl onion - 5
• Garlic pods - 5
• Green chillies - 2
• Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
• Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tbsp

Set 2 

• Grated coconut - a handful
• Cashew nuts - 5-7
• Fennel seeds - 3 pinch

Preparation 

• Clean Mushroom and cut it into 2 halves. Chop onion, tomato and garlic and keep it ready. Wash mint leaves and set it aside.
• Take a deep frying pan, pour oil, when hot add all items under seasoning and fry for 30 seconds. Add the chopped onion along with a pinch of salt and fry until half done. Add garlic and fry some more. Add tomatoes and fry until it gets mashed.
• Now add the ground paste of Set 1 and fry for sometime. Add the chopped mushroom, mix the masala well, add salt and cook with closed lid for 10 mins on low medium. The water from mushroom will ooze out so don't bother to add water.
• Open and check if the mushroom is done. Once done add the Set 2 ground paste and cook for another 10 mins or until the raw taste wears off on low medium flame. The curry will be thick. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with hot rice and boiled egg.

Set 1

Set 2

Chettinad Mushroom Curry

Thank you for visiting. Feel free to comment, I would love to know your opinion on the recipe. Visit my Facebook page for other recipes.

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Other Chettinad dishes

• Chettinad Egg Curry
• Soya Meal Maker Kuzhambu
• Mushroom appetizer

Related articles

• Flavours of Chettinad (dnaindia.com)
• Methi Mushroom (Fenugreek Mushroom Curry ) (cookingwithsapana.wordpress.com)
• Good Tasting Cooking | Simple Curry Recipe (thejournalist.ie)

Veg Fried Rice/ Indo Chinese Veg Fried Rice

I've tried Indo-Chinese Veg Noodles and it was time I prepared Fried Rice the Indo-Chinese way. I teamed it with Mushroom Manchurian and voila - a restaurant style lunch at home. You could use brown rice for a healthy version of the dish. However, using Basmati rice can be very tempting as the aroma is irresistible!
Ingredients

• Basmati Rice - 1 1/2 cups
• Carrot - 2
• Beans - a handful
• Capsicum - 1
• Spring Onion - 4 tbsp
• Cabbage - 1/4th cup
• Ginger - 2 inch
• Garlic - 5 cloves
• Oil - 3 tsps
• Salt - as required
• Pepper powder - as per taste

Sauce

• Vinegar - 1 tsp
• Chili sauce - 1 tsp
• Soy sauce - 1tsp

Preparation

• Cook Basmati rice with 3 cups of water. Once done sprinkle little oil and spread it on a plate so that it doesn't stick to one another.
• Now chop all the vegetables, ginger, garlic and spring onions finely and keep it ready. Heat a deep frying pan and when hot fry each set of vegetable separately sprinkling oil, salt and pepper on high flame. Make sure the vegetables are crunchy and not soft or over cooked. Fry the chopped ginger, garlic and spring onions separately for 30seconds.
• Finally take all the vegetables, ginger, garlic in the same frying pan together, mix the cooked rice and add vinegar, chilI sauce, soy sauce and mix well. Take care not to mash the rice.
• Garnish with Spring onions. You could serve it with Gobi Manchurian or Mushroom Manchurian.

Note
You could cook all the vegetables together too but the cook time for each vegetable may vary. If you are in a hurry you could cook all together. Cook on high flame only and leave the vegetables crunchy. You could use left over rice too.
You could even grind one red chili and an inch of ginger with 2-3 garlic cloves together and mix it along with the cooked rice for a more pungent taste if you like it real spicy.
I've also cooked it with brown rice and had used just 2 tbsp of oil. It came out well.

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Related articles

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Simple Veg Sandwich

Here is a simple veg sandwich recipe which I prepare everyday for breakfast. I use whole wheat bread/ brown bread in place of the usual white bread as this is high in fiber. A veg sandwich prepared with two slices of whole wheat bread and a glass of fresh juice will make a healthy filling breakfast! It can be had for evening snack as well.
Ingredients

• Whole wheat brown bread - 2 slices
• Chipotle sauce or Mint chutney - 2 tsps (Use any spicy spread)
• Tomato  - 4 slices
• Boiled potato  - 4 slices
• Onion - thinly sliced 4 pieces (optional)
• Carrot - 2 baby carrots grated
• Cucumber - 2-3 slices
• Salt - sprinkle as required
• Chat Masala - Sprinkle a little

Preparation

• Take the bread slices and spread the Mint chutney or any spicy spread you've decided to use evenly.
• Place the tomato slices and boiled potato slices on both the bread slices. Sprinkle little chat masala and salt. Place the onion pieces (optional), cucumber slices and spread the grated carrot as well. Add some more salt.
• Close the bread and place it in the toaster. Toast both the sides for 2-3 minutes.
• Serve with any fresh juice alongside for a healthy breakfast

Tip if making the sandwich for kids:

• Spread some butter on the bread before spreading  the chutney of your choice. Finally before closing the bread for toasting you could grate cheese in it. This will make the sandwich tastier.

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Chickpeas Snack/ Sundal

A healthy protein rich snack. It is common in households during festival season in South India. Since it is easy to prepare, it is not limited to festival seasons alone. If you visit beaches in Tamil Nadu, you will find people selling Sundal. A weekend at the beach, watching the waves, feeling the salty wind gushing to your face and snacking on this simple Sundal is a heavenly experience! Miss India :( Let me move on to the dish before I get all nostalgic!
Ingredients

• Chickpeas - 200 gms
• Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Red chilies - 2
• Grated coconut - 1 tsp (optional)
• Onion - 1/2 finely chopped (optional)

Preparation

Soak the chickpeas overnight or at least for 4-5 hours.

Take the soaked chickpeas in a pressure cooker, add 1/4th tsp of salt and cook it for 10 minutes. Once the whistle starts, lower the flame to medium.

Take a deep frying pan, pour oil when hot add mustard seeds; when it splutters add urad dal, red chilies, curry leaves and fry for few seconds. If you are using onion you can add it at this stage. fry until translucent. Now add the cooked chickpeas and mix well. Take care not to mash it. Just mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Check for salt.

Garnish with the grated coconut. This is optional but it sure gives a little flavour.

Serve hot with tea as a evening snack!

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• November 2013. Sunday Night Dinner, with a Mung Sprouts Sundal (ganga108.wordpress.com)
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Avarakkai Poriyal/ Broad beans side dish

I have never cared much for broad beans. It is not that I don't like Avarakkai,  but for some unknown reason it is not part of my usual. The other day my husband asked me why I don't cook it often and mentioned that he likes it, I decided to give it a try. We had it with Rasam rice and Curd rice. It was a delicious combination! I'm guessing if I make it a little spicy, it would go fine with chapati as well.
Ingredients

• Avarakkai/ Broad beans - 400 gms
• Onion - 1 finely chopped
• Green chili - 2 slit
• Grated coconut - 2-3 tbsp (optional)
• Cooking oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Channa dal/ Pottukadalai - 1 tsp
• Red chili - 1
• Curry leaves - 4-5 leaves
• Salt - as per taste

Preparation

• Cut the tip of the broad beans on both sides and peel away. Wash and chop it to edible pieces. Heat oil in a deep frying pan and when hot add mustard seeds. After it splutters add urad dal and pottukadalai. Wait until it turns light brown
• Now add the finely chopped onion, green chili, red chili and curry leaves. Fry until it is light brown. Now add the Avarakkai/ Broad beans and salt. (Note: Broad beans has salt content. So be careful when you add salt. Add little, check taste after sometime. Then if required add some more).
• Sprinkle water and mix well. Close lid and cook on low medium flame. Open and stir every now and then. Sprinkle water if required. It will take 10 minutes or less for the Avarakkai to be entirely cooked.
• Once it is done, switch off and garnish with the shredded coconut. This step is optional. Serve with Curd rice or Rasam Sadam.

Thank you for visiting. Feel free to comment, I would love to know your opinion on the recipe. Visit my Facebook page for other recipes.

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Other poriyal varieties

• Potato fry
• Beetroot poriyal
• Aloo Methi
• Aloo Mirch/ Potato and Capsicum poriyal 

Related articles

• Ways with Broad Beans (gooseberryhillblog.com)
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• Potato Fry/ Poriyal (riya14310.wordpress.com)

Aloo Mirchi / Capsicum with Potatoes

Boiled potatoes and Capsicum with a pinch of fenugreek leaves brings out an aromatic dish. Aloo Mirchi and Chapati is a great combination. It is a simple and tasty dish which I tried from "Tickling Palates".

Ingredients

• Potatoes - 4
• Capsicum - 1 large
• Onion - 1 large finely chopped
• Dry kasuri Methi leaves / Dry fenugreek leaves - 1 tsp
• Red chili powder - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4th tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1tsp
• Cooking oil - 1 tsp

Preparation

• Boil potatoes in a pressure cooker, peel skin off, cut it into cubes and set it aside. Wash and cut capsicum into cubes.
• Pour oil in a deep frying when hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and urad dal. Add onions and fry it until light brown. Add capsicum and cook until it is crunchy.
• Then add the boiled potatoes, mix well. Now add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix thoroughly. Cook with closed lid for 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle water now and then.
• Open and add kasuri Methi at this time. Mix well. Serve hot with Chapatis.